Why do IBS patients have so many additional procedures that rarely help them?
"According to Spiegel, IBS patients often suffer from somatization. Since patients with somatization are sometimes perceived as 'complainers' by their doctors, the researchers hypothesized that physicians might respond to these complaints by ordering excessive tests instead of treating the somatization itself.
Researchers found that patients with high levels of somatization were not more likely to ...
September 2005
All Stories
Pfizer is sued because its studies of Lipitor did not include the women or elderly
I'll have to check this up myself: "However, there is a lack of proof that Lipitor's effect on cholesterol protects against heart attacks and strokes in women and the elderly with no prior history of the diseases, according to the suit. It also alleges that the company's marketing campaigns violated state consumer protection laws ...
The Democrats' solution to malpractice
"Now Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., have introduced the 'Medical Error Disclosure and Compensation Act,' which would provide funding to doctors, hospitals, and health systems that put in place mechanisms to promptly disclose medical mistakes or other mishaps to patients, offer compensation if the health provider is at fault, and ensure that those mistakes are reported to experts who can analyze ...
There are not enough specialty residency slots in Canada
"Keen to become an emergency-room doctor, Nick Rose knew that with only 27 residency spots available across Canada, he faced fierce competition. To boost his chances, he travelled the country doing unpaid work in five hospitals, hoping to impress.
To keep costs down, the Ottawa medical student slept in gritty youth
hostels and boarding houses, and crashed on the couches ...
US News and World Report: Congratulations to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care on being the top health plan in the nation
Vioxx update: This cardiologist's testimony can be damaging to Merck
"Dr. David Sim, an Idaho cardiologist who has treated plaintiff Frederick 'Mike' Humeston since his heart attack, said he was able to eliminate many of the most common high risk factors for causing a heart attack.
'He had a paucity of risk factors for having an event,' said Sim at the second Vioxx trial in testimony provided through video ...
"It was never about getting the highest amount . . . It's about seeking justice."
"She hopes the hospital's doctors and nurses will learn a valuable lesson through the boy's death and "take their job more seriously."
To ensure that, a plaque in memory of her dead son, Torajee, must be placed inside the hospital's emergency room . . .
. . . Tukishia Bobbett thinks her son ...
The one-year anniversary edition of Grand Rounds is up
Congratulations on a great year of Grand Rounds. Here's to many more editions of the best in medical blogging.
Another pain management specialist is sued for "turning a patient into a drug addict by recklessly prescribing her painkillers"
Dr. Bennett fights back: "They picked the wrong guy because I am not going away; I will not shut up."
"Bennett has been accused of telling a female patient that she was fat and if her overweight husband died, no one would want her except maybe a black man. Bennett denies saying anything about a black man, but freely admits he talked to her about her weight and the potential ...
Can group doctor visits be an answer for decreasing wait times?
"Backlogs in medical care are a frustrating fact of life for both the doctor and patient; however, some clinics are helping patients save time by seeing those with similar medical issues in groups."
A pioneering heart surgeon turned to DaVinci drawings for inspiration
"Mr Wells has used this understanding to modify current repair operations, and has successfully treated 80 patients.
The drawings allowed him to work out how to restore normal opening and closing function of the mitral valve, one of the four valves in ...
The dangerous precedent of DNA tests in sports
The Chicago Bulls' center, Eddy Curry, has had inconclusive tests for his arrhythmia. The Bulls want him to take a DNA test to determine if he is genetically predisposed for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This obviously has some far-ranging effects: "More important for pro sports -- and ...
Unfortunate: A 30-year old man, already paralyzed from the waist down, suffered further damage after falling off the gurney during a chest X-ray
"Nathan Ogden, 30, whose lower body had been paralyzed by a 2001 skiing accident, sued the hospital after his neck was broken in a gurney accident in 2003, causing him to lose most of his upper body function. The jury found the hospital was negligent in providing ...
This ENT physician makes house calls to the stars at Foxwoods
"'It's like dealing with any group of patients,' she said. 'Some take
good care of themselves and some abuse their voices. Some take steps to make sure they're in optimum condition to do their jobs and some just say, 'Do whatever you have to to get me though the show.''"
Meet the physician who writes for the TV show "House, M.D."
"A 40-year-old Harvard-trained general internist and clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Foster is not treating Hollywood actors. He is putting words in their mouths -- words that resonate with authority and realism.
Foster wangled a job as writer and medical consultant for the hit Fox network TV show 'House' by impressing the show's producers ...
A doctor in Arkansas is performing free abortions for hurricane evacuees
"Storm refugees in Arkansas who need an abortion can have the procedure done for free at a Little Rock clinic where a doctor has said he has already performed six free of charge and will continue to do so for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Despite protests from an anti-abortion group, Little Rock Family Planning clinic director ...
Kevin Pho, MD
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How I approach ovarian cancer screening with patients
Ovarian cancer screening clearly touches a nerve. No one doubts that ovarian cancer is a devastating diagnosis, often found when the disease...
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Why more primary care doctors are referring patients to specialists
According to a recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, primary care physicians are referring more patients to specialists than ever...
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Should Google censor anti-vaccine claims?
One of the reasons there is such a movement against vaccines is the democratization of information, perpetuated by search engines like Google....
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Radiologists who cheat on their board exams: Who’s to blame?
In a widely circulated CNN article, many radiologists have been found to cheat on their board exams: "Doctors around the country taking an...
Physician
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Why an anesthesiologist would be needed for organ donation
I've only had to declare death a couple of times. Once in a three-year-old and once in an adult. In each case...
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5 ways to avoid a misdiagnosis
Billionaire Teddy Forstmann had been diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer. There’s a tragic twist to the story: according to...
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Benefits of the Medicare Adult Wellness Visit
One of the things I love about family medicine is that I get to care for people of all ages. I almost...
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Cancer has a way of teaching us poignant life lessons
I just finished reading George’s recent post on Evelyn Lauder, who recently passed away from ovarian cancer, and am still stirred by...
Patient
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In love there is a life giving force
Here is a toast to the miracle of love. Not to the romantic, chocolate, dance club nightlife type of love. Not warm...
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How to get ready for death
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet...
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The long term cost of a pain in the neck
One morning this May, I woke up with a stiff neck. I applied hot and cold therapy all day and took an...
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Preparing for your visit with someone in hospice care
Visiting someone who is dying or critically ill is an experience many of us will have in the course of our lives....
Policy
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AMA: Advocating for Medicare, military and fiscal responsibility
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com. This week, I’m joining hundreds of physicians and medical students in Washington, DC...
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A critical look at value driven health care
Everyone in the world is talking about “value-driven health care.” Or so it might seem if you pick up a medical journal...
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Surviving the new landscape of physician reimbursement
CNN recently posted an article titled "Doctors Going Broke." It described several cases of independent physicians who are near bankruptcy although they once...
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Doctors lobby Congress to repeal the SGR
One of the things that I like most about my job is engaging with ACP’s physician leadership—the internal medicine doctors who dedicate...
Tech
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There is a patient attached to that implantable defibrillator
As a follow-up to my post on why patients with implantable defibrillators should have access to their device’s data, I am going...
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The pitfalls of email communication with patients
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reviewed the emerging role of email in healthcare, arguing that doctors should more aggressively...
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Why adoption of EHRs is a transformational event for physicians
Paul Conslato, MD, director of clinical affairs for Lancaster General Medical Group, recently was quoted in the PAMED Better Health Network eZine...
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Why EMR is a dirty word to many doctors
Don’t get me wrong, EMRs (electronic medical records) are inevitable. Over the long-run they are almost certainly good for physicians, patients and...
Social Media
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Using Twitter to deliver health improvement messages
I have decided to spam for public health. Phone calls, text messaging, and even apps have been shown to help improve health...
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Addressing comments on your medical practice’s Facebook page
Does your medical practice allow anybody to post links and comments on your Facebook page? The short answer is yes. We do....
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The Internet is where patients go for pre-visit consultations
As a physician, technology cannot replace you, but it can make you more efficient and effective. This was the message from Richard...
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5 ways doctors can benefit from professional connections
Looking ahead to the next several months, I’ve found myself frequently wondering how many physicians will make this their year to take...
