Originally published in MedPage Today by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent In unpublished data, Canadian researchers have suggested that seasonal flu vaccination may increase the risk of catching the H1N1 pandemic strain, but such a pattern has not…
by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent
In unpublished data, Canadian researchers have suggested that seasonal flu vaccination may increase the risk of catching the H1N1 pandemic strain, but such a pattern has not been found in the U.S., the CDC said.
The Canadian data appear to suggest that people who had been vaccinated against …
Originally published in MedPage Today by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer Soft drinks and other beverages loaded with sugar should be taxed as a public health hazard, much as cigarettes are, a group of prominent medical researchers says. Since…
Soft drinks and other beverages loaded with sugar should be taxed as a public health hazard, much as cigarettes are, a group of prominent medical researchers says.
Since extensive evidence ties sugary drinks to an epidemic of obesity and related health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, they …
It happens over and over. I call a surgeon about a patient with abdominal pain. ‘Well, what’s the white count?’ ‘Normal.’ ‘Did you get a CT Scan?’ ‘Yes, and it was normal. But they just look uncomfortable.’ ‘Sounds like nothing…
It happens over and over. I call a surgeon about a patient with abdominal pain.
‘Well, what’s the white count?’
‘Normal.’
‘Did you get a CT Scan?’
‘Yes, and it was normal. But they just look uncomfortable.’
‘Sounds like nothing for me to do. Call the hospitalist.’
It happens in other specialties. Cardiologists who aren’t interested in a patient with a normal stress test, pediatricians unimpressed with negative chest x-rays and normal labs. ENT’s unconcerned if …
by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today People infected with the H1N1 pandemic flu strain continue to shed virus after the point where current recommendations say they can go back to work or school, two studies here suggested. The…
by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
People infected with the H1N1 pandemic flu strain continue to shed virus after the point where current recommendations say they can go back to work or school, two studies here suggested.
The question, experts said, is whether those people are still contagious and whether a longer stay-at-home period would prevent enough additional …
by Kumud B. Jindal, MD, MPH Many patients and self-appointed health care experts view medical services as commodities, and openly express frustration with seemingly opaque pricing for a visit to the doctor’s office. “Doctors should publish their fees so we…
by Kumud B. Jindal, MD, MPH
Many patients and self-appointed health care experts view medical services as commodities, and openly express frustration with seemingly opaque pricing for a visit to the doctor’s office. “Doctors should publish their fees so we know what we’re paying!” The idea that this matters significantly with regard to health care costs is a terrible myth, one that deserves much closer scrutiny.
by Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Don't wait for the pandemic H1N1 vaccine to become available before getting an inoculation for seasonal flu, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases warned. Putting off routine flu shots in hopes of one-stop-shopping…
Don’t wait for the pandemic H1N1 vaccine to become available before getting an inoculation for seasonal flu, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases warned.
Putting off routine flu shots in hopes of one-stop-shopping would defeat the primary line of defense against a proven threat, according to a panel representing some of the nation’s …
by Crystal Phend, MedPage Today “Every 10 years a doctor should be the patient,” said my doctor, squeezing me into pair of compression stockings that would make a sausage casing seem spacious by comparison. “Seems like a good idea,” I…
“Every 10 years a doctor should be the patient,” said my doctor, squeezing me into pair of compression stockings that would make a sausage casing seem spacious by comparison.
“Seems like a good idea,” I thought, as I lay there on the table feeling optimistic about the opportunity for first-hand experience.
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 …
by Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Overweight and obese children who received counseling from a family doctor did not lose more weight or get more exercise than youngsters who did not receive counseling, Melissa Wake, MD, of Royal Children's…
Overweight and obese children who received counseling from a family doctor did not lose more weight or get more exercise than youngsters who did not receive counseling, Melissa Wake, MD, of Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and colleagues reported online in the British Medical Journal.
Because the screening and counseling are so expensive, …
The following is a sponsored guest post by Constantine Brocoum, a radiologist in Concord, NH. I have personally used eRoentgen, and recommend the product without reservation. by Constantine Brocoum, MD Like most inventions, eRoentgen was developed to respond to a…
The following is a sponsored guest post by Constantine Brocoum, a radiologist in Concord, NH. I have personally used eRoentgen, and recommend the product without reservation.
by Constantine Brocoum, MD
Like most inventions, eRoentgen was developed to respond to a need. As a practicing radiologist, I take frequent calls from primary care providers who need assistance in choosing the smartest way to diagnose their patients’ illnesses. They often need help …
I recently read a post by Dr. Bob Sears which listed several “Vaccine Friendly Doctors” in Colorado and across the nation. As a pediatrician and vaccine advocate, I thought I’d be on this list. I am “vaccine-friendly doctor” who works…
I recently read a post by Dr. Bob Sears which listed several “Vaccine Friendly Doctors” in Colorado and across the nation.
As a pediatrician and vaccine advocate, I thought I’d be on this list. I am “vaccine-friendly doctor” who works with moms and dads to find the best health care plan for their babies. I read the information on both sides of the issue and weighed the science against the emotional …
by Derek Mazique Between “death panels,” a NICE-style cost effective analysis board, and Obama’s slowly graying hair, one conspicuously absent part of reform are reimbursement rates. Medicare and private insurance typically reimburse for expensive procedures, which ultimately rewards procedure-heavy specialists…
by Derek Mazique
Between “death panels,” a NICE-style cost effective analysis board, and Obama’s slowly graying hair, one conspicuously absent part of reform are reimbursement rates. Medicare and private insurance typically reimburse for expensive procedures, which ultimately rewards procedure-heavy specialists while discourage those cognitive-heavy services like primary care docs.
The result? As a recent Baltimore Sun op-ed and this very blog pointed out, a combination of pay and burn-out are encouraging …
Most prefer the bottom line, sparing them the raw data. Primary care physician Rob Lamberts asks that exact question, and reprints sample reports of lab tests and an echocardiogram, demonstrating the wealth of information they contain. So, borrowing this image…
Most prefer the bottom line, sparing them the raw data.
Primary care physician Rob Lamberts asks that exact question, and reprints sample reports of lab tests and an echocardiogram, demonstrating the wealth of information they contain.
So, borrowing this image from Dr. Rob, I’m not sure how useful something like this would be to patients (sorry for the small type, but you get the idea): …
When physicians in other countries come to the United States, they often become nurses or lab technicians, rather than re-taking rigorous board exams to remain doctors. One example includes doctors from Cuba. According to this story in The New York…
When physicians in other countries come to the United States, they often become nurses or lab technicians, rather than re-taking rigorous board exams to remain doctors.
One example includes doctors from Cuba. According to this story in The New York Times, “6,000 medical professionals, many of them physicians, have left Cuba in the last six years.” Cuban doctors, who often earn $25 per month, find it significantly more …
The primary care physician (PCP) shortage has attracted a lot of attention recently, and for good reason. Individual Americans are concerned that they will not have timely access to needed medical care, and policy makers are concerned that our specialist-heavy…
The primary care physician (PCP) shortage has attracted a lot of attention recently, and for good reason. Individual Americans are concerned that they will not have timely access to needed medical care, and policy makers are concerned that our specialist-heavy medical system is failing, giving us expensive but disjointed, poor quality care. Many experts rightly think that a robust primary care system would give us better health care for …
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
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 …
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 …
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. …
And should you assume that no news is good news? The answer is no. According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 7 percent of abnormal test results from primary care offices were never reported to the patient.…
And should you assume that no news is good news?
The answer is no. According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 7 percent of abnormal test results from primary care offices were never reported to the patient. And in a large, unnamed, academic medical center, that number ballooned to 23 percent.
That’s almost a quarter of abnormal test results from that center that patients were never …
The Canadian data appear to suggest that people who had been vaccinated against …
This past Friday, I participated in Health Care Reform: Putting Patients First, an event put together by Better Health’s 
