Hsieh Forbes Column: Using AI To Predict Individual Health Outcomes

My latest Forbes is now out: "Using Artificial Intelligence To Predict Individual Health Outcomes".

The use of voice data to predict early Type 2 diabetes was especially surprising me.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Some Physicians Receive Thousands Of Dollars A Year From Drug Companies; Should You Be Concerned?

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Some Physicians Receive Thousands Of Dollars A Year From Drug Companies; Should You Be Concerned?"

I discuss the federal Open Payments database which tabulates financial interactions between physicians and drug/medical device companies. I also discuss how patients should be cautious about interpreting what they learn about their doctors, and whether such payments constitute a conflict of interest.

My latest Forbes column is now out: "A Celebration Of Dr. Robert Bartlett, The ‘Father Of ECMO’"

I offer a tribute to Dr. Robert Bartlett, an innovator and a legend of US surgery. (And a former professor of mine when I was a student at University of Michigan Medical School.)

Hsieh Forbes Column: Why Private Equity In Heathcare Is Receiving Closer Scrutiny

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Why Private Equity In Heathcare Is Receiving Closer Scrutiny By Journalists And Government"

Hsieh Forbes Column: When The AI Is More Compassionate Than The Doctor

My latest Forbes column is out: "When The AI Is More Compassionate Than The Doctor". 

I discuss some novel uses of AI in medicine to help physicians better communicate with their patients with empathy and compassion.

Hsieh Forbes Column On Automation Bias, AI, And Medical Misdiagnosis

My latest Forbes column is out: "How 'Automation Bias' Plus Artificial Intelligence Can Lead To Medical Misdiagnoses".

Takehome point: The machine does NOT always know where it's going!

Hsieh Forbes Column: The Unsettled Science Of Covid-19

My latest Forbes column is now out: "The Unsettled Science Of Covid-19".

I discuss some recent controversies over Covid-19, including natural immunity, the efficacy of mask mandates, and the "lab leak" hypothesis -- and what that means for the concepts of "consensus" and "misinformation".

Burdensome Guidelines

The New York Times reports, "According to Medical Guidelines, Your Doctor Needs a 27-Hour Workday"\

Some excerpts:

The intent is admirable: Give doctors guidelines so they can be sure to cover what needs to be discussed with patients and help select options. Let’s talk about your diet and any problems you might have sleeping. Are you getting enough exercise? If not, here is some advice. You are due for colon cancer screening. Do you prefer a colonoscopy or a fecal test? Here are the pros and cons of each.

But there is a problem. There are just not enough hours in a workday to discuss and act on all the guidelines...

[I]magine a doctor shrugged off the chronic and acute care, as well as administrative work, and merely followed the preventive care checklist recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of health experts. That would be 8.6 of the doctor’s hours each day, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health.

As anyone who has been sped through a 15-minute annual wellness visit knows, doctors cannot be so exacting. That the guidelines are so thorough yet so often glossed over prompts questions about their usefulness. At the same time, doctors’ pay often depends on checking off guideline boxes.

This is not just a problem in the US: 

[I]mplementing all the British guidelines for improving patients’ lifestyles could require more doctors and nurses than are practicing in the entirety of Britain. 

Good intentions from central planners does not always translate to actual good medical practice by physicians on the ground.

Hsieh Forbes Column: The Power Of Ordinary English To Improve Healthcare

My January 2023 Forbes column is out: "The Power Of Ordinary English To Improve Healthcare". 

I discuss how the skillful use of ordinary English language instead of medical jargon can improve patient understanding and outcomes.

Hsieh Forbes Column: The Perverse Persistence Of Fax Machines In American Medicine

My December 2022 Forbes column is on, "The Perverse Persistence Of Fax Machines In American Medicine".