If both patients and doctors don’t accept the changes required of their behavior, no amount of comparative effectiveness studies will cut health care spending.

Two prominent medical journalists write as much in their respective blogs.

First, the NY Times’ Tara Parker-Pope notes that patients have to realize that, yes, they should demand the best care possible. However, that means, “we will have to accept that ‘best’ doesn’t Read more »

Will there ever be a scenario where doctors will accept a third-party entity restricting care to patients?

Pauline Chen talks about comparative effectiveness research, and finds that, when recommendations are transparent and based on solid evidence, some doctors will accept this more regulated paradigm.

Dr. Chen is completely right when she observes that there is a “sense that some of [a health insurer's] decisions are based Read more »

Comparative effectiveness research is the current, trendy buzzword in the health care debate.

And certainly, doctors need an authoritative, unbiased, source in which to base their decisions on.

But, do we already have that kind of information? Why, yes, we do. It’s called UptoDate.

For those who don’t know, UptoDate is a peer-reviewed, evidence-based, medical encyclopedia available via DVD or online that’s revised Read more »

The Medical Training Initiative will provide up to 750 two-year placements for doctors from developing countries. Last year, 250 English-speaking doctors from developing countries, secured UK-based education.

‘The time that international medical graduate’s spend with us will benefit the NHS greatly. And when they return home, they will be able to apply their skills and knowledge developed during their time here,’ Read more »

The FDA is about to get serious on inappropriate prescribing of narcotic pain medications.

What exactly they’re going to do is unclear, but as reported in the NY Times, it “will result in further restrictions on the prescribing, dispensing and distribution of extended-release opioids like OxyContin, fentanyl patches, methadone tablets and some morphine tablets.”

Part of the problem is that some patients who present with musculoskeletal Read more »

Despite the fact that almost 100,000 patients die from medical mistakes each year, only 30 percent of those errors are ever disclosed to patients. Saying “I’m sorry” is morally and ethically proper. It re-establishes trust and empathy between doctor and patient, and makes it easier for everyone involved to learn from the incident. Hospitals that have instituted full disclosure programs have seen a decrease in the number of malpractice lawsuits Read more »

As health care costs rise, more patients are switching to high-deductible insurance plans.

When that deductible hasn’t been met, doctors are becoming more aggressive in asking for their payment up front.

This move entirely makes sense, since like other businesses, physician practices are also wading through the difficult economic times.

According to the LA Times, 13 percent of a practice’s revenue comes from patients, Read more »

Dr Justin Varney, co-chair of the BMA’s Equal Opportunities Committee, said: ‘Societal attitudes towards homosexuality have changed over the years. There was a time when homosexuals were imprisoned as criminals and treated with electroshock therapy to ‘cure them of their disease’.

‘Like the UK, the NHS has come a long way in recognising sexual and gender equality since it was founded in 1948. Many of the stories Read more »

Will American physicians go the way of the Big Three automakers?

Insurance companies are subtly pushing their members towards having their surgeries performed in countries like India or Thailand, in exchange for substantial cost savings at hospitals that are comparable in quality to those in the United States.

Also on another note, many hospitals are using so-called “nighthawk” radiologists from India to interpret many of their Read more »

What’s the difference between ICD codes 401 and 401.0 for hypertension?

Plenty, as Dr. Rob points out. It can mean the difference of whether the physician is paid for the visit or not. He points out more inane examples, such as a positive rapid strep test that gets paid when diagnosed as “pharyngitis,” but not when it’s coded as “strep throat.”

Coding is an important aspect of medicine that isn’t taught well during residency Read more »