February 2007
All Stories
"We need to stop the belief that a pill will always cure everything"
Psychiatrist-blogger Maria over at intueri writes on the tragic Rebecca Riley case:
. . . no one is jumping up to conduct a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study on kids and medications because of all the ethical issues involved (although I recall reading somewhere that Harvard had done something like that"¦ though I can't find the citation now). Would you want your kid (baby sister/brother/cousin/et al.) to receive medications at uncertain ...
"And I would like to thank my dermatologist . . ."
Otherwise known as red carpet dermatology, pre-Oscar cosmetic treatments are big business.
An expert witness prices himself out of a trial
A neurosurgeon charges $10,000 per day for his testimony.
$130,000 for handwashing lessons
Cash-strapped hospitals in Canada are taking handwashing seriously.
A Christian pediatrician turns away a child because of her mother’s tattoos
He wouldn't treat the ear infection and sent the child away.
"We’re losing a war that we didn’t realize we were fighting"
A physician does everything right, yet is sued. The theatrical plaintiff's attorney played a scene from Lord of the Rings, equating doctors to monsters:
Five years later I found myself walking into a courtroom to face charges of medical malpractice. The suit said that because of my negligence, a man had been a quadriplegic for four years and then died of sepsis after a decubitus ulcer became infected. ...
Are specialists stealing primary care patients?
And are primary care physicians bringing it upon themselves?
Is NBC doing more health cheerleading than health reporting?
Gary Schwitzer thinks so. It's sweeps month after all.
The danger of Medicare for all
For those who support a "Medicare for all" approach, consider what happens when you have a single entity making all the health care decisions:
The 75% rule is one example of the kinds of decisions that a government sponsored universal healthcare system will make. When one payer (government or non-government) develops a monopoly, their decisions can single-handedly limit consumer choice, prevent physicians from exercising clinical judgment, and decrease quality ...
"I challenge anyone to show me people dying on the streets because they don’t have health insurance"
An economist promotes less, not more, government in health care:
Some of our politicians hold up the Canadian and British nationalized health care systems as models for us. You can bet that should we ever have such a system, they would exempt themselves from what the rest of us would have to endure.
There's a cure for our health care problems. That cure is not to demand more government ...
Paul Levy is being criticized for his blog
I've always applauded his openness and forward thinking. Many other hospital CEOs would be wise to follow his lead and embrace the openness and transparency offered by blogging.
A man gets tasered in the ER
He wasn't happy with the wait. (via Scalpel)
Testicular and breast exam videos labeled "adults only" on YouTube
These videos were uploaded by a family physician from the UK:
Dr Steele told El Reg: "These are videos that I have produced at my own expense to help educate the public. I know for a fact that people find this material very helpful, as they are often provided with minimal support information when they enquire about these procedures."(via Shiny Shiny)
Some continue to think that health care is "free"
A misguided person thinks that his employer-paid health insurance and continuing Medicare coverage is "free":
One gentleman said he never has to pay for healthcare. He gets his for free.
Free? uh-huh "” sure.
I asked him if he works for a living. No, he said he is retired. So I asked him if his employer paid for his medical care and he ...
Anna Nicole Smith’s doctor in hiding?
Apparently, the heat is being turned on him:
So where is the doctor? According to Access, since news broke about the methadone prescription Dr. Kapoor has been unavailable for comment. He cancelled an interview with Access and was captured with his head covered while ducking in to a van in Los Angeles yesterday. His Southern California practice offices had the curtains drawn and the doors locked as well.
"’Get Well Soon’ probably won’t cut it"
Hallmark with cards for specific medical conditions:
Likewise, most cards lining the store shelves don't work on occasions as someone leaving an abusive spouse, undergoing drug rehab or declaring their sexual orientation . . .
. . .'Cancer is a villain who doesn't play fair'
For illness: "Cancer is a villain who doesn't play fair ... but it can't dim your spirit, and it can't silence prayer."
Cruise lines not responsible for physician’s malpractice
Closure on a case discussed previously.
Hotel concierge doc
Something to keep in mind when traveling. It may be cheaper and more convenient than going to the ER.
Bureaucracy is withholding patient information from VA doctors
Ridiculous red tape preventing doctors from doing their best for incoming vets. (via a reader tip by Hello Mary Lu)
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...
