And now, just when you thought your children had successfully fought off the urge to adopt the most deadly of cancer-causing habits, comes this frustrating report from the trendiest lounges where only the hippest young adults, apparently also blessed with immortality, hang out:
"Hookah Bars Finding a Place in America"
I wonder if all those folks congregating in hookah bars to smoke the narghile water pipe would be ...
December 2005
All Stories
This morning RoseMary, my wife, and I were running errands. A cool looking Ferrari pulled up next to us. The driver was a very obese man with very unkempt hair. As I glanced at him, he picked his nose and ate it. Is booger eating good for you?
America's first Baby Boomer turns 60.
"For the nation, the baby boomers turning 60 is monumental because of all the issues of health care and Social Security and nursing homes,' she says."
Statutes of limitations
Statutes of limitations for malpractice cases in Wisconsin don't fully address injuries to developmentally disabled children, so a teenager who was injured at birth should still be allowed to sue his health care providers, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.(This is, I guess, an established fact in the case).
The case could have broad implications in Wisconsin, where the state's medical malpractice environment is already in flux because ...
Compassion amid horror, 2
A follow up to this story;
Baby Noor, a 3-month-old Iraqi girl in urgent need of medical attention to treat a potentially fatal birth defect, was resting early Friday at a U.S. base in western Baghdad before being flown to the United States for treatment.
Noor was scheduled to be flown out of Iraq on a U.S. military plane around mid-morning Friday to Kuwait and then on to Atlanta ...
Consumer Reports weighs in with an opinion
Via Medical News Today:
Consumer Reports has named cesarean section number three on its list of "12 Surgeries You May Be Better Off Without." The recommendation, based on research at the non-profit Rand Corporation, encourages consumers to "check out safer alternatives" before having any of the 12 listed "invasive procedures." (link).
The number three ranking of cesarean surgery appears just above episiotomy (#4) and hysterectomy (#5) and ...
Dr. Centor has a quiz. He's responding to a med student's post about "thinking like a doctor" (the entry is dated 12/25). Here's Dr. Centor:
As Anthony matures as a physician, he will face a major challenge. How do you as a physician explain diagnostic tests, treatments and diagnoses in terms that patients understand?
As physicians, we have an obligation to "break it down" into understandable ...
How to become invisible: scroll down for instructions. But some people become invisible without trying. And some must cope with invisible symptoms of their illness...
"Exit 25." A father recalls his young son's meningitis. The diagnosis was not prompt.
"22nd Amendment Repealed – Ice Pick Sales Soar in Northeast U.S."
"Survivor Recounts Lobotomy at Age 12"
For the story behind the headline click the above link, which connects you to the illustrious and universally admired blog site where the post was composed - with the skillful hands of a master lobotomist, I might add.
What do you do when you come across "expert" witness testimony that is so bogus that it makes you sick? Publicize it.
Ipod-related ailments: auditory and orthopedic.
Maria turns off the warmth. She has some good reasons for doing so.
She says, "Keep your eye on Oculir."
Don't let your kids drink and toddle.
It’s About Time Somebody Stood Up for This Condition!
Finally, a news story with the courage to speak out about a totally unknown health crisis in America:
"Erectile Dysfuncion is Common, Treatable"
"Commonly referred to as ED [Ed? Couldn't they have picked a more obscure name, like Vercingetorix?], erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve and sustain an erection."
"Because ED is a functional disorder and not a cosmetic condition [Har! Tell that to ...
Oh, darn. Now you need a prescription to get your drugs in China.
A new treatment for alcoholism: Vivitrex/Vivitrol.
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...
