Is It Botox, or Is It Bogus?
"It sounds like someone was cooking up some Botox in their kitchen or basement and got it wrong . . ."
Following up the story mentioned here a few days ago.
Is It Botox, or Is It Bogus?
"It sounds like someone was cooking up some Botox in their kitchen or basement and got it wrong . . ."
Following up the story mentioned here a few days ago.
Some hospital ERs begin guaranteeing quick service
"Anyone who has spent half the night in an emergency room will welcome a trend that has some hospitals guaranteeing patients will be seen in 33 minutes or less."
Apologies for the extended downtime today. If it happens too often, I may be shopping for a new server to host the blog.
I have had a great response to the recent case discussions. However, there has been some concern regarding patient privacy. A couple of points to clarify. First, all identifying information has been removed, and the presentation changed. For instance, a "65-year old man shoveling ...
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Experts Fear Medicare Won't Work for Nursing Home Patients
"A wide range of experts on long-term care express serious concern that the new Medicare law will be unworkable for most of the 1.5 million Americans who live in nursing homes.
Nursing home residents take large numbers of prescription drugs, an average of eight a day. But many have physical disabilities and brain disorders that impair their memory ...
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More tests, less acumen reshaping medicine
"More non-essential tests are being ordered by doctors because of that fear, according to Dr. Kopjas.
'Do doctors over-order tests? Absolutely,' he said. 'Look at what happens in the ER (emergency room) and how many CAT scans are ordered there.'
The effect of not being able to rely on clinical acumen is discouraging for medical professionals, according to Dr. Kopjas.
'There ...
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Opinion: Market-driven medicine
"While it is morally and ethically a necessity to take care of those who are without adequate resources, those able should accept first-dollar responsibility for their medical costs by contributing to HSAs (health savings accounts) and purchasing high-deductible insurance. If you control where you buy care, you are more likely to see a market-driven economy resulting in reduced medical costs. Most important, take personal responsibility for ...
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FDA panel questions safety of female sex-dysfunction drug
"A federal advisory panel voted unanimously yesterday that the first drug to enhance the sex drive of women should not be approved because there is not enough information about its long-term safety."
Not surprising in the wake of Vioxx and hormone replacement therapy. Expect the FDA to increasingly act on the side of caution.
Consumer Reports - Best Buy Drugs
"Visitors to the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs website will be able to view the latest findings about the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of many widely used prescription drugs. We will tell you what you need to know when you talk to your doctor about switching to more cost-effective medications."
I'm looking forward to this and curious how they're going to implement ...
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40 Percent in U.S. Use Prescription Drugs
"The annual report on Americans' health found that just over 44 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, and 16.5 percent take at least three . . .
Prescription drugs, which make up about one-tenth of the total medical bill, were the fastest growing expenditure."
Put two and two together, and it's small wonder why health costs are ...
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'Blog' No. 1 word of the year
"Merriam-Webster Inc. said on Tuesday that blog, defined as 'a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks,' was one of the most looked-up words on its Internet sites this year."
A testament to the surging popularity of the blog format. My blog was started in May 2004, and now has grown to 10,000 unique ...
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Reefer madness hits the Supreme Court
Chris Rangel writes about the current issue of medical marijuana that the Supreme Court is pondering.
Here is what the Mayo Clinic writes about the medical applications of marijuana.
A reader writes:
This was the chief complaint of a 45-year old female. She's been doing this for several months, but worse over the past several days. She would go into the freezer and nibble on ice cubes and ice chips constantly throughout the day. No other complaints, and does not have any other abnormal food cravings. She does report more fatigued than usual, but denies nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, ...
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Why Good Friends Don't Always Make Good Doctors
"Even when someone is quite ill, the doctor can't worry about hurting the person or the person's feelings. Sorry, but the next biopsy or the next surgery or the next awful test must be done. Trying to soften the blow in the name of friendship invites disaster. Stated another way, a better question to ask your doctor is: 'What would you ...
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Backing off of VBAC
I was going to blog on this story from the NY Times today, but Bard-Parker writes an excellent commentary regarding this.
A nation of hypochondriacs?
"The ads routinely urge consumers to consult their doctors. But they also encourage them to ask for specific drugs. Doctors are trained as medical experts, but they are also trained to empathize with patients. When a patient demands a specific drug, doctors can experience significant conflict if they refuse to prescribe it. Some patients are known to change doctors if their requests are refused."
Exactly.
Should we allow direct to consumer advertising of prescription medications?
"Even though I have been an advocate of free markets in the business of health care, I have not thought that direct to consumer advertising (DTC) is such a good idea. In my opinion, DTC of prescription medical products is inherently problematic. It is way too easy for these ads to be misleading and quite often they are."
Chris ...
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MRI backlash: Crackdown on costs of imaging
"Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, based in Wellesley, Mass., started a preauthorization program in July. Practices are required to submit information to National Imaging Associates, a radiology utilization management firm based in New Jersey, before ordering a test. About 10% of the time, doctors end up having to discuss the case with a National Imaging Associates representative, who may suggest a different ...
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"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's TakeIf I’m wrong about guns, can you please explain why?
Claire McCarthy, MD | Physician