From the monthly archives:

July 2004

Same issues overseas

July 31, 2004

Looks like resident physician hours are also an issue in Britain - except their limit is 58 hours a week (way under the 80 hour per week limit in the United States).

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On vacation

July 30, 2004

I’ll be taking a much-anticipated vacation the next 2 weeks. My forums at Med Help International will be closed until August 14th. I’ll continue to blog as interesting things come up, but will be sporadic during the first two weeks of August.

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MRIs for breast cancer screening

July 29, 2004

I was going to talk about it, but Bard-Parker beat me to it. I guess that’s what headlines are for, but people simply read the headline (”Study Finds MRIs Better on Breast Cancer”) and jump to a conclusion. Already had someone ask me for a screening MRI of her breasts this morning. [...]

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Med-mal in Canada

July 28, 2004

PointofLaw.com writes several interesting articles on medical malpractice, pain and suffering caps, and liability in Canada. A stark contrast to what’s happening here, eh?

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I can see the Pfizer reps . . .

July 28, 2004

. . . whipping this study out when I see them next. The study suggests a 10% improvement in osteoarthritis pain scores over acetominophen (Tylenol). Of course, no mention is made of cost - 30 caps of Celebrex 200mg is $74.99. 250 caps of acetominophen 650mg at CVS is $7.49.

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Lyme test overused

July 28, 2004

A report says that the serologic test for Lyme disease is overused.
“We found that a good number of Lyme disease blood tests are ordered inappropriately, primarily for patients who come in without symptoms,” . . .
. . . In more than 50 percent of the inappropriate tests, the patients didn’t have symptoms of Lyme [...]

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A trio of articles . . .

July 28, 2004

. . . from Medpundit on Overlawyered. The first, discussing a lawsuit based on a 1 in 1.09 quintillian chance. The second on the benefits of non-economic damage caps. The last on the effects of lawsuits going out-of-control: obstetricians are leaving Pennsylvania, and some hospitals are closing their OB departments entirely.

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It’s about time

July 27, 2004

Medicare will now cover a “comprehensive physical” and the appropriate screening tests that accompany it.

The “welcome to Medicare physical” for new beneficiaries includes influenza and hepatitis B vaccines, mammograms, Pap smears and pelvic examinations and screening tests for prostate cancer, colon cancer, glaucoma and osteoporosis, among other conditions.
It will even cover things like a routine [...]

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Shotgun lawsuits

July 27, 2004

Medpundit is guest blogging at Overlawyered, and posts this story about a potential casualty of shotgun lawsuits.

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An unfortunate case . . .

July 27, 2004

. . . of someone who does not have insurance and doesn’t speak the language, getting lost in the maze of our broken health care system.

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Brace yourselves for Michael Moore

July 27, 2004

His next project will turn his attention to the world of HMOs. Should be fascinating when it comes out:

With “Fahrenheit 9/11″ becoming the first documentary to cross the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, director Moore expects a smooth path on raising money to make “Sicko,” his critique of health-maintenance organizations.

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There’s something to be said . . .

July 26, 2004

. . . for continuity of care.

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Talkback on weekend vs weekday care

July 25, 2004

Our surgical colleague on A Chance to Cut . . . responds to the piece on delayed weekend testing. He disagrees with my hypothesis that the savings from shortened length of stay would offset the increased staffing costs of treating a weekend like a weekday. Perhaps this should be studied next.

Given the current [...]

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20/20 on personal injury lawyers

July 24, 2004

John Stossel did a fantastic piece on 20/20’s “Give me a break” segment regarding John Edwards and personal injury lawyers (found via Galen’s Log). Some excerpts:

In hospitals, the lawyers have bred so much fear that patients now suffer more pain, and may be less safe because doctors are concerned about being sued.
“That fear is [...]

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New scutmonkey comics

July 24, 2004

For those who haven’t been following Michelle Au’s Scutmonkey Comics, they are witty and hilarious - I can certainly relate to many of the experiences. A new batch were released today, dealing with her surgery rotation. Check it out!

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