Dominic A. Carone, PhD

After the latest school shooting, social media accounts should be monitored

Physician

November 4, 2014

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In the wake of the latest school shooting in the state of Washington, much attention has been paid to the shooter’s (Jaylen Fryberg’s) Twitter account. In fact, after a school shooting, social media sites are typically the first place that people go to learn about the assailant. While this is understandable, one has to wonder if any of these school shootings …

Giving a gun as a gift: How young is too young?

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Physician

May 12, 2013

When I first heard of the tragic accidental shooting death of a 2-year old girl by her 5-year old brother, at first I thought it was because some adult left their gun out and was not supervising the children properly.

Not too many things surprise me anymore, but this time I was surprised when I found out that poor supervision was only part of the issue and that the 5-year-old was …

How a psychologist explained Sandy Hook to his children

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Physician

December 17, 2012

The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut have been traumatizing for the entire nation. While we have unfortunately become used to hearing about school shootings and other public mass shootings in the U.S., the brutal murder of 20 innocent elementary school children (all ages 6 and 7) is just too much to bear.

In fact, the moment …

Is Coca-Cola on American Idol contributing to childhood obesity?

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Conditions

March 24, 2012

I am sitting at home and the popular show American Idol is on. Randy Jackson has a red shirt on, which is color coordinated with a large red Coca-Cola cup. J-Lo is sitting by his side, also with a red Coca-Cola cup. Same with Steven Tyler. When one of the artists takes the stage, there is a large red moving video banner promoting Coca-Cola. It’s called product placement and it …

Who do you blame for the success of The Heart Attack Grill?

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Patient

March 13, 2012

If you go to Las Vegas, one of the many restaurants you will encounter is the Heart Attack Grill.

It is probably the most extreme and unhealthy place to eat in the United States and deliberately courts controversy with its use of extreme menu item names, unusual promotions, and unique themes. An example of the extreme food names include Flatliner Fries (French fries made with pure lard), Butterfat Shakes, and the …

How a birth control medication recall can lead to high drug costs

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Meds

March 1, 2012

Recently, the world’s largest research-based drug company, Pfizer, announced that an automated packaging error led to a recall of the birth control medication, Lo/Ovral-28 and the generic counterpart, Norgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol.

The packaging issue had to do with the placebo pill being placed in the wrong order in the 28-day cycle and an inexact number of placebo (should be 7) or active forms (should be 21) of the medication. The placebo pill …

Impersonal communication on the Internet fuels cyberbullying

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Tech

February 22, 2012

In the old days, bullying used to consist of name calling or physical aggression from someone in a position of power over another, typically from a roughly similarly aged peer group. The bullying could be mild such as occasional name calling and having one’s books knocked down when walking in the hallway. This does not mean the effects of the bullying were mild but comparatively speaking, this is generally not …

The psychological basis of Morgellons disease

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Conditions

February 15, 2012

If you are like most people, you have probably never heard of Morgellons disease or Morgellons. The first reason you have likely never heard if it is because it is so bizarre and uncommon. Most of what is known about it is based on rare case reports or anecdotal stories. The second reason is because it is not recognized in the medical community as a legitimate medical disease. It is …

Susan G. Komen and the politics of women’s health care

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Physician

February 4, 2012

Despite the adversarial political climate that divides so many Americans, there are some topics that most people can agree on regardless of politics. One of those is that early detection and screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer are important initiatives that should be supported because early detection leads to earlier treatment which, in turn, saves lives. While many women have such exams paid for by their health care insurance, …

Analyzing what the President said about health care

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Policy

January 31, 2012

President Barrack Obama delivered a 6,944 word State of the Union address to the American people. Of the speech, less than .01% was devoted to healthcare, which is remarkable considering the major changes in healthcare that are on the horizon if Obamacare survives a challenge in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case. During the speech, there were only three sentences that mentioned healthcare.

The first was this: “I will not go …

Physicians should be concerned about malingering

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Conditions

January 15, 2012

Malingering is the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms motivated by external incentives such as avoiding military duty, avoiding work, obtaining financial compensation, evading criminal prosecution, or obtaining drugs. The word “malingering” comes from the French word “malinger” meaning “poor or weakly” as these are the characteristics feigned or exaggerated by the malingerer. Malingering has been documented as far back as in the Bible when …

Should healthcare providers hug their patients?

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Physician

January 3, 2012

Imagine this scenario. You are a male health care provider and you complete an evaluation of a woman close to your age. You establish good rapport as you always do, she laughs at some of the same jokes you make with all patients, and she expresses delight that you are listening to her problems (unlike those other providers she says she has seen), feels you are helping her, and is …

How political correctness interferes with healthcare

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Physician

December 14, 2011

Political correctness and sensitivity training are interfering with medicine and healthcare. In a recent article published in the journal, Pediatrics, a group of researchers published their findings regarding parental perceptions of the terminology that doctors use to describe childhood obesity (ages 2 to 18). The researchers found that it was undesirable to use the term “fat,” “obese,” or “morbidly obese” because they were stigmatizing, blaming, and the least motivating to …

10 ways doctors can lose their patients

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Patient

November 28, 2011

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As a neuropsychologist, I have the chance to talk to patients throughout the week in detail about their medical histories, supplemented by a comprehensive medical records review. Part of this involves discussing which provider the patient has seen and if the provider was changed, why. Sometimes, a provider is changed for a benign reason, such as a move or an insurance …

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10 ways doctors can lose their patients

Useful tips when looking for a new doctor

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Patient

November 18, 2011

These days, it is not uncommon for people to need to find a new doctor. The most common reasons include a) moving to a new city, b) dissatisfaction with your former doctor, c) your old doctor no longer accepts your new or old insurance, or d) you were diagnosed with a new medical condition and need specialized treatment.

Often, people go to their insurance company website or provider book, search for …

Neuropsychologists in the evaluation of ADHD

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Conditions

November 6, 2011

Recently, the media has reported that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has broadened its 2000-2001 guidelines for the diagnosis of and treatment of ADHD. While the prior guidelines focused on children from ages 6 to 12, the new guidelines cover ages 4 to 18. The story is being covered by the media with lead-ins such as saying that AAP is “expanding the age range for diagnosis and treatment.”

This is …

When patient advocacy leads to patient enabling

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Patient

October 30, 2011

Physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, physical therapists, and a whole host of other health care professionals entered their respective professions to help people. One part of being an effective health care provider is to advocate for your patient when they need it. For example, if your patient (who is a mechanic) broke his arm and needs a note for the employer for a few weeks off, you provide it. If …

10 reasons why you need to change doctors

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Patient

October 1, 2011

As a patient care provider and someone who is occasionally a patient myself, I am going provide some suggestions on ways to know when it is time to consider seeking a second opinion or time to seek a new health care provider. This top 10 list is taken from personal experience.

The number one reason to seek a new healthcare provider is when the treatment you are receiving is not working. …
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10 reasons why you need to change doctors

Divorce after the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Conditions

September 25, 2011

I was tempted to avoid venturing into this topic, only because I strive to keep my website and blog away from politics and religion. In that light, I am going to stay away from the politics and religion of this topic and just stick with the main theme of the story and respond based on my own experiences, which includes assessing patients who are known to have or are suspected …

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

Dominic A. Carone, PhD

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