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Physicians who are able to feel compassion

Physician

February 24, 2011

Here’s a true story from the operating room:

Surgeon: Intern, what is the story behind this patient?

Resident Intern: Patient is a 51 year old female with breast lump on the left side, and 17 out of 20 lymph nodes positive for cancer.

Surgeon (speaking in a rather ‘as a matter of fact’ tone): Oh, she’s F_ _ _’d.

Resident Intern: shocked, frozen and unable to respond.

“How do some physicians become so stoic?” I …

Physicians disgrace the University of Wisconsin with fake doctor notes

Kevin Pho, MD

KevinMD

February 23, 2011

One of the stories circulating regarding the demonstrations in Wisconsin is the authenticity of the doctor work notes.

Squarely in the cross-hairs are physicians from the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Family Medicine.

According to this excellent piece in The Atlantic by physician-writer Ford Vox,

In videos breathlessly presented throughout the conservative mediasphere this weekend, doctor after doctor is videotaped writing patently fraudulent sick notes so that the protesting teachers (whose contracts …

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Physicians disgrace the University of Wisconsin with fake doctor notes

How important is a doctor’s skill in the physical exam of a patient?

John Mandrola, MD

Patient

February 23, 2011

How important is a doctor’s skill in the physical examination of a patient?

To the lay person, a doctor’s examination might seem really important. “Of course it is, Dr M … Come on.”

But is it so? Or, perhaps, is the examination a charade, a show, a necessity to complete the medical record.

It turns out that many in the profession think doctors may be losing the skill of palpating and listening. At …

How medical loss ratios impact mini-med policies

Roger Collier

Health Policy

February 23, 2011

It’s amazing how much trouble a couple of hundred inexpensive health insurance policies can cause.

Up until recently, few people were aware of the existence of so-called mini-med policies. Marketed primarily by for-profit insurers Aetna and Cigna, they are designed to provide bare-bones coverage to employees of low-wage low-margin service companies. Unlike other approaches to affordable insurance that emphasize catastrophic coverage, mini-meds typically keep premiums affordable (some as low as $15 …

Evolution of tablet devices for the hospital

David Ahn, MD

Health Technology

February 23, 2011

When working in the hospital, I intentionally minimize the time I spend on my iPhone because I don’t want people to assume that I’m just checking Facebook or playing Angry Birds.

Even though medical apps and the vast depths of the internet are at my fingertips, it’s just too easy to appear distracted. This represents a subtle, yet meaningful, glimpse of just one reason why I eagerly await the continued evolution …

Revenue cycle management for your physician practice

Rosemarie Nelson

Physician

February 23, 2011

Revenue Cycle Management. What does it mean? In a nutshell, it means taking steps to assure that you get paid for what you do and that you get paid in a timely fashion.

The revenue cycle starts when the patient calls your office for an appointment and your staff captures the patient’s name, phone number, and maybe the name of their insurance company.

The cycle ends when the balance on their account …

When should psychiatrists give advice to patients?

Jeffrey Knuppel, MD

Patient

February 23, 2011

This post was inspired by Dinah, a psychiatrist over at Shrink Rap.

She recently described how a psychiatrist friend of hers has been going through some phase-of-life changes. Recently he has regretted some of the advice that he previously had given to patients who were going through the same life changes he’s now going through himself. He realizes that he was not nearly so qualified to give the advice …

How patients and doctors can improve the primary care office visit

Kevin Pho, MD

KevinMD

February 22, 2011

Consumer Reports recently released a survey of both patients and primary care doctors, regarding their perceptions of each other.

Some interesting findings, as summarized by the WSJ’s Health Blog:

On the issue of respect and appreciation, 70% of doctors said they were getting less of it from patients than when they started practicing. For patients, meantime, the more they reported being treated respectfully and listened to, the more satisfied they were …

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How patients and doctors can improve the primary care office visit

How to improve doctor patient communication

Paul Dorio, MD

Patient

February 22, 2011

When I was a medical student on my first clinical rotation, obstetrics, I was criticized for not using enough medical jargon when I spoke to the patients.

I took that criticism as a compliment and have always attempted to speak clearly and without too much “inflation” of my terms. In my opinion, the more clearly we physicians communicate, the better will be our patients’ understanding of their ailments.

The important topic of doctor-patient communication led a …

Why alternative care seems to work

Peter J. Weiss, MD

Patient

February 22, 2011

People sort of want to try alternative care. They’re working up to it, but then they read more about it; they read about the theory and they say, “No I don’t believe that theory. That can’t possibly work. There’s nothing to it. I’m not going to do it.” But, the problem is that the theory of why something works or the explanation is not necessary related to the effect of …

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Why alternative care seems to work

Why more primary care may not improve health care quality

Maggie Mahar

Health Policy

February 22, 2011

The emphasis on primary care as the “key” to lifting the quality of U.S. healthcare may be exaggerated according to a report by Dartmouth’s Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice.

“Primary care forms the bedrock of a well-functioning, effective health care system,” the researchers observe. But– and this is an important caveat- “simply increasing access to primary care, either by boosting the number of primary care physicians in an area …

ACP: High value, cost conscious care

American College of Physicians

Physician

February 22, 2011

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

by John Tooker, MD, MBA, MACP

There were two reports from the recent 2011 International Stroke Conference that got my attention.

One report noted the sharp increase in the incidence of strokes in children and young adults. The second, in the Los Angeles Times (“Mild strokes may …

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ACP: High value, cost conscious care

Medical students should not be liable for malpractice

Kevin Pho, MD

KevinMD

February 21, 2011

Should medical students receive immunity from malpractice liability?

That’s an interesting question that’s raised in a bill from Arizona.

According to the Arizona Daily Sun,

State lawmakers are moving to keep patients injured by medical students from being able to sue them.

But proponents said that won’t leave victims without recourse.

SB1429, awaiting full Senate action, would spell out that students are not liable for malpractice if they are under the supervision of a …

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Medical students should not be liable for malpractice

How powerful a few words can be in the exam room

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

Physician

February 21, 2011

Recently, I was reminded of the power of wellness. From the other side. And it came wrapped up in sound. Five words, to be precise.

I was instantly reminded how powerful a few words can be in the exam room.

We all want to feel wellness. The freeing kind, as in the way you feel when towered over by big objects. You know what I mean, the wide open wellness you feel …

The biggest problem faced by pilots and obstetricians alike is nature

Amy Tuteur, MD

Physician

February 21, 2011

It’s a bit ironic that pilots, the people who spend the most time traveling above the magnificent landscape that is our planet earth, spend very little time appreciating the scenery.

That’s because they are trained to always be on guard for unexpected emergencies. While the passenger in a jumbo jet traversing the continent can admire the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, the desolation of the Great Salt Lake or the endless …

Every patient is an immigrant in the doctor’s office

Kathy Kastner

Patient

February 21, 2011

One of my favorite conferences is The Conference on Practice Improvement hosted by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

For all the upset and negativity there seems to be toward doctors, these family docs are in it — each and every one that I’ve met — for the good of their patients. And that is why I think every one of them …

Exercise to prevent cancer

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 21, 2011

by Karen Basen-Engquist, PhD

The next time you’re on your couch contemplating whether to watch your favorite sitcom or get up and exercise, remind yourself that being active for at least 30 minutes every day can help reduce your chances of getting certain types of cancer.

Physical activity fights cancer because it reduces body fat, and lowers hormone levels that raise breast and endometrial cancer risks. It also keeps the digestive system …

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Exercise to prevent cancer

Patients do not voluntarily search for health information online

Richard Meyer

Patient

February 21, 2011

As a marketer it’s important to be able to take a step back and look at the marketing environment from a patients perspective. Over the last couple of weeks, for example, consumers have read:

That up to 40% of all published clinical trial studies may have omitted key information on drug effectiveness and side effects.
That long term use of some medications may lead to new health problems.
That in order to …
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Patients do not voluntarily search for health information online

Aging is a blessing, a gift to be treasured

Aldebra Schroll, MD

Patient

February 20, 2011

I was enjoying lunch at a local café when I overheard one staffer say to another that she was facing her twenty fifth birthday soon. She went on to say, 25 is the last “real” birthday, after that “you’re just getting old”. I had to laugh, since I’m well past that age and holding up. Sure, there are some wrinkles and gray hair to contend with, that’s life.

I remember my …

Electronic medical records and usability affect implementation

Kevin

Health Technology

February 20, 2011

by Mark Hendrickson

One sport that really bothers me is Major League Baseball. Why? It seems as though the hard-headed people calling the shots, and games for that matter, would rather keep their pride than make the right call.

Instant replay is no secret. It isn’t a new, untested technology—its been around since the mid 50’s and every professional sports league uses it with game-changing results, except the …

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