Originally published in MedPage Todayby Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff WriterExpectant mothers may enjoy listening to their unborn babies' heartbeats, but they shouldn't rely on home fetal heart monitors to provide an accurate picture of fetal health, researchers say.
The devices may provide false reassurance in some situations, according to Abhijoy Chakladar, MD, of Princess Royal Hospital in West Sussex, ...
November 2009
All Stories
Is the hospital July phenomenon a myth?
"Don't go to the hospital in July."That's the prevailing public perception, since that's when new resident-physicians begin their hospital training. And indeed, there have been studies from Australia and England showing a higher rate of death and adverse events during this time.But what about in the United States?Recent data isn't so conclusive. A piece from American Medical News points to a recent study from the Journal of the ...
$1 for every new Twitter and Facebook follower, raising the Thanksgiving Drive stakes
Thank you all for participating in the Thanksgiving Drive.As of today, there have been 400 new Twitter followers, and 130 new Facebook fans since November 1st.I'm now raising the stakes.The contribution will now be doubled, meaning $1 for every new Twitter and Facebook follower will be donated to the United Way of Greater Nashua. Including a generous contribution from Joan Kelly, $730 has been raised thus far.
H1N1 flu is potentially life threatening to people of all ages
Originally published in Insidermedicine
H1N1 flu can cause serious illness, resulting in hospitalization and even death among individuals of all ages, according to surveillance information coming out of California that was published in the November 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.id="play_continuous_flvs" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="385" height="239" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0">
Why is the American College of Rheumatology barring the media from adding CME?
by Robert Stern, MA, CCMEP In our continuing saga with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and their oppressive media policies, one of our readers kindly forwarded a letter received by her from the president of the ACR who provides his justification for attempting to restrict MedPage Today's access to their annual meeting.For context, let's begin with the letter from ...
Do patient demands drive up health care costs?
According to recent data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, upwards of 60 percent of patients first consult the internet for their health issues.This is leading to more educated patients, taking an increasing role in their own health care. And that's a good thing. I'd rather be seeing patients who are interested in staying healthy and conscientious about their conditions.But it's unfortunate that the incentives within ...
What’s next for health reform after the House passed their bill, H.R. 3962?
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Emily P. Walker, MedPage Today Washington CorrespondentThe House of Representatives voted 220 to 215 to pass historic healthcare reform legislation late Saturday night, after 11 hours of debate before a packed gallery of spectators. H.R. 3962 passed by a narrow margin: Democrats needed 218 votes to pass the bill and wound up with just two ...
Ten top medical blog posts, October 2009
Here are the top posts from the past month, based on the number of times they were viewed.1. Two nurses face jail time for reporting a doctor to the Texas Medical Board2. Why pregnant women should get the H1N1 flu vaccine3. Why doctors should choose Google Android over the iPhone for medical apps4. What having the H1N1 flu feels like5. Flu and H1N1 influenza vaccine ...
How the health care system is corrupting doctors
Originally published in HCPLive.comby Jeff Brown, MD
I had the same reaction . . . shock at seeing an almost obscene claim about our profession in a national newspaper. But it got me thinking, which no doubt was its intended purpose. While we are thinking and feeling our way through this wide-ranging debate on health care, we might as well ...
Op-ed: Injured patients deserve medical malpractice reform
A version of this op-ed was published on October 26th, 2009 in the USA Today.President Obama has acknowledged that changes in the medical malpractice system must be considered with other health reforms, and recently ordered that pilot projects to improve the way we compensate injured patients be implemented.Reforming medical liability has historically been a source of major contention. Physicians argue that the system is expensive, promotes multi-million dollar awards ...
Support for the patient centered medical home in the House health reform bill
by Thomas C. Bent, MDAs the House of Representatives prepares to vote on its historic health care reform bill on Saturday, family physicians are heartened to see the support it gives to the emerging new model of care, the patient centered medical home.The House bill is good news on many fronts. It would provide health insurance coverage for some 96 percent of Americans and would reduce the federal deficit by ...
What is the best insulin regimen for patients with diabetes?
Originally published in Insidermedicine The best method for taking insulin among individuals with type 2 diabetes has been identified in research published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.id="play_continuous_flvs" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="385" height="239" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0">
Vaccines do not cause autism in children, whether or not they have inborn errors of metabolism
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American CorrespondentVaccination does not appear to cause autism or other health problems in children with inborn errors of metabolism, a researcher said here. In a retrospective analysis, children with such conditions were not more likely than normal children to visit emergency rooms or need hospital care after vaccination, according to ...
Did Nidal Malik Hasan suffer from compassion fatigue or vicarious traumatization?
There are many tragic questions emerging from today's massacre at Fort Hood. The one I'm interested in is why a reportedly mild-mannered psychiatrist, a specialist in disaster and preventive psychiatry no less, would make the decision to open fire on his fellow soldiers.
One reason may be so-called compassion fatigue, also known as vicarious traumatization or secondary traumatization.According to the Psychiatric ...
Are nurse unions using the H1N1 flu pandemic as a bargaining ploy?
Only in the United States could a virus like H1N1 bring out the worst in medical politics and greed. We are facing a pandemic that requires coordination, communication and the best of medical practice. But what are we getting? Strikes, lawsuits and anything but putting patients first.The California Nurse Association (CNA), is taking this opportunity to call a strike on three large Catholic hospital chains (which comprise a total of ...
Health care social networking basics for doctors
Originally published in HCPLive.comby Enoch Choi, MDPatients have embraced social networking tools that allow them to share information, offer support, and compare healthcare experiences. Physicians should also use these tools to connect with their patients and local communities and provide general medical information. Healthcare social networking has made impressive inroads into the mainstream, as like-minded folks find each other online ...
Clostridium difficile infection is spreading from the hospital to the community
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Charles Bankhead, MedPage Today Staff WriterClostridium difficile infection has spread from the hospital to the community but has proved manageable thus far. From 1991 to 2005, the incidence of community-acquired C. difficile in Olmsted County, Minn., quadrupled but still remained less common than the hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infection, Sahil Khanna, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in ...
How getting a viral infection can be beautiful
If getting sick weren't so miserable, I'm sure more can appreciate the beauty of this video.MedGadget points us to this NPR piece featuring Xvivo, a company that produces impressive medical and scientific animations. This one shows us how viruses infect cells and reproduce themselves.Enjoy.width="480" height="295">
Diagnosing and treating disease is only a small part of a doctor’s job
by Danielle Ofri, MD, PhDIf asked what a doctor does, most people would probably come up with the standard description of diagnosing and treating disease, usually while wearing an ill-fitting white coat. Before I entered practice, even during my medical training that probably would have been my answer too.But my years in the trenches of real medicine have altered that definition greatly. I do spend time doing the things I ...
Saving what’s good about the United States’ health care system
by Bruce GoldmanThe U.S. health care system, although it's the costliest in the world, doesn't even deliver the goods when it comes to delivering health. That's the conventional wisdom. But is it true?At least a few well-researched studies by credentialed and respected experts suggest we might want to pause to consider whether, in the mad dash now underway to fix our ailing health care system, we could inadvertently end up ...
Kevin Pho, MD
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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...
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Doctors: Don’t be ashamed about going bankrupt
Are doctors really going broke? According to this piece from CNN Money, some are: "Doctors list shrinking insurance reimbursements, changing regulations, rising...
Physician
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Patients will understand an honest mistake if the doctor tells the truth
It was 1976 and I was a junior resident in urology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. I was assigned...
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Diagnosing an illness is an art
Diagnosis is the foundation on which all care and treatments rest. If the diagnosis is wrong, most probably so is the treatment. ...
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Physicians have a natural role as advocates
As physicians, we are often called upon to be advocates for our patients. Sometimes they have no other person to turn to....
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Our society expends huge sums on futile care
Mike was a runner, outdoors-man, and fitness nut. This was not so much as for health reasons as for "feeling good", but...
Patient
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How will the Baby Boomers age and die?
I love listening to life stories. As a hospice chaplain, I loved sitting with our patients and their loved ones engaging in...
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Patient engagement is the holy grail of health care
For health care professionals, patient engagement is the holy grail of health care. It is the key to patient adherence – a...
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Why do doctors delay hospice referrals?
This is a response to Deb Discenza's article requesting a one page informational sheet informing a patient about hospice or palliative care. This would...
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How touch can calm patients
So, Megen at Not Nurse Ratched wrote post recently about therapeutic presence. The following passage really caught my attention: "Question is: are...
Policy
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A lack of incentive for medical schools to train primary care doctors
A social media movement is happening before our eyes with action starting to take shape. The #occupyhealthcare movement has begun within to...
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What should be the stated aim of health care in America?
The triple aim of health care, as defined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is: improving the experience of care, bettering...
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How Moneyball applies to healthcare
The storyline is familiar. An organization is challenged to achieve better results without spending more money. An executive is committed to obtaining...
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The problem of insurance gaps in cancer patients
Why are cancer organizations waiting until it starts to rain before they suggest buying an umbrella? “Join my Medicare Advantage plan and...
Tech
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Repetition is the curse of the doctor-patient engagement
How many times as a doctor do you ask the same questions over and over again as part of the routine process...
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Why the prognosis of patients is difficult
Many clinical decisions in older persons are dependent on life expectancy. For example, as life expectancy declines, cancer screening is likely to...
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Innovative technologies can markedly enhance safety
“To Err Is Human” is the title of the now famous book from the Institute of Medicine on patient safety published about...
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Google knows more about certain diseases than physicians ever will
Professor Gunter Dueck, is a calm and eloquent german mathematician who’s also the CTO of IBM Germany. He studied mathematics and philosophy...
Social Media
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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...
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Twitter Is my third office location
The physician’s decision to first dive into social media can be stress-inducing. Issues of time management, maintaining professionalism, and determining a return...
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The impact of social media on a physician assistant
The impact of social media on medicine could arguably be compared to the impact of the industrial revolution on the human condition....
