About half of all children in the United States with an autistic spectrum disorder are diagnosed at age five or older according to a May 2012, NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) data brief. However, many parents are suspicious much sooner. As part of autism awareness month, we bring you clues in toddler development that can alert you to a potential issue.
Pediatricians often use a questionnaire called the M-CHAT (Modified ...
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1. Uniform Quality Measures Sought for an SGR Repeal. Doctors need quality measures from a single source and more avenues to qualify for value-based payments under a post-Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) reimbursement system.
2. Triptans Go-To Migraine Drugs Even in Pregnancy. Monday's FDA announcement that pregnant women should not take valproate sodium and related drugs to prevent ...
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When should drivers retire from driving? This question is always difficult to answer. In our suburban car culture driving allows seniors to maintain their independence and prevents social isolation. However, at what point does it become unsafe for the elderly to drive and what are the risks?
One month ago my fit and about 80-year-old in-laws were involved in a serious car accident. A young ...
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As an employee of the ABIM Foundation, I’ve batted around the phrase “medical professionalism” for several years but it didn’t really hit home for me until I encountered it – and the lack thereof – as a patient.
Over the past six months, I’ve logged a few miles in the frequent patient program. I underwent a 13-hour craniotomy to resect a meningioma and woke up from surgery with nerve ...
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1. PFO Stroke Risk May Be Overstated. Among healthy older adults who were followed for more than a decade, the presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) was not associated with ischemic stroke or subclinical cerebrovascular disease.
2. Breast Cancer Deadlier in Women with Implants. Breast cancer appears more deadly for women with cosmetic implants, perhaps because ...
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I have kept some of my books from medical school displayed on the shelf, including suggested contemplative readings meant to tenderly inculcate students with a sense of compassion.
Like so many fledglings, we soar off into our chosen paths. Many new realities and considerations take hold. I shall refer to these as the “business, logistics and politics” of medicine. How can we ensure that we are adhering to the standards of ...
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1. Docs May See Pay Delay Under ACA Exchanges. Physicians could face dramatic financial challenges for treating patients who receive health coverage through the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) exchanges starting next year.
2. Docs' Charting Falls Short of ICD-10 Demands. Nearly 65% of clinical documentation doesn't contain enough information for coders to use for billing under the ...
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Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 19-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital because of a 2-week history of bilateral leg weakness and numbness accompanied by urinary incontinence that began after a viral gastrointestinal illness of 3 days' duration. She has no personal or family medical history of note and takes no medication.
On physical examination, temperature is 36.7 °C ...
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The Boston Globe recently had a front page story on how a neurosurgeon sued a patient’s husband for a blog critical of the physician.
According to the story, the patient underwent a complicated back operation as a result of her bone cancer. She tragically had a stroke post-operatively, and that’s where the situation between the family and doctor deteriorated. On the advice of his psychiatrist, the patient’s husband wrote a ...
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1. Stroke May Trigger Chronic Pain. Roughly one in every 10 patients who suffer an ischemic stroke will develop a new chronic pain syndrome, which might increase the risk of cognitive and functional decline.
2. More Support for 'Less Salt, More Potassium'. The idea that reducing salt intake -- and increasing potassium intake -- can lower blood ...
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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
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