Summary
IRA and Keogh Assets—Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a critically important component of the assets that will be available to fund retirees' expenses. This article examines the level of assets in these accounts, the types of financial institutions in which they are held, the breakdown of the assets into Keogh and various IRA types, tax deductible contributions to the plans, and the percentage of Americans age 21 and older who have one of these accounts.
Evidence-Based Medicine—There is a growing belief that there is an optimal way to deliver care for a specific diagnosis, and that finding and publicizing that path to a point where it becomes the norm could lead to better medical outcomes at less cost. This approach, generally termed evidence-based medicine, would depend on integrated medical systems, i.e., a group of physicians making a commitment to use common protocols; practitioners who are committed to delivering care based on the best practice for a given condition; and patients who use resources to decide on what treatment options should be used in their particular case. This article presents a number of perspectives on evidence-based medicine as presented by physicians and other health care professionals at the 11th annual ECRI Conference on Healthcare Policy, Law and Methodology held in October 2003 in suburban Philadelphia.