For those who are regular readers, we have previously discussed the Choosing Wisely campaign from the ABIM Foundation and its goal to reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful testing. Some experts estimate 30% of health care spending is considered Continue reading
Category Archives: Medical Practice
I am thinking about going to medical school
I recently spoke with the bright young son of a physician who is thinking about going to medical school. He spent a year in Peru after college helping people and thinks medicine would be a good life choice for him. He then spoke with several physicians Continue reading
Wikipedia is not a trustworthy colleague
The internet! It is a boon and a bane. It is a blessing and a curse. But when it comes to dispensing medical advice, the scales tip towards the negative. We have all had patients come to our offices citing information they gleaned from the internet. Some patients will Continue reading
Room to improve on antibiotic prescribing
Primary care clinicians are often caught between a rock and hard place. Antibiotic prescribing offers a classic example. The rock – patients often want antibiotics for common infections, are happier with their PCP if she or he gives them antibiotics, and Continue reading
The dose makes the poison – Paracelsus
The MMWR recently reported that in the current problem with the abuse of prescription drugs, alcohol plays a significant role in ED department visits, including opioid pain reliever (OPR) and benzodiazepine (BZP) drug-related deaths. Using the Continue reading
Influenza immunization for children
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued this year’s policy statement recommending annual influenza immunization for all people six months of age and older.
Children under age two years are at high risk of hospitalization and complications from Continue reading
I want you to eat more fruits and vegetables…
How often have we given this advice to our patients? Fruits and vegetables offer our patients a wholesome low calorie source of color, flavor, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. So we tell them to eat apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, and peaches and we think we are doing a great service to our patients. The problem is Continue reading
Let the teens sleep!
For those of us who have ever raised teenagers and tried to wake them in the morning, you might be interested in a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP has recognized that insufficient sleep in adolescents can affect Continue reading
Genuinely useful research
Two articles published this past year have shone a light on the management of osteoarthritis and meniscal tears of the knee.
One, by Sihvonen R et.al. in the NEJM, examined 146 patient who were diagnosed Continue reading
Doctor, what diet should I try?
Several years ago, Gary Taubes published an article in the New York Times (“What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie”) in which he accused the American medical establishment of being “the cause of the rampaging epidemic of obesity in America.” Ouch. Continue reading