by Danielle Ofri, MD, PhDThere is a veritable epidemic of doctor-writers out there. What is going on?Are doctors suddenly in the kiss-and-tell mode? What about confidentiality? Professionalism? HIPAA?As one of the aforementioned doctor-writers, I look upon this trend with both awe and trepidation. I suspect that that this flourishing literary phenomenon relates to the public’s fascination and fear about all things medical. It also relates to the falling away ...
February 2010
All Stories
When doctors are at greatest risk of making a mistake
Early in my training as a glider pilot my instructor showed me an excellent but simple analogy for ensuring my safe performance as a pilot. I have always remembered this lesson, which he called the ‘accident slope’, and have tried to apply it to my method of practicing medicine, as well as the other ‘dangerous’ activities for which I have an affinity.“Accidents and mistakes are seldom the result of one ...
Find out how close synthetic life is to becoming reality
Craig Venter talks genetics and bringing synthetic life to reality. From TEDMED 2009.width="425" height="349">
The specialty of underwater medicine, and an interview with a dive physician
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Kristina FiorePhysicians tend to prefer intellectual hobbies -- chess, reading, writing. Dr. Alfred Bove is no exception. His hobby often requires application of his expertise in physiology. You know him as the president of the American College of Cardiology. But you may not know that his heart belongs to the sea.
Bove's interest in scuba diving ...
Should students take a personality test before entering medical school?
Currently, the most important test prospective medical students take is the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT.Despite what schools say, an MCAT score holds tremendous weight, more so than a brilliant essay or a stellar recommendation letter.In an interesting New York Times piece, Pauline Chen wonders whether that score itself leads to a great physician. She discusses an article showing that students' cognitive traits may be equally important.Although students ...
Leg and buttock pain can be signs of peripheral arterial disease, especially in patients with diabetes
by Michael Jaff, MDPeripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition commonly correlated with diabetes, also known as a “silent killer,” affects at least one in every three diabetics over the age of 50 and approximately eight million Americans in total over the age of 40. Although PAD is prolific among diabetic and senior populations, current data show that public and physician knowledge of the disease is startlingly low, with only 25 ...
Differences between the Senate and House approach to health insurance exchanges
by Deborah MaggartIt’s a very exciting time to be a part of the health care world.The U.S. Senate and House were in deep negotiations attempting to reform health care in America by reconciling their separate visions into a single bill and – just as reform was deemed imminent – a special election in Massachusetts complicated matters by ending the Democrats’ filibuster-proof “supermajority” and with it the possibility of strictly partisan ...
Why did Canadian premier Danny Williams come to the United States for heart surgery?
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American CorrespondentIt is rare that a simple matter of patient choice causes an international flap. But that's what happened when 60-year-old Danny Williams of St. John's, Newfoundland, decided to go to the U.S. for heart surgery.That's because Williams isn't just any old Newfoundlander -- he's the premier of Canada's easternmost ...
KevinMD on the Apple iPhone App Store, and optimized for mobile browsing
Mobile browsing represents the fastest growing segment of information consumption. And KevinMD.com will be there.
I'm pleased to announce the KevinMD.com App, now available on Apple's App Store for your iPhone or iPod Touch.Of course, the site is already optimized for viewing on your Android, Windows or Palm-based mobile browser.And don't forget, you can also follow the discussion ...
Pending lab tests are not in hospitalist discharge summaries
As hospitalist programs become more prevalent, the issue of how best to communicate discharge summaries and instructions to primary care physicians remains.A recent study suggested that only 16% of pending lab tests were written in hospitalist discharge summaries, which is a staggeringly low number.Doctors who see hospitalized patients in follow-up need to know what they're looking for; whether it's abnormal potassium level or the result of an imaging study ...
What air travel would look like if it worked like health care
No other industry would tolerate the bureaucratic inefficiencies that are allowed to persist in our health care system.width="430" height="295">
Why primary care doctors need to practice insurance free medicine
I never thought I would be in academic medicine for so long.When I was hired about 12 year ago, I figured I would stay in academics for a few years and then join a private practice Internal Medicine group. Now, I can't even fathom that idea. One of the reasons I have stayed at my institution for so long is that I love teaching and the academic environment.However, a second ...
Why there are so few leaders in medicine and how to fix it
Originally published in HCPLive.comby Jeff Brown, MDA quick look at a newspaper will tell any doc just how important physician leadership has become, and increasingly so, in having a say in our economic futures. But our titular leaders are in a historically weak system complicated by being only one group of voices struggling to be heard in the rush to deal with national health care reform. There are many ...
How soon should the dead be buried in Haiti?
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Crystal PhendAid appears to still be trickling in to Haiti, making little headway against the swelling need for food, water, and medical care after last Tuesday's earthquake. With a projected death toll between 100,000 and 200,000, the dead bodies piled in the streets -- and reportedly even being incorporated into roadblocks by angry Haitians ...
How physician burnout worsens patient care
It's no secret that primary care doctors are getting burnt out.Last July, I pointed to a study observing that "large numbers of physicians claimed a lack of control of their work, a chaotic work pace and time constraints during patient visits,” and, “more than a quarter complained of burnout. More than 30 percent indicated they would leave the field within five years.”Now there's data showing that unhappy physicians provide ...
How should pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and pharmacies communicate with physicians?
by George Van AntwerpIn the pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) business, there are lots of reasons to reach out to a physician:* Drug-drug interactions * A chemically equivalent version of the drug prescribed is available * A therapeutically equivalent version of the drug prescribed is available * The prescribed drug is not covered * A prior authorization is required * The patient is required to try an alternative drug first (step therapy) * The prescribed ...
A comprehensive plan to fight obesity begins at an early age
Originally published in HCPLive.comby Jeffrey Gene Kaplan, MD, MSIn a given year in the U.S., 1/4th of US men and 2/5ths of US women attempt to lose weight, unfortunately, they often fail to keep the weight off.
Sobering statistics that we see all around us, particularly poignant in my office as a pediatrician. Clearly a multifaceted approach is required, but the ...
What doctors need to know about Google Android and Nexus One
Originally published in MedPage Todayby Satish Misra and Iltifat HusainThe momentum and enthusiasm in the mobile technology world is, these days, clearly with Google. The question for many people is whether to go with the reigning champion of the mobile device world (arguably Apple) or to take a chance on the challenger. The Nexus One, the flagship of the Android ...
10 ways an Apple iPad can help doctors improve patient care
The current (first generation) Apple iPad probably won't run a robust electronic health record (EHR).
However, it may run some iPhone/iPod touch EHR/EMR apps. I think most physicians will prefer to use a standard tablet PC instead of the iPad. However, given that a large percentage of physicians are not using the tablet in the outpatient office setting, perhaps ...
How patient privacy laws impedes electronic communication with doctors
I recently spoke at Grand Rounds in my local hospital, talking about how doctors and other medical professionals can better use social media to interact with patients.Already, the majority of patients access the web for health information, and that number is only going to increase - especially as their use of social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, grows. Despite that, however, adoption of these digital mediums of communication remains ...
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....
