Is denial always harmful?
Sun, Aug 31
We all engage in denial to some extent, but can denial cause medical problems?
How Does the Bill Get That Big?
Sun, Aug 24
Reading a hospital bill is like trying to understand a foreign language but look carefully because more likely than not there will be errors...
More on Rationing Healthcare
Sun, Aug 3
Several letters suggested there were other ways to ration healthcare and many suggested rationing was, well, anti-American.
Rationing Healthcare, Part
Sun, Jul 27
Is it possible that in the US we ration healthcare?
End-of-Life Discussions are NOT Just for Cancer Patients
Sun, Jul 20
While doctors can do a lot better with regard to talking to people with cancer about end-of-life issues, they are still in the dark ages when it comes to talking to people with other disease who have a poor prognosis...
Why Do New Medicines Work Better Than Older Ones?
Sun, Jul 13
There are several explanations for why new medicine appear to work better than older medicines...
Whose Side Is the FDA on?
Sun, Jul 6
There are several pain relievers that contain propoxyphene, a substance that is dangerous and ineffective. Why are these still on the market?
Fluorescent Bulbs
Sun, Jun 29
AIDS in Rural India, Part III
Sun, Jun 22
The impact of village health workers can be enormous but there are still some barriers to what they can accomplish...
AIDS in Rural India, Part II
Sun, Jun 15
While AIDS medicines would life-saving, the need in rural India are for far more than just medicines...
AIDS in Rural India
Sun, Jun 8
After generations of fighting malaria and dysentery rural India is not trying to contend with AIDS...
Pre-operative Testing: For Whose Benefit?
Sun, Jun 1
We all want our surgery to go as smoothly as possible, but at what point is it not in our best interest to have lots of preoperative tests ordered?
Screening for Dementia
Sun, May 25
While dementia is a common illness, and one that causes great concern, there are currently no tests to detect the disease early and this may be a good thing...
Humor to educate about drug advertising
Sun, May 11
Weight Loss and Drugs
Sun, May 4
No matter how much we wish it were different, there is still no easy road to weight loss...
Banning Direct-to-Consumer Advertising in Canada
Sun, Apr 27
Why is it that Canada prohibits drug companies from advertising products directly to the public?
The Effect of Race on Healthcare
Sun, Apr 20
Two men with the same disease. Will their treatment differ?
The Effect of Race on Healthcare
Sat, Apr 19
Two men with the same disease. Will their treatment differ.
Traditional Medicine
Fri, Apr 11
Traditional Medicine
Patient's Right to Be Informed about Trainees
Sat, Apr 5
When we go to a teaching hospital we assume the care may be better. But we often aren't given a choice about who should be involved in caring for us...
Anti-Depressant Medications May Be Less Effective Than We Think
Sat, Mar 29
A large, high-quality study suggests that newer antidepressants may be far less effective than we have been told by their manufacturers...
Why Is Some Alternative Medicine Still Alterative.
Sat, Mar 22
Despite significant research showing the benefits of some complementary and alternative treatments such as acupuncture, they are still considered outside the mainstream...
Disability Parking
Sat, Mar 15
Disability Parking
When People Don't Follow the Doctor's Advice
Sat, Mar 8
Doctors have a hard time when people don't follow their advice. But behavior change isn't easy for anyone -- not even doctors.
Substance Abuse and Detection
Sat, Mar 1
Despite substance abuse being a major medical and public problem, only twelve out of 125 medical schools surveyed, offer a required course in substance abuse detection and treatment...
Does Everyone Really Need to Lower Their Cholesterol.
Sat, Feb 23
Studies suggest we are over-treating people who have high cholesterol but no risk factors for heart disease...
The Hidden Curriculum in Medical School
Fri, Feb 8
So much of what medical students learn is not from books and lectures but from their watching the behaviors of others. It may be that our actions are teaching the wrong lessons...
Bereavement can Cause Physical Problems
Sat, Jan 19
The loss of a loved one can have profound health consequences.
Permission for Clinical Research
Sat, Jan 12
Patient permission for publication is essential, but without publication medical science stands still...
Hospitalists
Fri, Jan 4
Hospitalists