JAMA forcefully responded to the recent allegations of a small university professor going behind their back to mainstream media outlets.

As MedPage Today reports, JAMA sought to preempt any form of criticism, saying, “The person bringing the allegation will be specifically informed that he/she should not reveal this information to third parties or the media while the investigation is under way.”

I’m not sure how enforceable that Read more »

Family doctors are doing less obstetric care these days.

As reported by MedPage Today, a study shows that the number of prenatal visits seen by family physicians declined from 11.6% to 6.1% from 1994 to 2004, and perhaps of more concern, 38.6% to 12.9% in rural areas.

It’s not a huge surprise, since these days, obstetricians have absorbed most of the maternity cases. One reason is that hospitals are less likely to pay the high Read more »

Prostate cancer screening is about to get a whole lot cloudier.

Published this morning in the NEJM, the results of the study by the National Cancer Institute showed that, for men who were screened with both a PSA and digital rectal exam, there was no difference when compared to men who received “usual care.”

The results confirm the suspicions that many physicians already had, namely, that screening for prostate cancer does not Read more »

Patients in need of a kidney often wait years for a suitable donor.

Instead of waiting, more patients are taking matters into their own hands by arranging private kidney transactions, through internet classifieds on Craigslist or social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. Those who seek organs outside the traditional system can potentially save up to ten years of waiting.

But ninety percent of the transplant centers in Read more »

Launching his annual report, Sir Liam Donaldson stressed the benefits of incorporating simulation into training. ‘The old adage in medicine of ‘See one, do one, teach one’ needs to be phased out,’ he said.

‘Increasingly we’re seeing the use of simulation, not just high-tech simulation, but also doctors practising putting up drips on plastic arms and patients performing role-play to train GPs on Read more »

One proposed way to control costs is to replace primary care doctors with mid-level providers, like nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Merely bringing up this idea brings out the worst in turf battles, with most discussions devolving into nurse versus doctor cat-fights.

The ACP comes up with their vision of how nurse practitioners fit within the primary care spectrum. It wisely takes a balanced approach, but, as Bob 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 »

That’s a question this case in the UK is trying the answer.

As Dr. Crippen, the crusty blogger who notes the inanities of the UK medical system, notes, extra-martial affairs are commonplace.

But should a physician be censured, effectively ending his medical career, for having a dangerous liaison?

“If every man and women in Britain who had an extra-marital affair were to be prevented from working,” writes Dr. Crippen, Read more »

More patients are being referred to as consumers, and some don’t agree with the connotation.

“That puts a bigger emphasis on how much profit the patient can make a company, which can lead to less-than-optimal decisions on behalf of the patient later on,” says diabetes blogger Manny Hernandez.

However, patients are now encouraged to advocate on their own behalf, and entities like high deductible health plans and health savings Read more »