Hsieh Forbes Column: How Will Doctors Allocate Scarce Medical Resources?

My latest Forbes piece is on the difficult topic of rationing health care: "How Will Doctors Allocate Scarce Medical Resources During The COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic?"

Patients, family, and physicians may need to be prepared for some difficult conversations ahead.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Tips For Staying Out Of The ER

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "Tips For Staying Out Of The ER During The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic".

Here's the opening:

As case numbers increase during the current Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, hospital emergency rooms are becoming more crowded. Patients showing up at the ER for possible COVID will add to usual load of patients already there for heart attacks, stroke, acute appendicitis, accidents, “normal” influenza, etc.

So anything you can do to keep yourself out of the ER helps everyone (yourself included).

In that spirit, I’d like to remind folks follow some simple old-fashioned prudent practices...

(Full text available at "Tips For Staying Out Of The ER During The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic".)

Hsieh Forbes Column On 'Left Digit Bias'

My latest Forbes column is now out: "If You Just Turned 50, 60, 70, Or 80, Your Doctor Might Suffer From 'Left Digit Bias'".

"Left digit bias" is why customers are more likely to purchase an item priced $4.99 than $5.00.  I discuss how physicians' "left digit bias" could affect medical care in older patients, and what patients can do about it.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Why More Employers Are Not Hiring Smokers And What To Do About It

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Why More Employers Are Not Hiring Smokers And What To Do About It".

I discuss how we can address "lifestyle discrimination" by employers by repealing existing bad laws, rather than imposing new bad regulations. 

Also: Have you ever wondered why you get health insurance from your employer, but not your car or homeowner's insurance? I cover that bizarre "feature" of the US economy as well.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Doctors Use Youtube And Google All The Time. Should You Be Worried?

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Doctors Use Youtube And Google All The Time. Should You Be Worried?"

It's been a fun year writing for Forbes. I look forward to continuing next year, and I hope you all have a good 2020!

Hsieh Forbes Column: I'm A Physician, And I'll Continue Eating Red Meat

My latest Forbes column is now out: "I'm A Physician, And I'll Continue Eating Red Meat".

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

Below -- some tasty beef stew I recently made in my beloved Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.

Hsieh Forbes Column On Government Quality Metrics And Unintended Consequences

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "How Patients Pay The Price For Unintended Consequences Of Government Health Care".

I discuss how various government "quality" metrics intended to improve patient care can have the exact opposite effect.

This is an example of Goodhart's Law in action, sometimes phrased as, "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure."

Hsieh Forbes Column On Vaping And Unintended Consequences

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Don't Make The Vaping 'Crisis' Worse With Hasty New Regulations".