With lowering prescription drug costs a top priority for Americans, the Trump Administration, presidential candidates, members of Congress, and several states are proposing to allow the importation of drugs from abroad, chiefly Canada. The idea of allo…
Category: Uncategorized
When your doctor says you have dementia, don’t argue with her
I know you want to. I know you would rather have anything other than dementia—even cancer. I know you are happy with your life and want it to continue as it is. If it has to change, I bet you’d like to slowly become more frail until one night you just …
Getting To The Heart Of Presidential Fitness: How Much Do We Need To Know?
A recent cardiac health dust-up between former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Bernie Sanders, both vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, focuses attention on this question.
Jewish identity is so much more than a person’s biology
Recently I made a self-deprecating joke among friends, when one of them said, “that’s so Jewish,” to which another quipped, “What do you expect? It’s in the genes.” The idea of a Jewish gene is not necessarily new, but it has become more popular and mo…
What do hospital discounts really mean?
Our local newspaper recently ran an article on the top of its front page, stating that our monopoly health system is now “expanding health care cost discounts.” The article was actually a press release – free advertising on the front page. As a …
The Hufflepuff of medicine
Recently, my mother waited for over an hour for what turned out to be a 5-minute visit with her primary care doctor. Her doctor seemed rushed and stressed, her questions perfunctory, the management plan hurried. And then she was gone. “It’s like she di…
The Hufflepuff of medicine
Recently, my mother waited for over an hour for what turned out to be a 5-minute visit with her primary care doctor. Her doctor seemed rushed and stressed, her questions perfunctory, the management plan hurried. And then she was gone. “It’s like she di…
For COVAD-19 Coronavirus, How Well Do Thermometer Guns Even Work?
There’s been increased demand for thermal scanning devices since the outbreak began.
When the problem representation and the illness script do not match
Recently we had a patient admitted for a diagnosis that did not really fit his problem representation. The diagnosis was a convenient one, and easily treated. He initially responded to treatment, and we discharged him. The diagnosis assumption nagged a…
