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 …
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 …
I am honored to be speaking at two conferences this September 2012.
The first, on Monday, September 10th, is a lunch session at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2012 Annual Meeting.
The second, on Friday, September 14th, is a keynote at eDTC Revolution.
Both will be in Washington, DC.
I will be discussing my social media journey since …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Damage control on physician-rating sites. Medical Economics.
Kevin Pho, MD, an internal medicine physician, has written about patient satisfaction issues, says that including patients in the process also helps lessen the possibility that they will criticize you later for saying “no” to something they wanted but that you felt was not in their best interest—such as denying them pain medications that …
Next Friday, May 18th, I’m honored to give a keynote address to the PRSA Health Academy Conference in Philadelphia, PA.
Titled, “Connect and be heard: Use social media to make a heath care difference,” I will reflect on my social media journey since 2004, and share stories of how health professionals can use social media to teach …
My latest column was published this morning in USA Today: What’s right for Warren Buffett not right for every man.
I discuss Warren Buffett’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis, and whether he should have been screened in the first place: “Buffett’s coverage should have been an opportunity to educate the country that, for many, more conservative options would not only save them from harmful, unnecessary treatments, but also potentially reduce health costs.”
For …
My latest USA Today column was published this morning: Complex health choices require shared decisions.
With so many grey areas in medicine, there is often not a single, absolute answer.
I make the case for shared decision making: “The voice of patients needs to be considered for most medical decisions. That way, no matter what choice is made, it will always be the right one.”
Incidentally, there was a piece published by Read more…
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Q&A with physician Dr. Kevin Pho. New Hampshire Business Review.
Dr. Kevin Pho’s days begin when most of his patients are still asleep. Each morning, starting at 4 a.m., the 38-year-old primary care physician spends two hours managing all of his social media postings for the day.
2. Despite flaws, health care law is needed. CNN.com.
The primary care deficit is a …
On the day before the Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act, my take on health reform is now up on CNN.com: Despite flaws, health care law is needed.
Patients need help now, and cannot wait for an unlikely solution that will appeal to both spectrums of the political aisle: “Far too many patients can …
My Spring 2012 speaking schedule brings me to Chicago, Toronto, and Philadelphia. It’s truly an honor to be invited to speak at these events and discuss the health care-social media intersection. Details are below.
This Fall, I’m scheduled to be in Washington, DC and Las Vegas, speaking the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2012 Annual …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Grand rounds: True stories. USA Today.
Who makes your medical decisions? Two different patients (with the same condition) had very different opinions about who should make their medical decisions.
2. How doctors can reduce medical errors, lawsuits. USA Today.
Ask doctors what concerns them most, and chances are they’ll say, “medical malpractice.” A recent New England Journal of Medicine study found that 75% …
My column was published in this morning’s USA Today: How doctors can reduce medical errors, lawsuits.
I discuss the contentious issue of medical malpractice, and explain how doctor-patient communication is key to improving patient safety and reducing lawsuits in the first place: “Doctors also must create and maintain open lines of communication with patients, which is critical to preventing lawsuits in the first place. Doctors have to better explain, and patients …
This year, nearly 4 million of you visited KevinMD.com.
Thank you.
I’m humbled that so many of you find the time during the day to visit the site and participate in the discussion that often ensues.
As our health care world dramatically changes around us, it’s important that medical professionals have a say in the process. KevinMD.com provides an influential platform for your voice, and I will continue to do my best to …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Five Reasons Why Physicians Need to Use Social Media. Healthworks Collective.
Physician participation in social media is a health care imperative according to Dr. Kevin Pho, a practicing internist and the founder of KevinMD.com, a leading online health portal; however, many physicians remain skeptical about the value of social media.
2. Dr. Kevin Pho: Internal Medicine Physician and Social Media Expert. Other …
I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.
1. Ethics Forum Speaker KevinMD: Social Media Gives Doctors a Voice, Massachusetts Medical Society.
We recently caught up with Dr. Kevin Pho, MD, a Boston University-trained internist now practicing in Nashua, NH. His website, KevinMD.com, is one of the Internet’s top sites for physician commentary and news.
2. Defensive medicine adds billions to healthcare costs, Healthcare Finance News.
“There is a problem …
My USA Today column was published this morning: Pain management: Education is key.
I discuss the pain management conundrum in our country, explaining the no-win situations both chronic pain patients and doctors find themselves in: “Doctors face a conundrum. On the one hand, chronic pain drugs can lead to abuse, which could draw the attention of law enforcement. On the other, chronic pain patients are often inadequately treated. It’s not because …
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