KevinMD.com

October 16, 2012Oct 16, 2012

Since the nomination of Congressman Paul Ryan as the vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party, Medicare has become front and center in the political discussions. To understand the dialogue requires an understanding of Medicare, how it works, where the…

Medicare was designed in 1965 to serve as “major medical” …

Physician voices

I’m paying my patients cash to quit smoking

W. Ryan Neuhofel, DO, MPH

October 16, 2012Oct 16, 20125

I am starting a prize-linked smoking cessation program for my medical practice. Like most family docs, I constantly remind my smokers about the risks of tobacco and my ability to help them quit when ready. And like most physicians I probably have a false belief that pestering “enough” will spur action. As an unofficial student of economics and official student of public health (MPH), I should know better.

Sure, I have …

Physician voices

To the patients who resent greedy doctors

BirdStrike, MD

October 16, 2012Oct 16, 201231

- Johnathan Blaze It is generally agreed upon that the more one values a good or service, the more he or she is willing to pay for it. Most will agree that shoes are important. They keep your feet from…

Good, it’s about time that these greedy doctors get smacked down for being the financial rapists that they are. Medicine in this country is the biggest, most destructive SCAM going on today. Doctors think they are entitled to RIDICULOUS amounts of money for simple routine procedures.
– Johnathan Blaze

It is generally agreed upon that the more one values a good or service, the …

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Physician voices

This generation of doctors has permanently lost their physician brains

Brian J. Secemsky, MD

October 16, 2012Oct 16, 20128

Since the earliest days of medical school, I learned fast to bring my computer wherever I went. Not only did my laptop function as my personal entertainment center through the dullest parts of lectures, but it also proved to be a source of instantaneous and infinite medical knowledge via the click of a mouse. Four years later and here I am, one hand on the shoulder of patients whilst listening …

Health technology

Digital medicine: Patients are stuck in the precarious middle

John Schumann, MD

October 15, 2012Oct 15, 2012

The use of computers in everyday medical practice has finally reached the tipping point. The HITECH Act, part of the 2009 federal stimulus bill, has been the final kick in the pants that U.S. health care has long needed to…

The use of computers in everyday medical practice has finally reached the tipping point.

The HITECH Act, part of the 2009 federal stimulus bill, has been the final kick in the pants that U.S. health care has long needed to make the conversion to digital. The act states that, by employing electronic health records (EHRs) in a fashion known as meaningful use, doctors are individually eligible for …

Patient voices

Plan your return home after a long hospital stay

Andrew Griffith

October 15, 2012Oct 15, 20122

Just as preparing for a lengthy hospital stay requires planning, so does returning to home after the hospital. While your condition and strength will shape the best approach for you, my experience following my stem cell transplants may be helpful…

Before you leave get the information you need. Most hospitals are pretty good in providing written information sheets on follow-up care, related instructions, and …

Physician voices

Doctors need to be part of the digital revolution

Margaret Polaneczky, MD

October 15, 2012Oct 15, 20123

There’s a big discussion going on in the health tech community about a controversial keynote speech given by Vinod Khosla at the Health Innovation Summit (HIS), in which he stated that 80% of what doctors do could be replaced by…

If you’re a doc like me who has no idea who the heck Vinod Khosla is (he’s a venture capitalist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems), why he’d be a keynote speaker at a …

Conditions and diseases

What to expect during your first mammogram

Therese B. Bevers, MD

October 14, 2012Oct 14, 2012

Getting your first mammogram can be stressful. After all, it’s your first one, so you don’t know exactly what to expect. Rest assured: even women getting their second or third mammogram may have concerns. But by learning how to prepare…

Getting your first mammogram can be stressful. After all, it’s your first one, so you don’t know exactly what to expect.

Rest assured: even women getting their second or third mammogram may have concerns.

But by learning how to prepare for and what to expect from this important cancer screening exam, you can eliminate some of the guesswork. And, that can make your experience less nerve-wracking.

Here’s what you should know.

Mammograms save lives

Don’t …

Conditions and diseases

What is the best disease from which to die?

Alex Lickerman, MD

October 14, 2012Oct 14, 20126

We can’t, of course, plan the way we’re going to die (with the obvious exception of suicide). We can, however, live in such a way that reduces the likelihood of our dying from certain diseases. Which is why it’s now almost universally accepted that we should exercise regularly, not smoke, drink only in moderation (if at all), avoid too much fat in our diet (and now probably too much carbohydrate), …

Physician voices

The Surgeon places hands on belly and the diagnosis is clear

Jeffrey Parks, MD

October 14, 2012Oct 14, 20129

The call comes in at 9pm or so. The patient sounds sick as all hell. The Surgeon listens to the random assortment of numbers and vitals the nurse provides and clicks off his cell. He finishes reading a boring Berenstain Bear story to his daughter and tucks her into bed. He looks at the clock and runs some mental numbers. By the time he arrives at Hospital, close to ten. See the …

Health policy

Reduce health waste through deregulation and free market principles

WhiteCoat, MD

October 14, 2012Oct 14, 20125

Emergency Physicians Monthly has an important debate between ACEP President David Seaberg and EP Monthly founder Mark Plaster about the “Choosing Wisely” program. Choosing Wisely is being pushed by the ABIM Foundation as a way to get specialty societies to…

Emergency Physicians Monthly has an important debate between ACEP President David Seaberg and EP Monthly founder Mark Plaster about the “Choosing Wisely” program.

Choosing Wisely is being pushed by the ABIM Foundation as a way to get specialty societies to label certain tests as “unnecessary” or of questionable benefit.

I side with Dr. Seaberg in this argument.

I disagree with the concept some people advance …

Conditions and diseases

Take your flu vaccine as soon as it is available

Steven Reznick, MD

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 20127

As school bells ring out announcing a new school year and pigskins fly through the air announcing the arrival of a new football season, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) begins its annual influenza vaccine campaign. “Flu” or influenza is a viral illness associated with fever, severe muscle aches, general malaise and respiratory symptoms. Most healthy children and adults can run a fever for 5 – 7 days …

Drugs and prescribing

Does Linzess have a role in IBS with constipation?

Edward Pullen, MD

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 20123

Linzess is a new drug that received FDA approval by Forest Laboratories for use in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation and in chronic idiopathic constipation. It got my attention because of its biochemistry. Learning about the mechanism of action…

Learning about the mechanism of action of new drugs like Linzess reminds me how much more is understood about the molecular biological level of physiologic function of the human body than when I was in med school. Linzess …

Physician voices

Do drugs aid and abet genius or does genius lead to drugs?

George Lundberg, MD

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 20123

Who is your favorite addict? I guess we have to talk about addiction as a preface to that question. Everybody I know takes psychoactive drugs, except maybe some Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and the like. All drugs are habit-forming, but…

Who is your favorite addict? I guess we have to talk about addiction as a preface to that question.

Everybody I know takes psychoactive drugs, except maybe some Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and the like.

All drugs are habit-forming, but only a subset of psychoactive drugs can produce psychological and physical dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when taken away, the usual definition of addiction.

Most people who become addicted to one drug often …

Drugs and prescribing

Population health initiatives by the pharmaceutical industry

David B. Nash, MD, MBA

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 2012

I have been beating the population health drum for more than 20 years, and I think the rest of the band is finally catching on to the rhythm. From healthcare reform efforts at the very top of the heap to…

I have been beating the population health drum for more than 20 years, and I think the rest of the band is finally catching on to the rhythm.

From healthcare reform efforts at the very top of the heap to the healthcare industry to large and small communities, there is a heightened awareness that the physical and mental health of our diverse population is linked to our continued health and success …

Drugs and prescribing

Compounding pharmacies need stricter FDA oversight

David Pittman

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 20123

The current fungal meningitis outbreak has put a spotlight on compounding pharmacies, and regulators and stakeholders say Congress needs to clarify exactly who should regulate these entities. The practice of compounding, which has been around for decades, was intended to…

The current fungal meningitis outbreak has put a spotlight on compounding pharmacies, and regulators and stakeholders say Congress needs to clarify exactly who should regulate these entities.

The practice of compounding, which has been around for decades, was intended to give pharmacies the ability to produce a product under a doctor’s orders when a particular drug wasn’t available. …

Health technology

Don’t ever believe EHR uptake is slow only because it costs too much

Rosemarie Nelson

October 13, 2012Oct 13, 20127

The latest numbers from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics affirm that a majority of small practices do not have an EHR. Why is that? One big reason is because small practices don't have the management or technical infrastructure…

The latest numbers from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics affirm that a majority of small practices do not have an EHR. Why is that?

One big reason is because small practices don’t have the management or technical infrastructure available to prepare for and handle the biggest challenges facing medical practices today.

What are those challenges and what’s that got to do with EHR implementation? According to the Medical …

Physician voices

Why Marissa Mayer deserves our respect

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

October 12, 2012Oct 12, 2012

I recently saw a number of tweets from parents and fellow pediatricians on Twitter criticizing Marissa Mayer for announcing that she’d return to work within 1-2 weeks of the delivery of her first child. First off, I’ll start with my…

First off, I’ll start with my assumptions:

I’m authoring this post in the belief that Ms Mayer has access to quality health care–that is, she has the ear of a board-certified obstetrician, a board-certified pediatrician, and access to a …

Read more…

Why Marissa Mayer deserves our respect

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