The blog of Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine (FIRM)
My latest Forbes column is now out: "Should Doctors Be Required To Tell The DMV If You Have Dementia?"
This is another example in which a well-intended law may create perverse unintended consequences. As a friend noted, "Mandatory reporting laws of any kind are fraught with danger. One reason is that, from the patient's point of view, they can blur the lines between talking to your doctor/nurse and talking to a cop."
My latest Forbes column is out: "Why You Shouldn't Swallow Magnets".
I discuss who should (or shouldn't) swallow magnets. Hint: If you are reading this, it's not you.
My latest Forbes is now out: "How Much Basic Math And Health Statistics Should Legislators Know?"
How much basic math do legislators know?
The Royal Statistical Society asked 101 members of the U.K. Parliament in 2021, “If you toss a fair coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?” The correct answer is, of course, 1/4 or 25%.
However, only 52% of the MPs got the answer correct. On the bright side, this is an improvement from 2011, when only 40% of the MPs got the answer correct.
My first thought when I learned about this study: I would love to know how U.S. congressmen would perform with the question...
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.
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.)
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.
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".
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.
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.
My latest Forbes column is now out: "Should We Punish Physicians Who Spread Covid-19 'Misinformation'?"
[W]hen it comes to offering dissenting opinions — even mistaken opinions — on health-related public policy, I favor keeping the hand of government regulation relatively light rather than overly heavy...