The case of the neurologist who sued a patient for a negative online review has come to an end.Predictably, the court ruled against the physician and dismissed the lawsuit.To recap, the physician was upset by the slew of negative online reviews he received, and claimed that the patient,
defamed him and interfered with his business by making false statements ...
Becoming a doctor is a long and arduous process. Between taking pre-med courses, taking the MCAT, applying to medical schools, matriculating, then taking test after test after test until you take the big one (USMLE Step 1) before which you did questions all day long for weeks from a good USMLE question bank ...
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 26-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-month history of amenorrhea. Menses began at age 13 years. At age 18 years, the patient was placed on an oral contraceptive pill to control heavy bleeding. She discontinued the oral contraceptive pill 4 months ago because she ...
Dr. Elvira Aletta is a clinical psychologist with a unique perspective on what it’s like to live with a chronic illness. In her early twenties, she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease that usually affects young boys. Then in her thirties, she came down with a chronic autoimmune condition called scleroderma.She’d never heard of that, either. She describes her ...
Osteoporosis is a condition that is sure to become increasingly diagnosed as our population ages.Osteoporosis is significant because it is associated with an increased risk of bone fracture, including fracture of the hip and vertebra, which are the cause of significant morbidity, mortality, loss of independence and medical expense in the elderly. In current clinical practice, osteoporosis is diagnosed on the basis ...
Researchers want us to believe that science is transparent and self-correcting. When someone makes a mistake, he or she owns up to it. That's what corrections and retractions are for.But that's not what happens at some medical journals.Instead, retraction notices read like doublespeak:"The authors have identified inconsistencies within the data that may have affected the results of the study."That one turned out to be because of faked data. You ...
Like any kid who always wanted to be a doctor, I went to medical school to learn how to help people. Just wearing the white coat during orientation week had people looking at me differently, expecting me to know something more than I did just a week before. One of my classmates was even asked for ...
by Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhDLately I’ve been using social media sites like Quora and Stack Overflow and I’m awed by the intelligent and creative solutions that arise from collective conversation and collaboration.We hear about Twitter-revolutions and see sites like Ushahidi empowering Africans ...
I was in practice about five years and was about to do a radical nephrectomy on a patient.I met with the patient and his son in my office and the son informed me that he and his father were Jehovah's Witnesses and that he didn't want his father to receive any blood or blood products before, during, or after surgery. I asked the father if that was his wish and he ...
by David Cundiff, MDThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) advocates the "creative destruction" of the traditional system of U.S.physicians practicing solo or in small groups operating as small businesses.Republicans and Democrats approve of ACOs in concept. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 ...
Every day, mental health clinics, emergency departments, psychiatric hospitals, physicians’ offices, counselors’ offices, school counselors and police officers are faced with an almost impossible responsibility. It is a responsibility, a burden, often highlighted retrospectively, after a tragedy. Their job is this: identify every dangerous person, treat them properly and avoid horrific events like the recent murders in Tuscon.I sympathize greatly, since I work in the emergency department of a hospital ...
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.A wise physician once said, "Health is not valued til sickness comes." The same can certainly be said about health insurance.This concept is at the heart of our current debate about individual responsibility for health insurance coverage. While we hope never to need surgery or chemotherapy or to have an unexpected accident or illness, it’s certain that many of ...
Not to be negative about public health educational campaigns, which I believe are important, but the two major factors that have led to the decline in US smokers over the past decade are most attributable two two things: smoking bans and taxes on cigarettes.When it becomes difficult to smoke in public places and expensive do to so anywhere, people are more motivated to quit.An article in the New York Times ...
The Douglas County Health Department in Omaha, Neb., responded to a 26-person outbreak of pertussis from Sept. 26 to Nov. 21, 2008. Afterward, the department and the CDC assessed the total cost in time and personnel of the response."The elevated incidence of pertussis and the burden of response placed on health departments warrants exploring the impact of alternative response and ...
What does low-carb mean? Well, the first thing it means is that something else has more carb. So what are you comparing it to? Breakfast cereal? Angel food cake? The standard American diet (sAd)? Anything would be low-carb compared to those.A whole bunch of folks at the Nutrition & Metabolism Society have been working hard to help people understand that carbohydrate, and not dietary fat, is the main dietary component causing ...
by Susan Y. Chon, MD You know you need sunscreen. But with so many lotions, sprays and gels to choose from, how do you know which sunblock will actually prevent sunburns — and skin cancer?When it comes to shielding your skin from the sun, the type of sunscreen you choose is as important as how you use it.I hear many people blame their sunscreen when ...
"This job is killing me" is not a statement of jest. It is a desperate plea of outright sincerity.Stress, anxiety, depression – all have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. But can interventions to help people cope with stress positively affect longevity and decrease risk of dying? The results of a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine would imply the answer is ...
In the previous post I discussed the field of pharmacogenomics.Today I will focus on:
Why is it that some people have a psychiatric disorder and they bounce back and it's not a big deal, while others struggle terribly? For the unlucky ones, mental illness defines them.Here are some factors that affect how much impact psychiatric illness has in a person's life.
I recently had the opportunity to give two interviews on patient engagement.The first was with John Novack of Inspire, who came over to my office to chat about the empowered patient, and how social media and online health information has affected the doctor patient relationship. Here's an excerpt:
Inspire: What qualities do effective “e-patients” share?Pho: I think they’re proactive in their healthcare. They’re inquisitive. They like to ask questions. And ...
According to a recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, primary care physicians are referring more patients to specialists than ever...
One of the reasons there is such a movement against vaccines is the democratization of information, perpetuated by search engines like Google....
In a widely circulated CNN article, many radiologists have been found to cheat on their board exams: "Doctors around the country taking an...
Are doctors really going broke? According to this piece from CNN Money, some are: "Doctors list shrinking insurance reimbursements, changing regulations, rising...
As physicians, we are often called upon to be advocates for our patients. Sometimes they have no other person to turn to....
Mike was a runner, outdoors-man, and fitness nut. This was not so much as for health reasons as for "feeling good", but...
William Osler famously said (among other things): “Listen to the patient. He is telling you the diagnosis.” I was doing my obstetrical...
The little boy, who looked to be about two, darted away in a fit of giggles. His young mother, who seemed thoroughly...
For health care professionals, patient engagement is the holy grail of health care. It is the key to patient adherence – a...
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...
So, Megen at Not Nurse Ratched wrote post recently about therapeutic presence. The following passage really caught my attention: "Question is: are...
People often ask me how I became a hospice volunteer. For the record, nobody is more surprised than I am. You know...
A social media movement is happening before our eyes with action starting to take shape. The #occupyhealthcare movement has begun within to...
The triple aim of health care, as defined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is: improving the experience of care, bettering...
The storyline is familiar. An organization is challenged to achieve better results without spending more money. An executive is committed to obtaining...
Why are cancer organizations waiting until it starts to rain before they suggest buying an umbrella? “Join my Medicare Advantage plan and...
Many clinical decisions in older persons are dependent on life expectancy. For example, as life expectancy declines, cancer screening is likely to...
“To Err Is Human” is the title of the now famous book from the Institute of Medicine on patient safety published about...
Professor Gunter Dueck, is a calm and eloquent german mathematician who’s also the CTO of IBM Germany. He studied mathematics and philosophy...
Robotics has the potential to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare. It can help extend the delivery of information, expertise and clinical care...
As a physician, technology cannot replace you, but it can make you more efficient and effective. This was the message from Richard...
Looking ahead to the next several months, I’ve found myself frequently wondering how many physicians will make this their year to take...
The physician’s decision to first dive into social media can be stress-inducing. Issues of time management, maintaining professionalism, and determining a return...
The impact of social media on medicine could arguably be compared to the impact of the industrial revolution on the human condition....
