More tests, less acumen reshaping medicine
"More non-essential tests are being ordered by doctors because of that fear, according to Dr. Kopjas.
'Do doctors over-order tests? Absolutely,' he said. 'Look at what happens in the ER (emergency room) and how many CAT scans are ordered there.'
The effect of not being able to rely on clinical acumen is discouraging for medical professionals, according to Dr. Kopjas.
'There ...
December 2004
All Stories
Opinion: Market-driven medicine
"While it is morally and ethically a necessity to take care of those who are without adequate resources, those able should accept first-dollar responsibility for their medical costs by contributing to HSAs (health savings accounts) and purchasing high-deductible insurance. If you control where you buy care, you are more likely to see a market-driven economy resulting in reduced medical costs. Most important, take personal responsibility for ...
FDA panel questions safety of female sex-dysfunction drug
"A federal advisory panel voted unanimously yesterday that the first drug to enhance the sex drive of women should not be approved because there is not enough information about its long-term safety."
Not surprising in the wake of Vioxx and hormone replacement therapy. Expect the FDA to increasingly act on the side of caution.
Consumer Reports - Best Buy Drugs
"Visitors to the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs website will be able to view the latest findings about the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of many widely used prescription drugs. We will tell you what you need to know when you talk to your doctor about switching to more cost-effective medications."
I'm looking forward to this and curious how they're going to implement ...
40 Percent in U.S. Use Prescription Drugs
"The annual report on Americans' health found that just over 44 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, and 16.5 percent take at least three . . .
Prescription drugs, which make up about one-tenth of the total medical bill, were the fastest growing expenditure."
Put two and two together, and it's small wonder why health costs are ...
'Blog' No. 1 word of the year
"Merriam-Webster Inc. said on Tuesday that blog, defined as 'a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks,' was one of the most looked-up words on its Internet sites this year."
A testament to the surging popularity of the blog format. My blog was started in May 2004, and now has grown to 10,000 unique ...
Reefer madness hits the Supreme Court
Chris Rangel writes about the current issue of medical marijuana that the Supreme Court is pondering.
Here is what the Mayo Clinic writes about the medical applications of marijuana.
Clinic probed after illnesses
Sounds like a case for CSI Medblogs (via Medpundit).
Kevin Pho, MD
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Warren Buffett’s prostate cancer choices aren’t right for every man
A version of this column was published on April 24, 2012 in USA Today. There has been a recent uptick of elderly men...
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Many medical decisions require shared decision making
The following column was published on April 1, 2012 in USA Today. I recently saw a middle-age man in my primary care clinic...
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Patients deserve a medical malpractice early offer
The following column was published on March 25, 2012 in the Nashua Telegraph. Medical malpractice historically has been a contentious issue. Doctors...
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Discussing whether tests actually help patients or cause more harm
The following column was published on April 11, 2012 in CNN. When you visit the doctor, chances are you are given a...
Physician
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Being a good doctor is no more an achievement than being a good Mom
At no other time in my medical training was I as confident that, with hard work and dedication, I could master the...
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The malpractice risk of volunteer medical coverage at sporting events
From Outside Online, an article about how physicians are increasingly hesitant to provide volunteer medical coverage at athletic events: "Last year, 13 Americans...
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What does a perfect pediatrics practice look like?
I had a phenomenal day in clinic yesterday. Imperfect for sure but inspiring, connected, and busy. I felt useful and like anybody...
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Tips to improve your patient satisfaction scores
Recently I was asked, “How can I improve my Press Ganey scores?” Presently this question applies mostly to hospitals as CMS is...
Patient
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What meaningful encouragement can be given to someone who is dying?
Theirs is a lonely journey; to be moving towards the separation and end of all things known and loved. Being with a...
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Health care journalists have tendencies similar to those of doctors
As a patient who was asked to speak at the Association of Health Care Journalists 2012 conference, I felt a bit covert....
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Adaptation can be painful, but it can also be a gift
Nothing will force you to live life on your own terms faster than almost losing it. In 2008, I was on fire....
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Embracing the longing without the outcome
I’m not sure when I stopped missing my husband. I suppose familiarity crept in after 7 years together and I rarely felt...
Policy
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Repairing the tear in health care’s safety net with social media
The nation’s “safety net” hospitals are designed to ensure that uninsured, lower income and indigent populations receive adequate medical care – a...
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Look to technology to reduce health costs
Technology to lower costs rather than accelerate them. Smart phones to increase physician and other providers’ productivity. Fewer primary care physicians but...
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How to save a trillion dollars in health care
It is both conventional wisdom and factual truth that, unimpeded, American healthcare cost inflation will bankrupt the United States economically, educationally, socially,...
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How the Affordable Care Act combats preventable hospital infections
As the Supreme Court deliberates the Affordable Care Act, Americans should take a closer look at the commonsense reforms embedded in the...
Tech
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EMR liability needs to go further than just the physician
This example of a disaster waiting to happen, in the form of an error-promoting CPOE, is a poster example of why the...
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AMA: Changes are needed in the stage 2 meaningful use EHR proposal
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Continuing our efforts to move medicine forward while prioritizing patient care and minimizing...
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EMRs require better user-centered design
Healthcare IT News recently asked, “Do doctors have to be typists to get MU incentives?” That question reminded me that given the...
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Electronic records don’t tell us stories that make cognitive sense
One morning recently, I found another physician standing morosely at one of the mobile computer terminals we refer to as “cows”—computers on...
Social Media
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We need to see the potential harm of social media
Prior to 1794, farms across the world could only pick cotton as fast as humanly possible. In the late 18th century, Eli Whitney...
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Why social media may not be worth it for doctors
Social media in healthcare is all the rage these days. You can’t visit even one physician-oriented website without someone breathlessly advising you...
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Transparency defines social media success for doctors
Want to understand social media? Physicians wanting to learn about social media must learn transparency. We must learn transparency on a personal...
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How Twitter was used in a potential mass casualty scenario
It was my first ER shift in charge of the resuscitation area. Needless to say, my adrenaline and nerves were firing like...
