Although increasingly popular, robotic surgery has been shown to be risky and expensive, so guidelines for its use issued recently by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS) should be required reading for anyone considering the procedure. Promoted as a minimally invasive procedure for a wide range….
Continue ReadingArchives for March 2015
Try Teamwork to Avoid a Missed Diagnosis
A recent blog in ModernHealthcare.com reported that 1 in 20 U.S. adults might be misdiagnosed during an outpatient visit, and that about half of those errors eventually could cause harm. About 12 million U.S. adults experience a diagnostic mistake every year. Are they lapses in judgment? The result of rushed appointments? An inability to communicate?….
Continue ReadingFormer Patient Safety Advocate Settles Conflict of Interest Case
Last year we told the story of Dr. Chuck Denham, who went from a being a renowned patient safety advocate to being accused of accepting kickbacks for promoting drug company products while he was advising the National Quality Forum on best safety practices for medical providers. Last week, as announced by ProPublica.org, Denham agreed to….
Continue ReadingFew Consequences Result When Health Data Is Breached
A recent investigation by ProPublica.org shows not only that the medical community regularly abuses patient privacy, but that the responsible parties are seldom punished. Since October 2009, more than 1,140 significant breaches of patient data have been reported by providers, organizations and their third-party associates. The information involved more than 41 million people, and pilfered….
Continue ReadingConcierge Medicine Company Found Liable for Doctor’s Malpractice
The practice of “concierge” medicine has grown recently, thanks to doctors who are frustrated with the intrusive bureaucracy involved in the usual delivery of medical care, and patients with enough money to pay annual retainers for better access to them. Now, this new-ish form of medical business is on the paying side of what is….
Continue ReadingTougher Standards Change Ratings for Nursing Homes
For a long time, nursing home ratings have been criticized as inaccurate and inflated, so last month federal officials recalibrated the standards by which they are judged for quality. As a result, the ratings fell for nearly 1 in 3 such facilities in the U.S. As explained by the New York Times, three criteria are….
Continue ReadingToo Many Docs Prescribe Drugs Off-Label Too Often
Although drug companies are not allowed to promote or market their products for any use other than those approved by the FDA, doctors may prescribe drugs to some patients to treat conditions other than those included in FDA approval. It’s called “off-label” use, and can result in good outcomes. But Dr. Allen Frances believes that….
Continue ReadingWhy Can’t Government ‘Experts’ Settle on Nutritional Guidelines?
As widely reported last month, including in the New York Times, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has eased some of its previous restrictions on fat and cholesterol, and recommended that Americans significantly reduce how much sugar we eat. In a follow-up editorial in The Times, Nina Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter,….
Continue ReadingAnother Effort to Hide Doctors Behaving Badly
Several years ago, the New York State Health Department began publishing physician profiles consumers could review to help determine the doctors’ competence. In December, NYDoctorProfile.com was visited 35,000 times, clearly a popular resource for info seekers. But last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo lopped the program from his proposed budget, claiming that the information it offered….
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