Jackpot: Lawyers receive more than the victim in a malpractice win
"Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson approved a settlement payout that gives her lawyers more money than her family.
Under its terms, the family would receive about $4.6 million. The lawyers, from Leesfield Leighton & Rubio of Miami, would receive more than $5 million." (via Common Good)
Indian doctors continue to take verbal abuse in Australia
"When Indian-trained GP Viney Joshi arrived in Townsville the first question he faced was: 'Are you Doctor Death?'
After a busy day Dr Joshi headed for the taxi rank and was shocked when his cabbie decided he must be Dr. Death."
This study says that health-related e-mail spam can prod people to a healthier lifestyle
I still hate spam.
Reassurance: Men worried about having a small penis are usually pretty average, but have a false idea of what the normal size is
"This best way to reassure men with penile concerns is to educate them, the author of the report says. Men should know that a normal-sized penis is 1.6 inches or more when flaccid or 2.76 inches when stretched out."
Multi-tasking: A toilet can measure blood pressure, analyze urine, and dispense medical advice
"Users begin their toilet-room medical at the built-in urine analyzer, which collects five cubic centimeters (0.15 fluid ounces) of urine before analyzing sugar levels. The device cleans itself automatically after the one-minute long test.
Users then move to the blood pressure monitor, within arm's reach of the toilet, then weigh themselves on ...
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Female doctors kill themselves at a rate 130 percent higher than other adult women, while the rate among male physicians is 40 percent higher than men in general
"The fraternity of medicine, mental health specialists said, is populated by hard-charging professionals taught to pursue perfection and abhor weakness. It's a high-stress profession. And it is a field uniquely positioned to have access to the tools of suicide -- and the ...
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Money talks: Doctors outspent lawyers by 40 percent in their political contributions during the last election
"Rios opened his checkbook to Republicans promising to limit lawsuits. So did many colleagues: In the 2004 elections, doctors almost doubled their political contributions compared with four years earlier. And, in another milestone, they outspent trial lawyers, who are opposed to curbs on litigation, by 40 percent, a reversal of the 2000 campaign."
The annual physical is useless - but we still do them
"Even though a panel of experts has thrown cold water on the automatic need to get an annual checkup, physicians and their patients haven't always gotten the message, a new survey says.
The survey, published Monday, found that while there's no evidence annual physicals for healthy people are useful, 65 percent of primary care doctors think they are ...
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Vitamin C does nothing for colds
The vitamins are taking a beating the last few years. It has also been recently reported that vitamin E does nothing to prevent heart disease.
"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianIf I’m wrong about guns, can you please explain why?
Claire McCarthy, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's Take