Day 3 of TEDMED 2013 kicked off with “Session X,” which was a special session focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, and consisted of a spirited panel discussion of two hot topics. During the first half of the session, Marleece Barber, Jennifer Kurkoski, Rick Valencia, Geeta Nayyar and Jeff DeGraff participated in a discussion titled “Every Company is a Healthcare Company: Innovating From …
The second day of TEDMED 2013 began with the curator, Jay Walker, providing a recap of the first day, which set the stage for the first session of the day: “How Can Big Data Become Real Wisdom?” This session was the most technologically focused of the day.
This session started with computer scientist Larry Smarr, an advocate of personalized medicine, who …
We’re here at TEDMED 2013, excited to be part of a unique group of people passionate about the future of medicine and curious to walk the path that will take us there. We’ll be reporting through the rest of the week on the talks, demos, and people that make TEDMED the world’s premier medical conference.
The first session of TEDMED 2013 opened with performing artist Kishi Bashi setting the stage …
At a time when one in three Americans report difficulty paying medical bills, up to $750 billion is being spent on care that does not help patients become healthier. Although physicians are routinely required to manage expensive resources, traditional medical training offers few opportunities to learn how to deliver the highest quality care at the lowest possible cost. While the gap is glaring the problem is not new.
In 1975, the …
I sincerely thank those who have reviewed or mentioned Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation.
1. Doctors and Their Online Reputation. The New York Times’ Well.
“The book is an excellent and helpful resource. But what elevates it beyond the category of valuable how-to manual is the passionate call to arms that resonates from all those well-enumerated directions and clearly labeled diagrams. Like it or not, the …
Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently introduced new restrictions on opioid painkillers for New York City public emergency departments.
I give my take on the issue in a USA Today column: ER key to curb painkiller abuse.
Prescription drug abuse is a growing national tragedy. One of the biggest culprits is opioid painkillers, such as OxyContin and Percocet. Shockingly, more than 200 million …
Kaiser Permanente is often hailed by health reformers as the model other health systems should replicate.
While integrated health systems have the potential to improve patient care, they also encourage hospitals to buy up physician practices to build their own Kaiser Permanente. This increases provider clout in the marketplace, which has been shown to actually raise healthcare prices for patients:
Despite …
Since the days of Sir William Osler, medical education has been done in much the same way by everyone everywhere. Doctors and academics slave away for hours and hours preparing lectures for students and trainees, all the while being locked away in their own isolated little silos. An anthropologist from Mars (to borrow an image from Temple Grandin made famous by Oliver Sacks) would find this remarkable. Could it really …
My book, co-authored with Susan Gay, is now available: Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices.
It is available at Greenbranch Publishing, in print or e-book, as well as Amazon.
I sincerely appreciate the following media stories and interviews discussing the book.
This week, hundreds of our fellow physicians and medical students gathered in Washington, D.C., for the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference, which is held in the capital city each February. Attendees heard from members of Congress, top administration officials including HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, journalists and other experts about the health policy issues affecting …
Energy drinks are a booming industry, and safety concerns are starting to come to light.
I write about these caffeine-fueled beverages in my latest USA Today column: Treat energy drinks like drugs.
Safety concerns require energy drinks to be more closely scrutinized. Beverage manufacturers should clearly label the caffeine content. Adults should limit their …
I’m proud to announce my new book, co-written with Susan Gay: Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices.
The Foreword is written by Robert Wachter, MD, with endorsements from Eric Topol, MD, Abraham Verghese, MD, Jerome Groopman, MD, …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. How to find the best medical information online. Los Angeles Times.
“We need to face the reality that because of the Internet, patients are more empowered,” Pho said. “We can’t see ourselves as gatekeepers. We need to see ourselves as curators who can shepherd patients through an abundance of information.”
2. Can Public Health Messages Be Entertaining? ZDoggMD Thinks So. …
Thinking of seeing a new doctor online for your runny nose or cough? It may be convenient for patients, and cheaper for health plans, but it may not be what’s best. Online visits for acute illness increase the rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, and can miss important diagnoses.
I write about it in my latest USA Today column, The doctor …
Get your flu vaccine now, if you haven’t already.
And in the future, be sure to get it early in the season.
Read more in my column on CNN, In the future, get vaccinated earlier:
One reason why the flu outbreak is so prevalent this year is that the predominant strain, H3N2, …
Want to know the most viewed posts on KevinMD in 2012? Here they are, in order of pageviews.
Happy New Year, and thank you all for your engaged readership and discussion during these turbulent health care times.
1. Why one-third of hospitals will close by 2020. A third of hospitals now in existence in the United States will not cross the 2020 …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Professionalism: Can it be taught? CMAJ.
Though tech-savvy, medical students need to learn what is and isn’t appropriate to do on the Internet, even if their peers in other fields of study haven’t yet grown tired of uploading photos of eye-glazing, face-reddening, vodka-induced debauchery. “They need to be cognizant of online professionalism right from the beginning of their medical training,” …
Today marks the fourth major re-design of the site since 2004. And I want to thank all the readers, and those who participate in the discussions that follow, because the continuing growth of the site would not have been possible without you.
The current re-design, which was about 2 months in the making, offers a cleaner look with more white space. I want to guide you through a few highlights.
Trending posts
In …
When Apple launched the App Store, Epocrates had a front seat at the table, and collaborated with Apple to make sure its software would be one of the first available for iPhone users.
As medical professionals, this didn’t come as a surprise. We expected Epocrates to be “the first”. It had been the undisputed king of medical and mobile before the word “apps” became everyday vernacular. Epocrates was dominating the medical …
My latest USA Today column will be published tomorrow morning: Lab test access carries unintended consequences.
More patients than ever will receive their lab results instantly. As they should. But just as important as receiving their data, is a physician explaining what they mean: “Before performing any test, doctors should manage patient expectations. Doctors should tell patients what the tests results could indicate and how the results might affect their treatment. The …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
