Kevin Pho, MD

How health reform can be popular with the American public

April 1, 2010Apr 1, 201012

The health reform legislation was decidedly unpopular, with a variety of polls showing the majority disapproved of the bill. What did the people want? The ACP's Bob Doherty linked to a post by Princeton's Uwe Reinhardt, who observed 10 things…

The health reform legislation was decidedly unpopular, with a variety of polls showing the majority disapproved of the bill.

What did the people want?

The ACP’s Bob Doherty linked to a post by Princeton’s Uwe Reinhardt, who observed 10 things that the public wants in health care reform:

1. Lets only patients and their own physicians determine how to respond clinically to a given medical condition, never an insurance clerk or, even

…

Health reform should make conservatives very happy

March 24, 2010Mar 24, 201032

Let's get one thing out of the way. The health care reform bill that passed the House this past Sunday, and will be fixed via reconciliation in the Senate, is a moderate, relatively incremental approach to fixing our health care…

Let’s get one thing out of the way.

The health care reform bill that passed the House this past Sunday, and will be fixed via reconciliation in the Senate, is a moderate, relatively incremental approach to fixing our health care system.

Conservatives are up in arms, as they have been during the entire process, and are lining up lawsuits and trying to gather momentum to repeal the bill.

And I’m asking myself, …

Patient voices

Patient input in their treatment should be valued by doctors

March 23, 2010Mar 23, 201010

Thanks all who responded to my recent USA Today piece, Patient-satisfaction surveys have drawbacks. But in a letter published in the paper yesterday, a reader from Oklahoma City was quite unhappy with my take. Mark R. Heaton writes, somewhat angrily:…

Thanks all who responded to my recent USA Today piece, Patient-satisfaction surveys have drawbacks.

But in a letter published in the paper yesterday, a reader from Oklahoma City was quite unhappy with my take.

Mark R. Heaton writes, somewhat angrily:

Dr. Kevin Pho’s recent opinion piece was not only arrogant but also grossly naive.

His basic premise was twofold:

• Doctors know best and should therefore ignore patient feedback regarding possible tests and treatments.

•

…

Op-ed: Health reform requires listening to doctors

February 21, 2010Feb 21, 20107

The following op-ed was published on January 29th, 2010 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog. With health reform’s future in peril, President Obama noted in his State of the Union address that the process has “left most…

The following op-ed was published on January 29th, 2010 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog.

With health reform’s future in peril, President Obama noted in his State of the Union address that the process has “left most Americans wondering what’s in it for them.”

For reform to succeed, the problems facing most patients today, ranging from their deteriorating relationship with doctors to the consequences of medical malpractice, have …

Conditions and diseases

Why doctors in the United States order so many CT scans and MRI tests

January 13, 2010Jan 13, 20108

It's commonly thought that health care in the United States is heavily dependent on diagnostic testing. But how do we compare with the rest of the world? Perhaps these graphs, courtesy of the New York Times can provide a stark…

It’s commonly thought that health care in the United States is heavily dependent on diagnostic testing.

But how do we compare with the rest of the world? Perhaps these graphs, courtesy of the New York Times can provide a stark illustration.

Here’s the data regarding CT scans, showing the number of tests per 1,000 people. Guess which country’s on top: …

Op-ed: Ways to make primary care the key to health reform

January 9, 2010Jan 9, 20109

The following op-ed, co-written with Rahul Parikh, was published on December 16th, 2009 in CNN.com. America is closer to meaningful health care reform than at any time in its history. As we have all witnessed, finding a way to both…

The following op-ed, co-written with Rahul Parikh, was published on December 16th, 2009 in CNN.com.

America is closer to meaningful health care reform than at any time in its history. As we have all witnessed, finding a way to both provide every American access to affordable health care while seeking to control health care costs has not been easy.

Many of the proposed solutions have led to sharp disagreements, with contention …

Op-ed: Humor can be healing for both doctors and patients

November 21, 2009Nov 21, 20095

A version of this op-ed, co-written with Doug Farrago, was published on October 26th, 2009 in Medscape. It's tough to be a doctor these days. Whether it's listening to the difficulties of our medical colleagues as they try to best…

A version of this op-ed, co-written with Doug Farrago, was published on October 26th, 2009 in Medscape.

It’s tough to be a doctor these days. Whether it’s listening to the difficulties of our medical colleagues as they try to best care for their patients, or engaging other health professionals about the uncertainties surrounding health reform, we’ve noticed a tense, sometimes gloomy, atmosphere among physicians.

A recent survey from the Annals of Internal …

Op-ed: Injured patients deserve medical malpractice reform

November 7, 2009Nov 7, 200921

A version of this op-ed was published on October 26th, 2009 in the USA Today. President Obama has acknowledged that changes in the medical malpractice system must be considered with other health reforms, and recently ordered that pilot projects to…

A version of this op-ed was published on October 26th, 2009 in the USA Today.

President Obama has acknowledged that changes in the medical malpractice system must be considered with other health reforms, and recently ordered that pilot projects to improve the way we compensate injured patients be implemented.

Reforming medical liability has historically been a source of major contention. Physicians argue that the system is expensive, promotes multi-million dollar awards …

Conditions and diseases

Op-ed: Reasons why health care workers need to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine

October 18, 2009Oct 18, 20092

The following op-ed was published on October 5th, 2009 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog. Not only are patients asking me whether they should receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine, but it’s a question doctors are asking themselves.…

The following op-ed was published on October 5th, 2009 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog.

Not only are patients asking me whether they should receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine, but it’s a question doctors are asking themselves.

Recent polls say doctors and nurses may be more resistant to getting vaccinated than most Americans. The British Medical Journal published a survey showing that less than half of health care …

Op-ed: Why the doctor won’t see you now

Op-ed: Why the doctor won’t see you now

September 12, 2009Sep 12, 20097

The following op-ed was published on August 20th, 2009 in CNN.com. When President Obama recently cited the number of Americans without health insurance, he declared that, "We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46 million uninsured men, women, and…

The following op-ed was published on August 20th, 2009 in CNN.com.

When President Obama recently cited the number of Americans without health insurance, he declared that, “We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46 million uninsured men, women, and children.”

Uninsured patients often delay preventive care, waiting to seek medical attention only when their conditions worsen. This leads to more intensive treatment, often in the emergency department or hospital where …

Read more…

Conditions and diseases

Is Caster Semenya a woman, and the issues surrounding androgen insensitivity syndrome

August 26, 2009Aug 26, 200914

Caster Semenya is the South African track and field star who recently was engulfed in controversy at the recently concluded World Track and Field Championships. Turns out, there are some who are questioning her gender, and subsequently, tests are being…

Caster Semenya is the South African track and field star who recently was engulfed in controversy at the recently concluded World Track and Field Championships.

Turns out, there are some who are questioning her gender, and subsequently, tests are being conducted to see if she is really a woman.

It’s not as cut and dry as it appears.

Consider the possibility of …

Will the lack of primary care doctors make universal coverage useless?

July 23, 2009Jul 23, 200923

It appears that one source of agreement among health reformers is that there isn't enough primary care doctors. The New York Times wrote a front-page piece on this issue last month, which I had commented on. Now, an article in…

It appears that one source of agreement among health reformers is that there isn’t enough primary care doctors.

The New York Times wrote a front-page piece on this issue last month, which I had commented on. Now, an article in the Washington Post re-iterates the same theme:

As the debate on overhauling the nation’s health-care system exploded into partisan squabbling this week, virtually everyone still agreed on one point: There are

…

Should doctors support Congress’ health reform efforts?

July 20, 2009Jul 20, 200937

The American Medical Association recently gave unqualified support to the House health reform bill, H.R. 3200, and that is drawing the ire of some of their supporters. To be sure, H.R. 3200 is the most left-leaning of the proposals, and…

The American Medical Association recently gave unqualified support to the House health reform bill, H.R. 3200, and that is drawing the ire of some of their supporters.

To be sure, H.R. 3200 is the most left-leaning of the proposals, and there is clear ideological opposition to the so-called “public plan,” which expands the government’s role in our health care system. It’s a tremendously sensitive topic, with some expressing their outrage …

Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, medical bloggers at Washington, DC

July 20, 2009Jul 20, 20094

Well, that was fun. This past Friday, I participated in Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, an event put together by Better Health's Dr. Val Jones. It was an impeccably organized gathering, and provided medical bloggers a valuable opportunity to…

Well, that was fun.

This past Friday, I participated in Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, an event put together by Better Health’s Dr. Val Jones. It was an impeccably organized gathering, and provided medical bloggers a valuable opportunity to discuss health care reform. Great timing too, given the fact that two major reform bills were introduced earlier …

Improve primary care access before guaranteeing universal health coverage, my address at the National Press Club

July 17, 2009Jul 17, 200927

The following are my prepared remarks at Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on July 17th, 2009. President Obama recently declared that, "We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46…

The following are my prepared remarks at Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on July 17th, 2009.

President Obama recently declared that, “We are not a nation that accepts nearly 46 million uninsured men, women, and children.” And indeed, finding a way to provide universal health coverage to every American is one of the focal points in today’s health care debate. …

Op-ed: Doctors are forced into running a business

July 3, 2009Jul 3, 200920

A version of this op-ed was published on June 18th, 2009 in The New York Times' Room for Debate blog. In his recent address to the American Medical Association, President Obama noted that our health care system "rewards the quantity…

A version of this op-ed was published on June 18th, 2009 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog.

In his recent address to the American Medical Association, President Obama noted that our health care system “rewards the quantity of care rather than the quality of care.” This perverse incentive leads to unnecessary and potentially harmful medicine, while also being a major contributor to spiraling health care costs.

Doctors …

Drugs and prescribing

Vicodin and Percocet banned and taken off the market, or is a black box warning more likely?