I wonder how many patients Elizabeth Agnvall has sent to an early grave today? The latest AARP Bulletin screams the headline- Doctors say: Skip These Tests! “Doctors warn that some of the common medical tests routinely taken by Americans do more harm than good, waste billions of dollars and could endanger your health or even your life…” Are you kidding me? On page 12 she … Continue reading AARP Bulletin Advises Members Against Medical Tests
The debate rages on in the media about the benefits and complications of legalizing medical marijuana. We have seen the long lines in Colorado already for those buying for recreational use. I have never used medically or recreationally but many of my friends and acquaintances have done so. I recently lost my sister-in-law to stage IV breast cancer and I tried to convince her to … Continue reading The Medical Marijuana Debate or Do You Need a Reefer?
I received my notice that the HealthGrades Report on hospital quality outcomes for 2014 was online. If you are not well versed in the HealthGrades ratings, it may come as a shock that your hospital is not as good as you think it is. Their hospital rating reports for specific procedures and diagnoses are compiled primarily from Medicare claim data, and it includes all hospitals … Continue reading HealthGrades Report to the Nation for 2014
Why is it that I believe certain truisms? Did I learn them as a child or was I taught by the television ad? We are much more likely to believe an anecdote or story than we are to believe the scientific evidence. Mothers that believe they know the cause of a child’s illness are unlikely to be swayed by hundreds of scientific studies that say … Continue reading Influences and Perceptions: How our intuitions deceive us
The media is finally addressing one of the most important and interesting societal changes happening in our country today. When we are not reading about the violence our society has encountered, the whole world is changing its mind about marijuana. Just last month Dr Sanjay Gupta, medical expert for CNN, broadcast his special about “Why I Changed My Mind on Weed”. Conservative Senator John McCain … Continue reading Marijuana Laws Collide
We all can tell stories about the visit to the doctor’s office. It was too crowded. I had to wait too long. The Doctor was insensitive to my complaints. I left feeling confused. A friend recently described what the impending physician visit entailed: three days of surfing the internet until she had diagnosed her complaint, 1 hour travel to the doctor, 1 hour wait to … Continue reading Do You Shop Your Diagnosis Until The Doctor Tells You What You Want To Hear?
In the last few weeks the online and print communities have been touting neuroimaging research. Every disease of the brain, as well as some normal functions, are finding their way through the newest and greatest of fMRI, MRI, and PET. Recent studies for depression, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s are reporting findings that help identify different parts of the brain where the disease resides … Continue reading Can Brain Scans Become the new EKGs for Mental Illness?
