They didn't have CSI 3,000 years ago, now they're making up for it
"A team of researchers briefly removed King Tut's mummy from its tomb Wednesday and laid bare his bones for a CT scan that could solve an enduring mystery: Was it murder or natural causes that killed Egypt's boy pharaoh 3,000 years ago?"
January 2005
All Stories
Of course, there is some real medical malpractice going on
The highly publicized case of the orthopedic surgeon leaving mid-surgery to deposit a check comes to an end. The cost? A $1.25 million settlement.
Calling on the Governor of Maryland to use the "Martha Stewart ploy"
The article proposes a resolution to the malpractice reform inpasse in Maryland.
President Bush bringing malpractice to the forefront
With the President's visit to Illinois as well as the attention with the Maryland malpractice reform, I'm encouraged by the recent focus on this issue. Lots of talk so far, now its time for some action - although that may not be so easy.
Lowering C-reactive protein independently lowers cardiac risk
The first of two important studies from the New England Journal of Medicine. This is the first time that a study has shown lowering CRP (via statins) improves cardiac outcomes independent of cholesterol level.
Earlier this year, the goal LDL ("bad" cholesterol) for those at very high risk was lowered to 70. Now it seems that targeting and monitoring CRP as ...
Dr. Charles talks about the Medical Weblog Awards
I took the link off my site as well. In addition to the cookie scandal, it's also tough to compete with the outreach of Weblogs, Inc.
The doc blogging from the Iraqi front lines has been shut down
(via GruntDoc)
"We're getting information through the press, and I don't think it's complete"
And thus, the timeliness and power of medical blogs becomes all the more apparent.
Plan B (the morning-after pill) could reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies while posing no apparent risk to women
This contradicts a claim made by opponents as it tries to go for OTC status.
Drug companies are taking their war against drug importation direct-to-consumer
They may have nothing to worry about soon.
Nursing homes often hide drugs in the patients' food
This is often the only way to make demented patients take their medication. Not surprisingly, patients who got drugs covertly more often received antiepileptics, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics.
Temp docs are being called in during the Maryland malpractice crisis
Like any election, there are voting irregularities in the 2004 Medblog Awards
I'll let the comments speak for themselves.
Once again, a DTC ad misleads
This time it's Seasonale, the oral contraceptive that promises only four periods per year:
Barr's advertisement plays down the risk of irregular menstrual bleeding that can be as heavy as a regular period by suggesting it would subside with continued use of the pill, the letter said.The FDA letter can be found here.
Update:
The Well-Timed Period has more ...
Most commercial weight loss programs are not effective
The study comes from the Annals of Internal Medicine:
We found studies of eDiets.com, Health Management Resources, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, OPTIFAST, and Weight Watchers. Of 3 randomized, controlled trials of Weight Watchers, the largest reported a loss of 3.2% of initial weight at 2 years. One randomized trial and several case series of medically supervised very-low-calorie diet programs found that ...
Chris Rangel hosts Grand Rounds 15
Come get your weekly best of the medical blogosphere.
"A person's jigsaw [puzzle] strategy closely reflects both their personality and level of skill"
Donald Duck, M.D., a retired GP in Scotland, laid claim to the name first
Tort reform is on the agenda in New Hampshire's legislature
"The Legislature will see about a dozen bills related to medical malpractice, aimed at combating what some lawmakers and doctors say are skyrocketing insurance costs."
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...
