Yes, there are bad docs out there
"By the time Smith went to Vaynshelbaum, he had settled three malpractice suits between 1996 and 2001 - a lot for a radiologist. And the clinic he operated was so suspect that in 2003 the department warned the more than 4,000 women tested there from August 2001 to July 2003, including Smith, to get new mammograms immediately. There was a 75% risk of ...
August 2005
All Stories
Can artificial intelligence eventually replace physician decision making?
"An intelligent computer system which can imitate doctors' decisions about treatment for intensive care patients is being developed by scientists.
It will monitor patients' vital signs and then evaluate and administer drugs - a job now done by specialist medics.
Decisions will be made in seconds - freeing up valuable time for doctors."
A story of a newly-married husband being diagnosed with advanced colon cancer at age 30
"In May 2004, Amanda Costanzo stood in front of friends and family members and vowed to love Todd McGovern for better and for worse, in sickness and in health.
She just didn't think those promises would be tested so soon. Six weeks after their wedding, Todd was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer and ...
Pfizer says it will no-longer air Viagra ads during the Super Bowl or other "family viewing" hours
This commentary suggests that the FDA should err on patients' right to choose rather than erring on the side of safety
"The notion FDA should "err on the side of safety" must be qualified for patients with incurable or poorly treatable diseases: For them, there is no safety in the status quo, and they are only damaged further by paternalistic public policies that prevent them from exercising their own judgment ...
Here's a twist: A doctor and hospital are sued for performing a C-section too early
"The suit, filed against Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson, among others, claims the baby suffered adverse health consequences from a premature birth because another defendant, Dr. George R. Cole, decided to perform a Caesarian section.
Cole, who was on call at the hospital when Hutchison went there, testified Monday that he determined the ...
Banning direct-to-consumer ads could cost $10B
It's worth it.
Patients are suffering: Malpractice costs are a major reason why specialists are in short supply in PA
"Dr. Jack Wilberger, chairman of neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital: 'There are no neurosurgeons between Pittsburgh and Erie, which is a huge space, and no neurosurgeons east of Pittsburgh until you get close to Harrisburg.'
And he says it's tough to get anyone to come fill the slots in neurosurgery, general surgery, ...
A doctor, blinded by an attempted murder, now works as a medical transcriptionist
"BLINDNESS has not stopped Michael Borgonia, 37, a former government physician in Balamban, Cebu, from pursuing a new career in medical transcription.
Borgonia lost his sight four years ago after surviving an attempted murder.
In March 2001, several hired killers gunned him down as he was on his way out of the Balamban district hospital, ...
The LA Times applauds Dr. Frist's support of stem cell research
"IT WAS HEARTENING to see Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) take the issue of stem cell research a moderate step forward, even if his reasons for doing so displayed his inner struggle between what the doctor knows to be true and what the politician senses to be helpful.
Frist gave in to the latter a few months ...
A brain-dead woman gives birth
"A brain-dead pregnant woman who has been kept on life support to give her fetus more time to develop gave birth to a baby girl Tuesday, the woman's brother-in-law said.
There were no complications during delivery and the baby "is doing well," Justin Torres wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. The baby, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, weighs one pound 13 ounces and ...
Violent assaults on EMTs are becoming more common
"Much of the violence faced by EMTs rolling to emergency calls is attributed to summer boozing and drug abuse, and an increase in calls involving violent mentally ill people who have stopped taking their medication."
Grand rounds 45 is up
AloisMD is hosting. Come get your weekly best of the medical blogosphere.
Taking aim: This commentator fires away at doctors, lawyers, and the insurance companies
"It is my view that doctors should never have been made the richest kids on the block. Money has corrupted these public servants. They used to be the most respected because they could be counted on to be there, in our time of need, but not anymore. Try going to the hospital in the middle of the ...
An orthopedic surgeon abruptly retires, presumably because of rising malpractice costs
"A renowned Belleville orthopedic surgeon told his patients he is retiring from practice in an abrupt announcement July 29.
Don Serot, M.D., a board certified physician, could not be reached for comment. But sources indicate his decision to retire early was related to the high cost of obtaining medical malpractice insurance coverage."
Two legal rule changes have reduced the number of malpractice cases filed in Pennsylvania
"The state Supreme Court initiated a certificate of merit and a new venue rule in 2003. The certificate of merit requires attorneys to find an expert to certify that a malpractice case is justified. The goal of the certificate is to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The venue rule requires attorneys to file a case in the county ...
More Dr. Death news: A colleague tells of how he hid a patient from Dr. Patel
"A former colleague of Dr Jayant Patel has told Queensland's Morris Inquiry how he helped hide a patient from the overseas trained surgeon.
Dr Patel's been linked to hospital deaths and medical negligence.
Former Director of Medicine at Bundaberg, Dr Martin Strahan, testified he and other senior staff devised a complicated ruse ...
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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How we deliver bad news is critical to how families deal with grief
As a cardiac electrophysiologist, I have had to discuss bad news with patients and families more times than I would like during...
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His father’s suffering had already been too great
He looked dead. The paramedics brought him down the hall toward one of my critical care beds, and for a moment I...
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Diversity provides color to the tapestry of human experience
I was recently appointed the Assistant Director of the Yale Cancer Center with the portfolio of Diversity/Disparities. While I’m not sure I’m...
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Necessary is a word best defined when looking back in time
How do you define a “good” doc? I was reading the patient responses to an article here on KevinMD.com and was saddened...
Patient
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How death can be a beautiful experience
I was honored to be part of a beautiful experience in late January of 2011. It was the death of my mother-in-law...
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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....
Policy
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Hospitals around the world aim to remain relevant to patients
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ..." So begins a story called A Tale of Two...
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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,...
Tech
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Doctors, use Google to get more patients in less than 7 minutes
Every month, hundreds of thousands of people look for a doctor on Google. As an amazing practitioner, your site deserves to be...
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The user interface for EHRs should be uniform
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the physician’s office were the tall cabinets filled with manila folders, tabbed with...
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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...
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...
