A rant on patient expectations vs patient entitlement:
A patient could expect to be seen on time but is not entitled to this. An expectation not an entitlement. We actually could not think of any more entitlements than the one we came up with. Most of what we discussed seemed to be expectations.
Patients with a displaced sense of entitlement are actually quite annoying. Almost as annoying as ...
"Which positions are best during sexual intercourse so I don't strain my new knee implant?" Dr. Kirschenbaum answers this interesting question.
Twins were born to a UK couple - one black, one white.
(via kottke.org)
Update:
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More care does not equal better care. A journalist sees first-hand the fundamental problem of American health care:
I wondered, as I sat there, if I was witnessing a key problem with our increasingly-costly health care system: Patients with insurance don't have to weigh the actual cost of most procedures against the likelihood of benefit.
This point was part of a recent ABC News documentary by Peter Jennings ...
How concierge medicine saved this physician's life:
And because of reduced reimbursements, the practice began losing money. "She was running herself down physically and mentally," says Moore. "At the end of this particular day, she just collapsed. She was barely conscious. Her skin was silver-gray. I rushed her to a nearby emergency room, and they revived her."
Vaughan remembers her blood pressure being 70/50 (normal is 120/80). Moore ...
The nurse-to-patient ratio in the Philippines is 1-to-26.
NY Times case - When a complaint is really a complaint:
These are the people who can tolerate a bit less discomfort or uncertainty than the average person. These are the patients who cry wolf. The only trouble is, sometimes there really is a wolf. The challenge for the doctor is knowing when.
More quackery - the maker of Airborne is changing its packaging:
Airborne said that a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with "care and professionalism" by a company specializing in clinical trial management, GNG Pharmaceutical Services.
GNG is actually a two-man operation started up just to do the Airborne study. There was no clinic, no scientists and no doctors. The man who ran things said he had lots of ...
Dr. Reese looks at a case of tinea versicolor on Survivor: Exile Island.
More attacks on the Canadian health care system:
In an interesting parallel with socialist arguments against school vouchers in America, socialist defenders of "free" health care in Canada warn that allowing private clinics will "drain the public system of doctors and nurses." This is tantamount to an admission that doctors, nurses, and patients are unhappy with the current system, though of course defenders of the status quo don't recognize that ...
Dr. RW talks about how the absurd (aka complementary and alternative medicine) is often looked at uncritically:
Detractors are fond of saying "“but medical students need to know about these things"” or "“they'’re doing research". Trouble is, much of this so called "education and research" amounts to little more than uncritical promotion of quackery. I'’ve given examples before, and the authors of the MJA piece make the case effectively. ...
Dedication: A 96-year old physician continues his duties as chair of the OB department.
Tort reform in Texas is improving physician access. "Physicians and other health care providers are pleased with the results so far.
Citing Texas Department of Insurance figures, a Texas Alliance for Patient Access analysis of Proposition 12's impact noted an 11.7 percent average cut in the malpractice insurance rates.
The alliance is made up of health care interests who support medical liability reforms.
The analysis also emphasized an ...
OBs say that Washington's mini-mal reform isn't enough:
"These proposals really do nothing to lower the exposure risk for obstetricians," said Anton-McIntyre, who had confronted Gov. Chris Gregoire last month during a state medical association meeting in Olympia.
Anton-McIntyre, who said she has never been sued for her obstetrical care, told Gregoire that she needed to see improvements in the liability environment or she would give notice to her ...
This physician takes follow-ups seriously. And rightly so:
Nobody wants to cross Dr. Mayda Melendez.
It's not that her patients in the Tiny Steps prenatal program at St. Francis Hospital fear her, they just know they'll never hear the end of it.
If they don't show up for their appointments, a nurse will call and ask why. If Melendez suggests they cut back on sweets and they ...
Frivolous? An interesting case where parents are suing a doctor for a Munchausen syndrome by proxy diagnosis:
The parents of 3-year-old boy have sued a prominent pediatrician at the Cleveland Clinic who accused the couple of faking their son's illnesses.
Scott and Tricia Beam of suburban Chippewa Lake were outraged when their son, Tyler, was placed with a foster family while the couple was under investigation by the ...
Can the Swiss health care system work here? "Every resident of Switzerland is required to buy health insurance. If they don't, they pay stiff monetary penalties. Companies have no role. Health-care plans are chosen at the kitchen table, not through employee benefit departments.
And the plans can be costly. A family of four in Switzerland pays an average of $680 a month in premiums. Government assistance helps pay ...
Mark Lanier, up close. "The 45-year-old Texas lawyer describes himself as 'just a common person.' But this common man earns $10 million in a good year, and his firm will receive 13 percent of the Vioxx judgment (though it will probably be reduced under Texas law)."
The Well-Timed Period teaches the basics of surgical abortion.
Is Mardi Gras going to overwhelm the New Orleans health care system?
Raucous Mardi Gras crowds pose a challenge to emergency medical services every year. But the city this year is bracing itself because emergency rooms are already filled near capacity trying to provide everyday health care for city residents while several hospitals remain closed.
Ovarian cancer screening clearly touches a nerve. No one doubts that ovarian cancer is a devastating diagnosis, often found when the disease...
According to a recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, primary care physicians are referring more patients to specialists than ever...
One of the reasons there is such a movement against vaccines is the democratization of information, perpetuated by search engines like Google....
In a widely circulated CNN article, many radiologists have been found to cheat on their board exams: "Doctors around the country taking an...
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...
Billionaire Teddy Forstmann had been diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer. There’s a tragic twist to the story: according to...
One of the things I love about family medicine is that I get to care for people of all ages. I almost...
I just finished reading George’s recent post on Evelyn Lauder, who recently passed away from ovarian cancer, and am still stirred by...
Here is a toast to the miracle of love. Not to the romantic, chocolate, dance club nightlife type of love. Not warm...
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet...
One morning this May, I woke up with a stiff neck. I applied hot and cold therapy all day and took an...
Visiting someone who is dying or critically ill is an experience many of us will have in the course of our lives....
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...
Everyone in the world is talking about “value-driven health care.” Or so it might seem if you pick up a medical journal...
CNN recently posted an article titled "Doctors Going Broke." It described several cases of independent physicians who are near bankruptcy although they once...
One of the things that I like most about my job is engaging with ACP’s physician leadership—the internal medicine doctors who dedicate...
As a follow-up to my post on why patients with implantable defibrillators should have access to their device’s data, I am going...
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reviewed the emerging role of email in healthcare, arguing that doctors should more aggressively...
Paul Conslato, MD, director of clinical affairs for Lancaster General Medical Group, recently was quoted in the PAMED Better Health Network eZine...
Don’t get me wrong, EMRs (electronic medical records) are inevitable. Over the long-run they are almost certainly good for physicians, patients and...
I have decided to spam for public health. Phone calls, text messaging, and even apps have been shown to help improve health...
Does your medical practice allow anybody to post links and comments on your Facebook page? The short answer is yes. We do....
As a physician, technology cannot replace you, but it can make you more efficient and effective. This was the message from Richard...
Looking ahead to the next several months, I’ve found myself frequently wondering how many physicians will make this their year to take...
