The Best Article on Health Care Reform I Have Read So Far

This week’s New York Review of Books features an article by Jerome Groopman, MD, author of one of my favorite books on the practice of medicine, How Doctors Think.  In the article, Dr. Groopman explores the idea of “comparative effectiveness research” and the role it might play in our health care system if a reform [...]

Health Headlines- Week of Jan 11th

Antidepressants No Better than Placebo for Many Depressed Patients
Primary Care Doctors Rarely Bring Up Organ Donation
Men Who Undergo Prostate Surgery Can Reduce Risk for Incontinence with Exercise
New Scan May Distinguish Early Alzheimer’s from Normal Memory Loss
Soda Fountains Squirt More than Just Soda- You Won’t Like What Scientists Found

Health Headlines – Week of December 13

Relief for Sufferers of Cluster Headaches
Study: Most Hospitalized Patients Don’t Know Their Medicines
Study: Doctors Leave Gaps When Talking to Patients About Their Cancer
Discovery Could Lead to Pill That Makes Curly Hair Straight
Kissing a Frog Won’t Get You a Prince, But It Could Get You Sick

The "Million Med March"

Today I attended the Million Med March held in cities across the US and here in Chicago.  It was sponsored by Docs 4 Patient Care, a grassroots organization of physicians, healthcare professionals, and concerned citizens who want to reform health care while preserving the integrity of the patient-physician relationships we enjoy in this country.  I [...]

This Week’s Health Headlines

Eating meat in middle age may help preserve later abilities
Even a little smoking increases breast cancer risk
Docs stressed out when patient unable to communicate wishes
Sleep specialist says sharing a bed is ‘bad for your health’
New test can determine if you really need antibiotics
Health reform will prompt need for many more primary care docs

Chicago Tribune article on "End-of-Life Conversations"

Today’s article by Barbara Brotman in the Chicago Tribune gives an excellent representation of what advance care planning conversations might look like at the end-of-life. Of course, advance care planning can occur at any stage of illness, and does not always have to address things like Do-Not-Resuscitate orders or refusing other invasive measures. It could simply cover what you value when it comes to your health care, and who you want for your Power of Attorney.

House Calls Episode One

House Calls Radio debuts this Sunday evening Sept 6th at 10pm on AM 560 WIND. In addition to the latest health headlines, we will discuss the topic of advance care planning. My guest is Dr. Martha Twaddle, director of the Midwest Hospice and Palliative Care Center.
Show #1 Action Steps
1) Choose the person you would trust [...]

This week’s health headlines

Even a little exercise can extend life span
Study: end-of-life discussions improve mood in cancer patients
US sets new record for life expectancy, but still lags behind many countries
Study shows lost people really do walk in circles
The doctor will IM you now: online counseling helps depressed patients
CDC to college students: Curb swine flu by wearing surgical masks [...]

The document that is more important than a living will

Have you heard the radio advertisements for legal firms that will send you a FREE living will? Have you heard them promise that if you call now, you can save even more money because they will include a FREE Health Care Power of Attorney? Sounds great, doesn’t it? What they don’t mention is that these documents are already available for free, and you don’t even need a lawyer in order to complete them.

My "conversation" with Rush Limbaugh

Today while driving between nursing homes, I heard Rush Limbaugh talking about the health care reform bill’s Advance Care Planning Consultation section. He, like some other conservative talkers, was complaining that the government was mandating these consultations as a way to usher patients towards an early death in order to save money. In my previous [...]

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