Healthcare Policy

4 in 10 Docs Cave in to Brand-Name Drug Demands

Jan 9, 2013

Even when generic drugs are available, approximately 4 of 10 physicians in practice more than 30...

Do EMRs Make Documentation Too Easy?

Dec 21, 2012

There are many interesting unintended consequences of electronic medical records (EMRs). I was reminded of this by a recent blog I wrote about what interns really do when they are on call. According to a study from a VA hospital...

ERs Go Mobile with Reservations

Nov 29, 2012

More than 100 hospital emergency departments are borrowing an idea from the restaurant industry: online reservations. Additional concierge services such as mobile apps for wait times make ER experiences more agreeable. ERs are...

Top 10 Physician Burnout Triggers

Nov 15, 2012

It happened again. I was talking to a particularly sick patient recently who related another bad experience with a specialist. “He came in and started spouting that he was busy saving someone’s life in the ER, and then he didn’t...

Survey Says: 86% of Docs’ Income is “Flat or Declining”

Oct 19, 2012

A recent survey from the Physician’s Foundation revealed a snapshot of what physicians are...

Medical Technology: Dangerous Curves Ahead

Oct 11, 2012

I love the GPS analogy for healthcare. Patients need a GPS for their health, showing them the...

Obama vs Romney on Healthcare in First Debate

Oct 4, 2012

President Obama and Mitt Romney made some swift punches on healthcare in the first presidential debate Wednesday night. Healthcare was officially allotted 15 minutes in the 90-minute debate, so let’s check out their...

Health IT: Patients Ready, Docs Lagging

Sep 28, 2012

Patients are well ahead of providers in demanding online access to health information (IT) and communication tools, according to a new survey. Consumers are eager to use both the internet and mobile devices to connect with their...

In the Political Healthcare Debate, the Patients Always Lose

Sep 27, 2012

The wannabe congressman appeared with his neat hair and pressed suit, a competent yet compassionate expression on his face. “The first thing I am going to do when I get to Congress is to work to repeal Obamacare,” he said,...

Physician-Authored Book Addresses Transparency in Healthcare

Sep 25, 2012

PRESS RELEASE: In Unaccountable, Dr. Makary argues that patients blindly walk into a marketplace they can’t study or evaluate. Readers will learn the shocking truth about the Wild West of modern medicine, including its...

How to Lower 30-Day Hospital Readmission Rates

Sep 24, 2012

As new Medicare rules kick in, some 2,200 hospitals nationwide are facing financial penalties for 30-day readmission rates for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and pneumonia. Medicare payments will be lowered by...

10 Ways to Make EMR Meaningful and Useful

Sep 19, 2012

OK, I am an EMR geek who isn’t so thrilled with the direction of EMR. So what, I have been asked, would make EMR something that is really meaningful? What would be the things that would truly help, and not just make more hoops...

New Additions to the “Never Events” List

Aug 22, 2012

You are probably familiar with the CMS “never events” initiative. CMS has decided it will not reimburse hospitals for treatment related to complications that it says should never occur. Here is the current list. Foreign object...

Use of Preventive Services Lacking Among Americans

Aug 22, 2012

CDC researchers have found that nearly half of American adults missed out on 15 key preventive...

Is High Health Spending Justified?

Aug 16, 2012

An international analysis has found that the higher cost of cancer care delivery in the United...

Managing HIV: A Call to Action for Primary Care Physicians

Aug 2, 2012

Click here to listen to a podcast of Dr. Wong discussing the growing need of support for HIV care....

Our Broken Healthcare System – Feeding the Fat Cats

Jul 26, 2012

We have a cat. He’s fat. His name is Zander, but we call him “Cat,” “Kitty,” “Loaf of Bread” (because that’s what he looks like when he lies down and his fat spreads), Lard Butt, and “Fatso Catso.” In the picture above he is...