As many as 1 in 5 older adults experiences tinnitus, the perception of sound in the ears that can’t be explained by any external source. Commonly called “ringing in the ears,” the sound can range from hissing to buzzing to almost anything that appears to have no cause and that you can’t stop. A recent….
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Q&A on Medicine’s New Horizons with Dr. Robert Wachter
Dr. Robert Wachter is a familiar name among patient safety advocates. He is credited with coining the term “hospitalist” for doctors who focus on the care of hospitalized patients, and his latest book, “The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age” concerns the risks and rewards of health care….
Continue ReadingWhy Should Organ Donors Suffer for Their Selflessness?
In addition to their willingness to undergo a potentially risky invasive procedure for the benefit of someone else, living organ donors also are financially generous. Their out-of-pocket expenses average $5,000 because, although a recipient’s insurance covers the donor’s medical expenses, it doesn’t cover transportation, lodging, child care and lost wages. So there’s a movement to….
Continue ReadingCreate a Family History
Because many health problems are rooted in your genes, it’s critical to know as much about your family’s cultural and medical history as possible in order for your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. A handy tool provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) enables you to create a family history, and keep it….
Continue ReadingSuggested Reading: Hyping Hypothyroidism?
Twelve in 100 Americans will be diagnosed at some point in their lifetimes with a thyroid disorder. Hypothyroidism, or under-active thyroid gland, is treated with the drug levothyroxine, which has been called the second-most frequently prescribed drug in the U.S. As a long and interesting article in TheAtlantic.com discussed, one of the hottest controversies in….
Continue ReadingPatient Safety Organization Calls for Greater Transparency
The National Patient Safety Foundation recently issued a sweeping report strongly supporting transparency in health care. Transparency not only is ethical, according to the report, but it promotes accountability, leads to fewer medical errors, increases patient satisfaction and lowers costs. The foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute held roundtable discussions with a range of health-care stakeholders who….
Continue ReadingGetting What You Need — and No More — From Cold and Flu Medicine
A lot of people have colds and flu this time of year, and a lot them buy over-the-counter medicine to help them feel better. But the sheer number of remedies is overwhelming, as is the variety of symptoms they supposedly treat. What’s a consumer to do? A recent article in The Atlantic offered useful information….
Continue ReadingWhen Advanced Care Is a Step Back
America is a country of newer! Better! Now! More! But in medical care, as readers of this blog know, more is not always better, and the point was driven home recently in a New York Times commentary. “Doing More for Patients Often Does No Good,” by Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at….
Continue ReadingArrests Are Made in Contamination Case Resulting in Meningitis Deaths
Two years ago, an outbreak of meningitis resulting from contaminated injections supplied by a compounding pharmacy killed 64 people. (See our blog, “Your Money or Your Life: Injury Toll From Pain Injection Drugs Climbs.“) Last week, 14 owners or employees of the New England Compounding Center (NECC) were arrested for their alleged crimes. According to….
Continue ReadingReport Fails Most State Doctor Information Sites
If you want your state’s help in assessing the quality of a doctor, good luck. Only a handful of states are adequate in providing such information according to a newly released report by the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3). The outfit is a wonky nonprofit whose mission is to help providers, employers and insurers….
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