Dr. Lucien Leape is on the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. As one of America’s foremost proponents of patient safety (see our blog, “A Surgeon Outs the Deficiencies in Health Care,” ), he was interviewed earlier this month by MedPageToday.com as part of its ongoing series to learn what medical professionals consider….
Continue ReadingArchives for January 2014
Different Insurance Coverage for Different Family Members
In our continuing coverage of the health insurance reforms resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”), this week, courtesy of KaiserHealthNews.org (KHN), we look at different insurance plans for different members of a family. If you want coverage from a plan offered on healthcare.gov, the federal insurance marketplace, or on one of the….
Continue ReadingStudy Questions Advisability of Taking a Break from Osteoporosis Drugs
The drugs Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel are prescribed for people with osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disorder that leaves patients vulnerable to fractures that can be life-threatening. A new study examined the wisdom of taking a break from these drugs, known as bisphosphonates, in order to reduce the likelihood of the terrible side effects for which they’re….
Continue ReadingBig Issues in Patient Care: Mediterranean Diet Yes, Testosterone No, and More Topics
The editors of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) recently issued a report, “2013 Year in Review.” The collection of articles summarizes what these deep medical thinkers believe are the most relevant clinical topics in general medicine, focusing on primary care, landmark studies, media coverage and public awareness. The report is directed toward….
Continue ReadingReflections on Growing Up Unvaccinated
Amy Parker was raised by what she calls in a Slate.com story “a health nut.” But she’s raising her three children differently, because the alternative approach to health and child care made her sick. “I wasn’t vaccinated,” she writes. “I was brought up on an incredibly healthy diet: no sugar till I was 1, breastfed….
Continue ReadingAnticipating Changes in Health Care for 2014
Whether it’s insurance coverage or the advisability of having certain tests, the health-care landscape is ever-changing. USA Today recently surveyed experts in the field to come up with seven things they say are significant health-care changes to watch for in 2014. With the advent of 2014, of course, major changes were wrought by the Affordable….
Continue ReadingHelping Friends Cope with Trauma
When someone you know has been dealt an unspeakable tragedy, go, be there with them. Don’t think they “need space.” And when you’re with them, a few things not to do: Don’t compare your loss of a pet with their loss of a child. And don’t tell them, “You’ll get over it.” Because they won’t,….
Continue ReadingThe Sticker Shock of Ambulance Transport
Anyone who has been transported by ambulance knows that the cost can be astonishing. A generation ago, as reported by the New York Times, ambulance rides often were free of charge, provided as a municipal service or by volunteers. Now, like most of the U.S. health-care industrial complex, most ambulance services are businesses that charge….
Continue ReadingMore Bad News About Smoking
It has been 50 years since the surgeon general’s world-rocking report on the hazards of smoking, and last week another report from the same source, “The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General,” piled on yet more bad news. As summarized by USAToday.com, the report concludes that….
Continue ReadingThe Blues or a Mood Disorder?
Some people get depressed during winter because of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a problem associated with lack of sunlight. Some people are always anxious, often because their brains lack certain chemicals required for optimal function, including mood regulation. Some people just feel blue, and wonder why. How do you know when you have a temporary….
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