Patient voices

1,315 articles · Since 2005

Articles, page 64

How difficult is it to measure medical errors?

Kevin

June 16, 2009Jun 16, 20094

It's not as easy as you think. In this piece from Slate, two physicians question the numbers circulating in the media that sensationalize medical mistakes. For instance, when citing the Institute of Medicine's popular assertion that close to 100,000 patient…

It’s not as easy as you think.

In this piece from Slate, two physicians question the numbers circulating in the media that sensationalize medical mistakes. For instance, when citing the Institute of Medicine’s popular assertion that close to 100,000 patient deaths are preventable, they say that, “had [the researchers] used a different calculation method, the number of estimated deaths would have been less than 10 percent of the original.”

Determining …

Does alternative medicine work? Or does it harm patients?

Kevin

June 15, 2009Jun 15, 200926

In a scathing review, the Associated Press reports that $2.5 billion in federal funding has been spent on researching alternative therapies. None have been conclusively shown to work. Despite this, more medical schools and hospitals are embracing alternative medicine, and…

In a scathing review, the Associated Press reports that $2.5 billion in federal funding has been spent on researching alternative therapies.

None have been conclusively shown to work.

Despite this, more medical schools and hospitals are embracing alternative medicine, and in some cases, offering them to patients who are gravely ill. Also, health insurers are making deals to provide alternative services, as well as nutritional supplements, to their members.

The main reason …

How should Oprah handle medical issues?

Kevin

June 14, 2009Jun 14, 20098

Oprah Winfrey has been taken to task, rightly, by both bloggers and mainstream media on her advice on health issues. Most prominently is a recent front page story on Newsweek, titled, Live your best life ever! Pediatrician Rahul Parikh was…

Oprah Winfrey has been taken to task, rightly, by both bloggers and mainstream media on her advice on health issues.

Most prominently is a recent front page story on Newsweek, titled, Live your best life ever!

Pediatrician Rahul Parikh was ahead of the curve on this topic, blogging a similar stance a few weeks before the Newsweek piece was published. But how should Oprah, who, as Dr. Parikh writes, is an …

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How should Oprah handle medical issues?

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5 top medical comments, June 14th 2009

Kevin

June 14, 2009Jun 14, 2009

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently. 1. Carla Kakutani on how Massachusetts' health reform won't relieve ER overcrowding: Insurance does not equal access (although it’s better than nothing). Nothing changes until every stakeholder recognizes…

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.

1. Carla Kakutani on how Massachusetts’ health reform won’t relieve ER overcrowding:
Insurance does not equal access (although it’s better than nothing). Nothing changes until every stakeholder recognizes they have to control costs and allow a rebuilding of primary care in the US. That includes doctors and patients, along with everybody’s favorite villains, the insurance companies and big pharma. …

Read more…

5 top medical comments, June 14th 2009

A soccer player collapses, but lives, thanks to his automatic defibrillator

Kevin

June 12, 2009Jun 12, 2009

Here's a fascinating, and scary, video of an implanted automatic defibrillator in action. 20 year-old Belgian soccer player, Anthony Van Loo, collapsed during a match. Blogging over at MedPage Today, electrophysiologist Dr. Wes analyzes the subsequent video, giving a precise…

Here’s a fascinating, and scary, video of an implanted automatic defibrillator in action.

20 year-old Belgian soccer player, Anthony Van Loo, collapsed during a match. Blogging over at MedPage Today, electrophysiologist Dr. Wes analyzes the subsequent video, giving a precise play-by-play, so to speak, of when the defibrillator kicked in, likely restoring the arrhythmia into a normal heart rhythm.

As for the cause, Dr. Wes has got you covered: “In …

It’s difficult to treat the morbidly obese

Kevin

June 10, 2009Jun 10, 200911

There have been plenty of stories detailing how difficult it is to treat the morbidly obese. Most of the time, the stories have centered on simply how difficult it is to transport these patients to the hospital. Once there, however,…

There have been plenty of stories detailing how difficult it is to treat the morbidly obese.

Most of the time, the stories have centered on simply how difficult it is to transport these patients to the hospital.

Once there, however, emergency physician Shadowfax talks about other issues. For instance, obtaining IV access is near impossible, and 500+ pound patients present grave challenges to securing an airway, managing ventilation, or performing other …

Would you be willing to pay more to be seen more quickly in the ER?

Kevin

June 10, 2009Jun 10, 20097

This ER in Atlanta is betting that you will. Taking advantage of worsening patient wait times in emergency departments, the Emory Adventist Hospital is offering a "Hold my place in line" service. For a fee of $24.99, patients are guaranteed…

This ER in Atlanta is betting that you will.

Taking advantage of worsening patient wait times in emergency departments, the Emory Adventist Hospital is offering a “Hold my place in line” service.

For a fee of $24.99, patients are guaranteed to be see in 15 minutes or less – or the entire visit is free.

It seems to me like shrewd business, and the blatant beginning of tiered emergency service. However, WhiteCoat …

Executive physicals, and what the Mayo Clinic doesn’t want you to know

Kevin

June 9, 2009Jun 9, 200931

The Mayo Clinic has been touted by policy wonks as a low-cost, high-quality integrated health system that American physician practices should aspire to. What's somewhat less publicized is that they are also a leader in so-called "executive physicals." (via Schwitzer)…

The Mayo Clinic has been touted by policy wonks as a low-cost, high-quality integrated health system that American physician practices should aspire to.

What’s somewhat less publicized is that they are also a leader in so-called “executive physicals.” (via Schwitzer)

These exams, which often exceed thousands of dollars, offer CEOs and other executives a battery of tests that are often not evidenced-based. These can include stress tests, cardiac CT scans, and …

Can patient empowerment be taken too far?

Kevin

June 9, 2009Jun 9, 200913

Donald Berwick is a physician at the forefront of the patient empowerment movement. In a recent interview, he believes that medical care needs to be more patient-centered, in effect, "transfer control from doctors to the patients themselves," and, "patient preference…

Donald Berwick is a physician at the forefront of the patient empowerment movement.

In a recent interview, he believes that medical care needs to be more patient-centered, in effect, “transfer[ring] control from doctors to the patients themselves,” and, “patient preference occasionally putting evidence-based care “in the back seat.”

I wonder how, as a pediatrician, he’s handling the anti-vaccine movement.

In response to a question on patient choices that come in conflict with …

Losing the anti-vaccine fight, and what we should do next

Kevin

June 8, 2009Jun 8, 200916

The fight versus anti-vaccine proponents is a losing one. Orac, a general surgeon who blogs over at Respectful Insolence, is on the front lines of the debate. In this post, he writes about how vaccine supporters are facing an uphill…

The fight versus anti-vaccine proponents is a losing one.

Orac, a general surgeon who blogs over at Respectful Insolence, is on the front lines of the debate. In this post, he writes about how vaccine supporters are facing an uphill battle:

One problem is that vaccines have been so successful that parents rarely see the full, ugly consequences of the diseases against which vaccines defend anymore. The other problem is that

…

Doctors and midwives need to cooperate more

Kevin

May 29, 2009May 29, 200918

There has always been an underlying tension between obstetricians and midwives. From the doctor's side, the only times they interact with midwives is when trouble arises. Or, as this article in Time puts it, "When hospital-based obstetricians see midwives and…

There has always been an underlying tension between obstetricians and midwives.

From the doctor’s side, the only times they interact with midwives is when trouble arises. Or, as this article in Time puts it, “When hospital-based obstetricians see midwives and their clients it’s usually because something has gone wrong . . . OBs don’t see the uneventful births that proceed successfully at home [and] doctors in this position find themselves …

Same-sex partners being denied visiting rights

Kevin

May 28, 2009May 28, 2009

A hospital that denied a woman from visiting her dying partner at a hospital is now at the center of a federal lawsuit. Tara Parker-Pope details the case, which is sparking outrage. I won't rehash the discussion, which has been…

A hospital that denied a woman from visiting her dying partner at a hospital is now at the center of a federal lawsuit.

Tara Parker-Pope details the case, which is sparking outrage. I won’t rehash the discussion, which has been quite vigorous over at her blog. Indeed, the results of the pending lawsuit can have far-ranging effects, including “the way hospitals treat all patients with non-marital relationships, including …

Should Oprah be giving medical advice?

Kevin

May 26, 2009May 26, 20099

When it comes to influence, you need not go further than Oprah Winfrey. Just ask Kentucky Fried Chicken. With the recent news that she is giving anti-vaccine proponent Jenny McCarthy prominent airtime, as well as her previous endorsement of Suzanne…

When it comes to influence, you need not go further than Oprah Winfrey.

Just ask Kentucky Fried Chicken.

With the recent news that she is giving anti-vaccine proponent Jenny McCarthy prominent airtime, as well as her previous endorsement of Suzanne Somers’ book on “bioidentical hormones,” is she doing more harm than good?

That’s what Rahul Parikh suggests in a piece on Salon. Despite her soaring ratings captive audience, Dr. Parikh thinks that, …

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Should Oprah be giving medical advice?

Poll: Should doctors discuss the price of medical treatment?

Kevin

May 25, 2009May 25, 200910

A recent poll conducted by the Consumer's Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, found that only 4 percent of patients said their doctors talk with them about the cost of prescriptions. And 60 percent find out what the price is for…

A recent poll conducted by the Consumer’s Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, found that only 4 percent of patients said their doctors talk with them about the cost of prescriptions. And 60 percent find out what the price is for the first time when they pick up their drugs at the pharmacy.

Should doctors discuss the price of medication before prescribing it?

As physicians, we’re trained to make treatment decisions without the …

Costs are forcing more patients to leave against medical advice

Kevin

May 16, 2009May 16, 20093

But can that be a good thing?More patients have higher deductible health insurances, making them question the costs of emergency room tests and treatments. The fear of sticker shock is causing some to leave the hospital against medical advice. In…

But can that be a good thing?

More patients have higher deductible health insurances, making them question the costs of emergency room tests and treatments. The fear of sticker shock is causing some to leave the hospital against medical advice.

In fact, discharges against a doctor’s advice jumped by almost 50 percent over the last decade.

Such cases can range from patients not willing …

Worrying about a miscarriage while performing a liver transplant

Kevin

May 15, 2009May 15, 2009

Transplant surgeon Pauline Chen uses that harrowing personal account to discuss the intersection between motherhood and medicine.Women currently make up the majority of students at most medical schools, which means that female physicians will comprise a major part of the…

Transplant surgeon Pauline Chen uses that harrowing personal account to discuss the intersection between motherhood and medicine.

Women currently make up the majority of students at most medical schools, which means that female physicians will comprise a major part of the future medical workforce. But, despite the stress that you’d intuitively associate between juggling medicine and raising children, “work-family conflicts were not a major source of stress …

How the physical exam can affect the doctor-patient relationship

Kevin

May 11, 2009May 11, 20099

The physical exam is increasingly being overlooked, and replaced by diagnostic tests, which are easier, and take less time, to order.At this new blog over at The Atlantic, Abraham Verghese talks about how the physical exam, when done well, "earns…

The physical exam is increasingly being overlooked, and replaced by diagnostic tests, which are easier, and take less time, to order.

At this new blog over at The Atlantic, Abraham Verghese talks about how the physical exam, when done well, “earns the trust of the patient, and it also lays the foundation for the patient-physician relationship.”

However, when done poorly, “it does the opposite–it creates …

How you can catch the flu after touching money

Kevin

May 8, 2009May 8, 20093

Yes, cash can transmit the flu.In an interesting report (via Well), it's noted that the flu, including the H1N1 virus, can last for as long as an hour on money and other forms of paper currency. Worse, "mix in some…

Yes, cash can transmit the flu.

In an interesting report (via Well), it’s noted that the flu, including the H1N1 virus, can last for as long as an hour on money and other forms of paper currency. Worse, “mix in some human nasal mucus, and the potential for the virus to hang on long enough to find a victim increases, according to one of the few …

Is IV sedation being overused?

Kevin

May 8, 2009May 8, 200913

Prior to a breast or bone marrow biopsy, intravenous sedation is typically offered to, and accepted by, patients.But, what if some don't really need such heavy sedation?Over at Better Health, Harriet Hall wonders if some patients would do just fine…

Prior to a breast or bone marrow biopsy, intravenous sedation is typically offered to, and accepted by, patients.

But, what if some don’t really need such heavy sedation?

Over at Better Health, Harriet Hall wonders if some patients would do just fine with a simple local anesthetic: “Has it become a knee-jerk reflex to sedate everyone as a general principle? Why? To avoid complaints and keep patients …

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Is IV sedation being overused?

How is swine, or H1N1, flu affecting your doctor’s office?

Kevin

May 7, 2009May 7, 20092

Coverage on the H1N1 influenza has been nothing short of constant.But, how is it affecting your physician's office? For me, there's been many questions, some patient anxiety, and lots of diagnostic nasal swabs. But, being in New Hampshire, the prevalence…

Coverage on the H1N1 influenza has been nothing short of constant.

But, how is it affecting your physician’s office? For me, there’s been many questions, some patient anxiety, and lots of diagnostic nasal swabs. But, being in New Hampshire, the prevalence of the H1N1 virus has been relatively low, compared to other parts of the country.

For a more detailed look behind the scenes, Rob Lamberts …

Patient voices

Articles, page 64

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