May 2009

All Stories

Getting used to torture, and what surgery has to do with it

in Physician | 6 responses

Can you get desensitized to grisly procedures?

In last week's NY Times column, Pauline Chen looks at the declassified torture memos and thinks about the first time a doctor-in-training cuts through skin during an operation.

"Most people "” actually anyone who has experienced even a paper cut "” are hesitant to slice through flesh," writes Dr. Chen. "Aspiring surgeons are no different. Their first efforts are tentative ...

Should the best and brightest really become doctors?

in Education | 21 responses

For years, medical schools only accepted those who scored highest on the MCATs or received top grades.

But, in an era where working with others is becoming more essential to patient care, whether future doctors can function as a member of a team is becoming increasingly important.

To that end, Maggie Mahar asks whether those who score the highest grades really are best suited to become doctors. ...

Covering a virtual colonoscopy, or not, will test the cost-cutting will of Medicare

in Policy | 6 responses

Medicare is in the midst of deciding whether to cover virtual colonoscopies.

I wrote two prior pieces on their pending decision::

Should Medicare cover a virtual colonoscopy?

Medicare will not cover virtual colonoscopies, gastroenterologists breathe a sigh of relief

In February, after reviewing the evidence, a federal agency simply said, "The evidence is inadequate."

Predictably, the move created instant dissent, mainly from CT-scan ...

Are East Coast doctors different from their West Coast counterparts?

in Physician | 4 responses

Maria, a psychiatry fellow who's practiced medicine on both coasts, notes some differences between the two breeds of physicians.

For instance, regarding hierarchy, on the East, "Physicians wear one color of scrubs. Nurses wear yet another color of scrubs. Medical technicians wear a different color of scrubs from doctors and nurses. It's very clear who is who"¦ unlike the uniformly scrubbed people on the West Coast."

And although, ...

Does telemedicine reduce malpractice risk?

in Physician | one response

The conventional wisdom is that practicing medicine over the telephone exposes doctors to potentially more malpractice lawsuits.

But, is that really the case?

Blogging over at Better Health, physician Alan Dappen, who created an innovative primary care model, suggests not.

His practice, which is based on 24/7 physician availability by phone, solves most patients' concerns half of the time. He was recently audited by his ...

If you think medical school is already difficult, try doing it while battling leukemia

in Conditions | no responses

That is the situation facing Yale medical student Natasha Collins.

She lives in New Haven, Connecticut and splits her time between classes at Yale and chemotherapy sessions in New York City. That arrangement had been keeping the cancer at bay for over a year, but she recently relapsed this past February.

A bone marrow transplant is potentially life-saving, but because she's half-Caucasian, half-black, finding a match ...

Patients do not want their doctors paid on salary

in Physician | 12 responses

One question that occasionally comes up is whether doctors should be paid a flat salary or not.

Currently, the majority of physicians are paid fee-for-service, meaning that the more procedures or office visits they do, the better they are reimbursed. This, of course, gives a financial incentive to do more, without regard to quality or patient outcomes.

One proposed solution is simply to pay doctors a flat ...

Why doctors should care about search engine optimization, and why SEO can make or break your practice

in Tech | 3 responses

It's not good enough simply to have a web presence.

Patients are searching for doctors, medical practices and hospitals via search engines, like Google, so whether or not you're found on the first page can make a significant impact on the number of patients you see.

Furthermore, it's in your best interest to have some control on how your name or practice comes up on search queries. ...

When is it alright to advise a patient to smoke?

in Patient | 6 responses

Believe it or not, there are such instances.

Peter Ubel tells us of one, in a sad case of end-stage metastatic lung cancer. While observing a patient and his wife arguing about his cigarette use, Dr. Ubel realizes that in this instance, it's quality of life that matters.

So, instead of watching them fight, he encourages them to see the bigger picture: "My duty as a ...

Medical blogging podcast on HCPLive.com

in Tech | no responses

Don't get enough of me from reading the blog?

I was recently interviewed by HCPLive.com's MedTech Moments podcast. John Ellison asks me questions about medical blogging, including how to get started, the power of social media among physicians, and some of the risks physicians take by adding their voice to the blogosphere.

Thanks to Dr. Ellison for the interview, and enjoy the podcast.

Should specialists be re-trained as primary care physicians?

in Physician | 11 responses

It appears the forces are aligned to bolster the number of primary care physicians.

Increasing pay has been discussed as one solution, however, any effect from such a move won't be seen for years to come.

Joe Paduda says we need more immediate results. Training more mid-level providers, like nurse practitioners and physician assistants, or enticing more foreign-trained doctors isn'tt the answer because they too will be ...

How the demand for Tamiflu and Relenza may kill us all

in Meds | 9 responses

The current strain of swine flu appears to be sensitive to the anti-virals Tamiflu and Relenza.

That's causing huge demand for these medications, with many pharmacies rapidly selling out. For instance, a typical pharmacy may fill one prescription of Tamiflu a week, but now, dispenses up to 25 packages per day.

There's clear stockpiling going on, and the doctors who acquiesce to patient demand share the ...

Should health care providers be forced to work through a flu pandemic?

in Physician | 4 responses

With swine flu in the news, some are wondering what the responsibilities of health care providers are in case of a full-blown pandemic.

Shadowfax has unearthed an article citing little-known laws in some states, "that authorize government officials to order health care professionals to work during declared public health emergencies, even when doing so would pose life-threatening risks."

And it's no joke, as those "who violate these ...

Is health IT being rushed, leading to patient errors?

in Tech | 7 responses

Bolstered by the stimulus, there's no doubt that there's a significant push for doctors and hospitals to adopt digital medical records.

I've written before how we're essentially throwing money at Windows 95 technology, but now, as an article from BusinessWeek points out, there's a real danger in moving too fast.

Somewhat under-publicized were the incompatibilities with older systems in the Geisinger Health System, which ...

Page 4 of 41234

Kevin Pho, MD

See all in: Pho

Physician

See all in: Physician

Patient

See all in: Patient

Policy

See all in: Policy

Tech

See all in: Tech

Social Media

See all in: Social media

Meds

See all in: Meds

Conditions

See all in: Conditions

Education

See all in: Education