He saw 26 patients one day:
On March 30, Sanchez-Arias saw 26 patients, including one man who had an ear infection, McNulty said.
"He said to the nurse, 'What kind of antibiotics do you give for this?' And she said, 'You're the doctor,'" McNulty said.
Such behavior aroused suspicions among the clinic's staff. It is unclear if Sanchez-Arias treated other patients since March.
Blogged at Doctor's Girlfriend:
I swear I just wanted to get laid, not become a doctor's girlfriend. As a female, when you tell others that you are dating a doctor, they kind of give you that smirk. You know, "that smirk" that suggests financial security and a possible lift in the social class ladder. Urgh. It's so far from the truth when your partner is a 2nd year resident.
A patient uses a blog to retaliate against a doctor:
Have you ever googled a doctor before a visit? I do it all the time and guess that many others do, as well, or at least should. Thanks to my rant here on my blog, when you google "[name deleted]" my blog post is now the second result!More on why your Google reputation is important for ...
Why doctors are such easy targets:
They are disorganized, individualistic, and political when necessary, and very competitive with each other. In fact, most of the competition has been directed toward and against each other in their local communities. When they perceived that their medical organizations did not represent their interests they walked with their feet and dues, weakening major organizations, that potentially could have aborted the mess our healthcare ...
Sobering words from a medical student:
This "art of defensive medicine" infiltrates the classroom too. We are taught how to ask questions of our patients and treat them in such a way that minimizes our risk of a lawsuit. We are trained what kind of patients to be wary of. Basically, we are taught that we can't trust our future patients, which is confusing to first-year medical students. How ...
With malpractice damages capped in Texas, lawyers are turning on themselves for cases:
Now that tort reform has capped certain malpractice damages against doctors, lawyers have become more enticing targets.
A recent case won by Joe Jamail against John O'Quinn "“ two of the heaviest heavyweights in Texas law "“ shows how much times have changed.
The high-powered plaintiff attorneys squared off after a landmark breast implant ...
A small but growing number are going to Mexico for cheaper nursing home care:
"With the right facilities in place, Mexico could give (American retirees) a better quality of life at a better price than they could find" in the U.S. However, Larry Minnix, president of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, said that the lack of government regulation could place residents of smaller Mexican ...
File under, zero surprise:
People in the United States are living in a world of pain and they are popping pills more than ever to cope with it.
The amount of five major painkillers sold at retail establishments rose 88% between 1997 and 2005, according to an Associated Press analysis of statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
More than 200,000 pounds of codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and ...
Doctors take it personally, despite what lawyers claim:
They aren't suing doctors and small business owners or citizens unfortunate enough to have had an auto accident. They're suing insurance companies. But, I can assure you, it isn't the insurance company that sits in a court of law accused of malfeasance.
Give them a chance, says Mark Crane. Great op-ed:
Juries of ordinary citizens generally aren't asked to decide complex legal disputes about maritime cases, tax law, bankruptcy, workers' compensation, divorce and child custody matters. And for good reason. While the principle of trial by jury is sacrosanct in America, basic fairness and common sense demand that such highly technical issues require expertise from witnesses and judges experienced in dealing ...
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(via Pharmalot)
Some people are so unhelpful.
More on the dying art of the physical exam:
Physical examination provides diagnostic accuracy and reduces the cost of unnecessary testing. More importantly it increases the patient's confidence and enhances the relationship.Dr. Rob with more.
US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt starts a government-approved blog. (via The Antidote)
Makes sense on paper, but as always, it's not always that cut and dry:
But Ms. Foster said that some of the conditions cited by Medicare officials were not entirely preventable. Commenting on the proposed rules in June, the American Hospital Association said, "Certain patients, including those at the end of life, may be exceptionally prone to developing pressure ulcers, despite receiving appropriate care."
In most states, ...
AMNews catches up with the Flea story and physician blogging. (via Turkewitz)
Vaginal birth after Caesarean (VBAC) can have risks, including uterine rupture. Because of this malpractice risk, some OBs refuse to do them:
But she says she was shocked when at eight months pregnant, her doctor's office, Simmonds and Simmonds in Frederick, gave her a letter telling her they were letting her go. They said it was because she challenged the use of a fetal heart monitor during labor ...
We're really all on the same side.
Our primary care leaders gets in bed with UnitedHealth. Smart, or a deal with the devil?
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Every month, hundreds of thousands of people look for a doctor on Google. As an amazing practitioner, your site deserves to be...
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the physician’s office were the tall cabinets filled with manila folders, tabbed with...
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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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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It was my first ER shift in charge of the resuscitation area. Needless to say, my adrenaline and nerves were firing like...
