The report covered only one state, but its conclusion is disturbing: People with disabilities “fare worse” than other people in terms of physical and mental health and in their access to high-quality medical care from providers who are sensitive to their needs. The report, “Health Needs Assessment of People With Disabilities in Massachusetts, 2013,” pretty….
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FDA Excuses OTC Products from Limited Acetaminophen Dosages
Last month, the FDA urged health-care providers not to write prescriptions for acetaminophen in dosages larger than 325 milligrams. As we’ve written, the drug, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is a pain reliever with the potential to cause serious liver damage if taken in excess. So, as covered by the investigative news site ProPublica.org, it’s….
Continue ReadingA Word of Caution About Near-Infrared Laser Therapy
A new, hot therapy is being promoted for a range of problems, especially among chiropractors. It’s called near-infrared laser therapy (NILT), and its enthusiastic practitioners say the noninvasive, benign-sounding treatment is good for victims of strokes and head injuries hoping to recover their motor function. But as reported on MedPageToday.com, the evidence supporting such claims….
Continue ReadingQ&A with Renowned Patient Safety Practitioner
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 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 ReadingAdult Vaccinations: Overlooked and Underappreciated
Despite the overwhelming evidence in favor of childhood vaccinations, there’s been a lot of buzz lately about their safety and scheduling. Lost in all that chatter is the fact that the rate for adult vaccinations is lower than that for children, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unacceptably low. We’re….
Continue ReadingMore Doubt Cast on the Value of Annual Checkups
The New York Times’ venerable health columnist Jane Brody recently wrote about the advisability of the annual physical checkup. It’s a topic we’ve covered, too, reaching mostly the same conclusion: In most cases, an annual doctor examination is a poor use of time, money and medical resources. As Brody points out, trying to figure out….
Continue ReadingChoosing a Doctor for an Elderly Patient
Gerontology is the study of health issues that go with old age and aging. It’s a medical specialty because, like the very young, older people have different biological, psychological and sociological needs. Medicare, the health insurance program that covers people in the U.S. starting at age 65, addresses many of the financial concerns of this….
Continue ReadingThe Annual Physical Takes Another Hit
Health care experts have been saying for 30 years — ever since a Canadian comprehensive study — that the annual physical exam is useless and even counter-productive, turning up false alarms that subject patients to unnecessary and even dangerous further testing. Now an article by a physician journalist in the New York Times sums up….
Continue ReadingMedical Boards Advise Fewer Tests for Many Patients
Maybe the national conversation about the rationing of health care finally is moving to a more thoughtful plane. Maybe, instead of incendiary language, half-truths and mistruths, Americans, with the help of the medical establishment, are beginning the think rationally about rationing. As widely reported last week, a panel of physician groups representing the American Board….
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