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".

Hsieh Forbes Column: Organ Donations Increase When Motorcyclists Gather

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Organ Donations Increase When Motorcyclists Gather"

Hsieh Forbes Column: Misinformation, Mosquitoes, And Mutations, Oh My!

Yes, some people are "mosquito magnets". That's one of the topics I cover in my latest Forbes column, "Misinformation, Mosquitoes, And Mutations, Oh My!"

Hsieh Forbes Column: You Have The Right To Your Radiology Test Results

My latest Forbes column is now out: "You Have The Right To Your Radiology Test Results: What You Need To Know".

I discuss some changes in federal law that allow near-immediate access to radiology reports (and other test results), and how best to use these rights responsibly.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Small Steps Towards Deregulation

My latest Forbes column is out: "Small But Positive Steps Towards Health Deregulation"

Hsieh Forbes Column On Free Speech And Covid-19 "Misinformation"

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...

Hsieh Forbes Column: How Public Health Technology Can Be Misused To Stifle Dissent

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "How Public Health Technology Can Be Misused To Stifle Dissent"

Hsieh Forbes Column: How The Bernoulli Effect Can Help Patients And Physicians

My latest Forbes column is now out: "How The Bernoulli Effect Can Help Patients And Physicians".

My piece was inspired by this awesome 2-minute video:

@wolf_science Bernoulli’s Principle. #science #firefighting #fan #teachersoftiktok #learnontiktok ♬ original sound - Wolf_Science

Hsieh Forbes Column: Traffic Safety Signs May Be Hazardous To Your Health

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Traffic Safety Signs May Be Hazardous To Your Health".

I cover some fascinating behavioral science research showing how traffic safety signs can create unintended -- and sometimes deadly -- consequences.

Hsieh Forbes Column: When Ukrainian Surgeons Treat Russian POWs

My latest Forbes column is now out: "When Ukrainian Surgeons Treat Russian POWs". 

Wartime can put physicians in challenging emotional and ethical circumstances.

Hsieh Forbes Column: What Happens In The Brain At The Moment Of Death?

My latest Forbes column is out: "What Happens In The Brain At The Moment Of Death?"

Original academic article:  "Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain" by Zemmar, et al.

Hsieh Forbes Column: Does Your Doctor Work For A Private Equity Company -- And Should You Care?

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Does Your Doctor Work For A Private Equity Company -- And Should You Care?"

Perverse incentives can exist in both private and government business models.

Hsieh Forbes Column: How Defying One's Boss Led To A New Medical Discovery

My latest Forbes column is now out: "How Defying One's Boss Led To A New Medical Discovery".

Sometimes innovation works in mysterious ways!

Hsieh Forbes Column: Some State Governments Are Banning Businesses From Asking Customers About Covid-19 Vaccination

My June 2021 Forbes piece is now out: "Some State Governments Are Banning Businesses From Asking Customers About Covid-19 Vaccination Status -- Why That's A Bad Idea".

This is a blatant violation of property rights of the businesses in question. 

Hsieh Forbes Column: Perks And Incentives For Covid-19 Vaccination May Backfire

My latest Forbes column is now out: "Perks And Incentives For Covid-19 Vaccination May Backfire".

I discuss the proliferation of prizes and incentives being offered to get people vaccinated, and how this can sometimes create the opposite effect of making people more suspicious of the vaccine.