(February 12, 2009 - Insidermedicine) From Pennsylvania - According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, financial incentives are an effective smoking deterrent. In a study of nearly 900 smokers, researchers found that 15% of those rewarded with financial incentives quit smoking, compared to 5% of those who only received educational materials. Incentives consisted of $100 for program completion, $250 for quitting within 6 months, and $400 for abstaining for another 6 months.
 
From London - According to a report in the Times of London, the researcher who linked childhood vaccines to autism in a 1998 study falsified his data. The report claims that Dr. Andrew Wakefield altered clinical findings in 8 of 12 children in order to support his claim that the MMR vaccine could lead to autism, a statement which led to a drop in vaccination rates. The report noted that in 2008 there were over 1,300 reported measles cases in the UK, compared to 56 cases in 1998.
 
And finally, from Houston - According to research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, contrast agents for echocardiography improve visualization. In a study of over 600 patients, researchers found that nearly 33% of those who had an echocardiogram which included a micro-bubble contrast agent did not require additional diagnostic procedures, while drug management was altered among 10%.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.