This post is based on a friend of a friend situation. Important details have been changed to protect anonymity, but not the basic realities I want to discuss. A 49-year old man was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer about a year and a half ago. This sad situation...
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I admit I can be naïve at times. But all I could do was shake my head in disappointment after watching Meet the Press today. The topic was the impact of the nomination of Paul Ryan on the national debate on the economy, Medicare, and the role of the government in...
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On a health watch website a reporter wrote a story about a national survey of orthopedists and their malpractice concerns. To no one’s surprise, the orthopods said they order tests to protect themselves from being sued later, a practice known as defensive medicine. 96% of the respondents said they ordered scans,...
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A study in the Archives of Dermatology surveyed family physicians, internists, and dermatologists on their practice of performing full body skin exams. As expected to those of us on the front lines, time was the more commonly listed constraint. But I want to mention a few other issues. First, this study...
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Gabrielle Giffords, the U.S. Representative who was shot in Tuscon, went home recently. It’s a heart-wrenching story, and all of us wish we could wave a magic wand and restore her to her previous level of vitality. However, once again the press took an opportunity to take an individual’s circumstance and...
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First, a bit of old business. A friend asked me if the Medicare benefits and taxes figures I quoted last weak were adjusted for net present value. The dollar amounts quoted were in 2010 dollars adjusting for inflation, so yes, they were adjusted for net present value. The link to the...
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My local newspaper prints the You Docs column 3 days a week and I’ve been reading it for over two years. I can’t say I’ve read every column in that time, but I can say most of them. There is a clear pattern to their writing and thinking. In the column...
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I received my Costco Connection magazine in the mail recently and noticed that it contained an article on prostate cancer. The subtitle was “Why your best shot at beating it is early detection.” I knew I was in for a rough ride. The article started with a common story-telling technique. It...
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My local newspaper is struggling with the growth of web-based news — as are so many papers nationwide — and shrinking as a result, but it still has its own health beat reporter. I’ve never met this reporter and the tone of her articles implies she is a nice and well-meaning...
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