Second Opinion

Does Everyone Really Need to Lower Their Cholesterol?

Studies suggest we are over-treating people who have high cholesterol but no risk factors for heart disease...

Telephone Medicine

Getting a call from your doctor may not be just another phone call...

The Hidden Curriculum in Medical School

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

The loss of a loved one can have profound health consequences.

Permission for Clinical Research

Patient permission for publication is essential, but without  publication medical science stands still...

Hospitalists

Buying Influence in Developing Countries

Why are drug companies offering doctors in developing countries free gifts, computers and jewelry? Do those work for you?

Immigrants and Healthcare

Is it true that immigrants come here to use our healthcare system and offer little in return?

Medicinal Hugs

Sometimes an old fashioned hug can be more therapeutic than a pill or procedure...

Admitting Uncertainty

For many years I have been teaching medical students that one of the things we need to change in medicine is for doctors to admit when we don't know something and we need to look it up...

Physicians as Role Models

Does It Matter What the Doctor Wears?

Do doctors need to conform to the traditional appearance of physicians or can they express their personal tastes with nose studs, tattoos and the like?

Caring for Celebrities

Often, in our attempt to provide special care for a VIP in a hospital we end up providing substandard care...

Dying in Prison

What rights do people dying in prison have?

Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer

Why are advertisements marketing B genetic tests for breast cancer to all women?

Screening for Lung Cancer

Why is it if we have a scanner that can detect very small lung cancers it doesn't save lives?

When We Don't Know the Patient's Preference

What happens when a patient needs a treatment and there is no record of their preferences?

Payment for Taking Medicines

Should we pay someone to take their medicines if they're not willing to do so on their own?...

The Consumer Reports of Medications

Why can't we develop a fair, honest and unbiased way to conduct research on the effectiveness and safety of medications?

Confidentiality Even in Death

Even after a person dies their records are confidential...

Unfit to Drive

For people with memory problems driving can be unsafe but what is the doctor's duty to the patient or to society?

Practice Rules Improve Care

Until recently, the decision as to whether or not to order an x-ray was based on the doctor's gut feeling. Now clinical prediction rules exist to help improve these decisions...

Promises Not Kept

It is some times difficult, if not impossible, to keep promises we make...

A Severe Case of 'Bill-itis'

It is not unusual for patients to have their entire life savings exhausted after a trip to the emergency room...

How Often Do You Need to Return to the Doctor?

The decision about how often you need to see the doctor is subjective and should be discussed ahead of time...

Choosing a Good Doctor

First you hear you need surgery, now you need to choose a good surgeon. New data now makes the choice easier...

Whose fault is it when the doctor's advice isn't followed?

The role of the doctor has changed considerably over the past 50 years to the point where the doctor is now an advisor. But when advice isn't followed, whose fault is it?

Is Ethnicity Medically Important?

While the social meaning of ethnicity is becoming increasingly unclear, medicine may need to have some clear definitions.

More on Prostate Cancer; Is One Treatment Best?

After the PSA test comes back positive, how does a man choose which treatment is best?

Getting Tested for Prostate Cancer for Father's Day

Before you encourage Dad to go get tested for prostate cancer know the risks and benefits…