Treatment is limited to Kegel exercises, medication, covering up the problem with adult diapers, or an invasive surgery. Our product goes to the root of the problem by strengthening the pelvic floor muscle that controls the flow of urine. Weismayer says he will use the prize money to pursue U.S. distribution of the product. The entrepreneurship competition was started by Morgan in 1987 to help Purdue students develop an appreciation of the free market system and the role of the entrepreneur in a market economy. Morgan, a resident of Hudson, Ohio, and a Purdue alumnus, has started more than 50 companies, and six have become major corporations.
Organizers hope to more than double the amount of prize money for next year.
However, we found that the patients' reports of their own health were more valid. The discrepancy was greatest for African-American patients. Ferraro says it's well documented that various ethnic groups present themselves differently in health-care settings. It's also true, based on research in hospital emergency rooms, that doctors look differently at different patients. His study, reported in the April issue of American Sociological Review, analyzed health data collected nationally from nearly 7,000 persons between 1971 and 1975.