We should treat diseases not create diseases to treat
Readers know how mad direct to consumer advertising makes me. I love the advances that the pharmaceutical industry has given us.
Does “preventive medicine” harm health?
He goes on to argue that true prevention involves health behaviors – exercise, diet, avoiding cigarettes, substances of abuse, etc.
Fuso pharyngitis – what we know, what we don’t know
As most readers know, I have studied pharyngitis for over 30 years. Over the past 5 years I have had an epiphany.
The danger of assumptions in medicine
When caring for patients, we must always question our own assumptions and the assumptions of other physicians.
A personal reflection on 2011 – the importance of diagnosis
We can improve the teaching and practice of diagnosis. We have a growing number of physicians dedicated to this task.
Diagnostic Skepticism – the most valuable trait
Accepting a diagnosis without some thought allows us to make errors. If you are not already a diagnostic skeptic, please become one.
Why we have a prostate cancer screening controversy
Physicians must subjectively balance treatment risks and benefits, making consensus difficult, as human judgment varies in medical decisions.
Screening for prostate cancer not worthwhile
Many physicians avoid PSA screening for prostate cancer due to its mediocre accuracy and harmful treatment side effects, despite debate.
How guidelines and performance measures can increase diagnostic errors!
To recap an earlier post, physicians probably use two types of reasoning – intuitive (or automatic or simple) and analytic (or complex).
Women in medicine – different strokes for different folks
What does full-time really mean? How arbitrary is that term? Does devoting our lives solely to medicine make us better physicians?