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The High Price of Free Lunch
Once again: correlation does not equal causation. And it is possible that companies give lunches to physicians who are already inclined to prescribe their products, or who are already high prescribers. But why should we leave any of this up to doubt?!? Physicians should not accept gifts from drug companies.
Death By Salad: Two Reasons 'Healthy' Food Could Make You Fat
In an effort to lose weight, you pass on the steak sizzler at your favorite family restaurant and settle, instead, for a healthy salad. But you might be in for a dieting double whammy. First off, the salad probably has more calories than you realize. For example, Applebee’s Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad packs a whopping…
In Countries That Invest In Long Term Care, People Are Less Likely To Die In The Hospital
In the U.S., we do a lousy job of paying for long-term care. We don’t help people cover the costs of nursing homes or home-health aids when they have chronic, life-threatening illnesses. As a result, more Americans die in the hospital than they would if we covered long-term care more generously. At least that’s the…
The Rise of the Healthcare Administrators!
We probably have a shortage of physician in the U.S., especially primary care providers. Our population is rising faster than the number of docs. But we don’t seem to be suffering from a shortage of healthcare administrators: Oh in addition, doesn’t look too convincing that all those administrators are finding ways to reduce healthcare spending….
Is It Rational for Breast Cancer Patients to Have Bilateral Mastectomies?
Warning: I am not writing about Angelina Jolie. I am not asking whether women like Jolie, with a strong family histories of breast cancer and known genetic mutations, should consider having bilateral mastectomies. Women like Jolie face extremely high lifetime risks of breast cancer, and thus must make difficult decisions about whether to receive prophylactic…
A Matter of Life-or-Death: The Type of Nurses Your Hospital Employs
Good medical outcomes often depends on good nursing care. When hospitals cut back on nursing care, patient mortality rates climb. If you want a good hospital, pick one that doesn’t skimp on the nurse-to-patient ratio. You should also look at the education level of nurses a hospital employs. Because not all nurses are equally skilled….