Docs helping patients to surf the internet

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @AlexYperifanos

"A Doctor Discovers Dying"
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/a-doctor-discovers-dying/?_php=true&_type=blogs&smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0

But the real power of "Being Mortal" might come from the mere fact of Dr. Atul Gawande — a writer at The New Yorker, certified MacArthur Foundation "genius", prize-winning and already best-selling author with 101,000 Twitter followers — having written it.

----------------------------------


Tweeted by @HeartSisters

"A Case for Autonomy & The End of Participatory Medicine"
http://e-patients.net/archives/2014/12/a-case-for-autonomy-and-the-end-of-participatory-medicine.html#.VIMpDFPiAn4.twitter

Thirty years ago, Tom Ferguson, M.D., wrote "The seven rules for better health" (July/August 1985). Dr. Ferguson's "First Law" pointed out that patients provide their own illness care between 80 and 98% of the time.

&


"Chemo or Lourdes? Welcome to Cancerland"
https://pulsevoices.org/archive/stories/436-chemo-or-lourdes-welcome-to-cancerland

I know that they are highly competent medical professionals. But the way in which they relate to me--as one human being to another--convinces me that they also understand the personal side of medicine, and that they will bring to my care not only the aim of curing but also the art of healing.

----------------------------------


Tweeted by @JBBC

"Should We Train Doctors for Empathy?"
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/should_we_train_doctors_for_empathy

"If a patient realizes you are not genuinely concerned," he says, "there will be long lasting consequences, such as no more trust."

----------------------------------


Tweeted by @ElaineSchattner

"How To Avoid Overdiagnosis And Overtreatment Of Breast Cancer"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elaineschattner/2015/07/16/how-to-avoid-overdiagnosis-and-overtreatment-of-breast-cancer-improve-mammography-screening-quality/

Not to scare you, or anything, but I'm worried about underdiagnosis, an under-reported complication of not getting screened for breast cancer.

[LinksEtc]

http://www.cfah.org

The Center for Advancing Health works to increase people's engagement in their health care. We listen to patient perspectives. We translate what we learn into resources that help all of us participate fully in our health care and that enable policy makers and clinicians to support our efforts.

CFAH was a non-profit organization founded in 1992, supported by individuals and foundations and based in Washington, D.C. until its closing in December 2014.*

------------------------------------------


Tweeted by @paulinechen

When Doctors and Nurses Work Together
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/when-doctors-and-nurses-work-together/

"A safety and teamwork culture is not something you can just implement, then walk away from and expect to continue," Dr. Pettker said. "The really hard work is the daily work you need to do to keep it going."

------------------------------------------


Tweeted by @kevinmd

"Terrifying truths about health care IT"
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/11/terrifying-truths-health-care.html

Given that medical errors now kill more than 400,000 Americans and are the number three cause of death in the United States, we need a greater sense of urgency about how broken IT systems are, and how we can fix them immediately.

------------------------------------------


Tweeted by @DrMStiegler

"An attending threatens patient safety. A resident blows the whistle."
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/12/attending-threatens-patient-safety-resident-blows-whistle.html

While our hospital, like most others, technically had a system in place to identify and report patient safety issues, reality is much more complicated. It is virtually impossible to remain anonymous when reporting events, because often only a few people had direct knowledge of the event.

------------------------------------------


Flu shot may be less effective this year because current virus has mutated

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @michaelseid11

Why Doctors Need Stories
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/why-doctors-need-stories/?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone

For a variety of reasons, including a heightened awareness of medical error and a focus on cost cutting, we have entered an era in which a narrow, demanding version of evidence-based medicine prevails. As a writer who likes to tell stories, I've been made painfully aware of the shift. The inclusion of a single anecdote in a research overview can lead to a reprimand, for reliance on storytelling.

-------------------


Tweeted by @AllenFrancesMD

"At last: new life, new funding, new initiatives, new people for HealthNewsReview.org"
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=21244

I am very pleased to announce that this project has received a two-year, $1.3 million grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

-------------------


Tweeted by @aaronecarroll

"Behind New Dietary Guidelines, Better Science"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/upshot/behind-new-dietary-guidelines-better-science.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1&abt=0002&abg=1

It is frustrating enough when we over-read the results of epidemiologic studies and make the mistake of believing that correlation is the same as causation. It's maddening, however, when we ignore the results of randomized controlled trials, which can prove causation, to continue down the wrong path.

That's disappointing not only because it reduces people's faith in science as a whole, but also because it may have cost some people better health, or potentially even their lives.

-------------------


Tweeted by @Asthma3Ways

Harvard researchers tested 23 online 'symptom checkers.' Most got failing grades. Here's how they stack up.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/10/harvard-researchers-tested-23-online-symptom-checkers-most-got-failing-grades-heres-how-they-stack-up/

Ever asked the Internet what your symptoms mean and gotten a response that seemed wacky or totally off base? It's not your imagination.

[LinksEtc]

"Going beyond "I'm sorry" after you've messed up"
http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2014/05/05/going-beyond-im-sorry-after-youve-messed-up/?utm_source=brief

We all know the "I'm sorry if you were offended" apology, which has the remarkable trait of condemning the objects of the apology.

One can mumble from a rehearsed apology written out on paper (another practice Luntz advised against) and not mean anything. One can apologize without changing behavior or culture, and without giving up power and expressing vulnerability.

Asking for forgiveness is much more difficult to fake or muddle through.

-----------------------------

Tweeted by @fischmd

"Success Is Not Final and Failure Is Not Fatal"
http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/32/30/3449?cmpid=jco_etoc_20October2014#.VENRldonPWI.twitter

The next appointment was a visit of reconciliation. Graciously, she apologized for the outburst and I for my overconfidence. Reflecting back on this experience, I learned that I need to provide support to patients even after delivering good news.

-----------------------------


Tweeted by @kevinmd

"Patients: Accept your fate as a hamburger"
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/11/patients-accept-fate-hamburger.html

Accept your fate as a hamburger – I mean patient. And be nice. Doctors, as busy as they are, are more likely to go out of their way for nice patients than for mean, nasty, overly demanding ones.

-----------------------------


Tweeted by @Doctor_V

Empathy - Why it improves health professionals lives, not just patients'
http://thetriangulationofthought.blogspot.com/2015/07/empathy-why-it-improves-health.html

"Empathy" is perhaps the new buzz word in healthcare, but it is one I embrace and welcome with all my heart.  It is the key to "connection" (the subject of my last blog).  Perhaps it is too simplistic to say, but in my view, it really was the reason for all the outstanding, good, wonderful care Adam received from so many health staff during his life and the lack of it, really was the reason for the appallingly bad care he received.   

[LinksEtc]

"The Double Mastectomy Rebellion
Defying Doctors, More Women With Breast Cancer Choose Double Mastectomies"

http://www.wsj.com/articles/defying-doctors-more-women-with-breast-cancer-choose-double-mastectomies-1436545322

After she was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast last fall, Chiara D'Agostino turned to two holistic healers, a psychotherapist, a massage therapist, a hospital social worker, a meditation class and two support groups to help her navigate a frightening new world.

One piece of advice she doesn't plan to follow: her doctor's.

--------------------------


"Study Finds Online Symptom Checkers Are Only Accurate Half The Time"
http://www.npr.org/2015/07/10/421387053/study-finds-online-symptom-checkers-are-only-accurate-half-the-time?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=health&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews

A Harvard Medical School study found that online symptom checkers, such as WebMD and the Mayo Clinic, are only accurate about half the time.

--------------------------


Tweeted by @AmResProj

Engaging Patients: Interviews With Patients, Providers, And Communities Across The Country
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/09/25/engaging-patients-interviews-with-patients-providers-and-communities-across-the-country/

The researcher asked her all sorts of questions about her symptoms until she apologized for taking up all his time. "Not a problem," he told her, "I've never met a patient before."

Some physicians and pharmacists worry the Internet is a mixed blessing, since there's so much erroneous information out there.

--------------------------


Tweeted by @foodanddruglaw

"Missing EHR data rises up top 10 list of medical technology hazards to patient safety"
http://medcitynews.com/2014/11/missing-ehr-data-rises-top-10-list-medical-technology-pitfalls-jeopardizing-patient-safety/

Every year the ECRI Institute assembles a top 10 list of healthcare technology hazards that cause the most adverse events or, more frequently, near misses jeopardizing patient safety.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @drJoshS

"Keynote Address: Public Health in the Shadow of the First Amendment"
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2014/10/keynote-address-public-health-in-shadow.html?m=1

The court got it totally wrong, with the New England Journal of Medicine stating flatly that the law requires physicians to tell patients information that is "false and misleading."

The contrast between the Court's low regard for the speech of physicians and the high regard for commercial speech is striking.

-------------------------------


Tweeted by @JBBC

"Recognizing the Role of Bias in Patient Decision Making"
http://www.onclive.com/publications/contemporary-oncology/2014/November-2014/Recognizing-the-Role-of-Bias-in-Patient-Decision-Making

Researchers at the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School describe anchoring as a cognitive bias "that describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the 'anchor') when making decisions.

people are more likely to be concerned about the risk of change than about the risk of failing to change and will be motivated to preserve current systems and beliefs. The status quo bias

-------------------------------



Tweeted by @drkernisan

White House Conference 2015: New Paths for Aging

A year's worth of work culminates in new ideas and initiatives

http://www.nextavenue.org/white-house-conference-today-new-paths-for-aging/

After a year spent gathering facts and opinions from everybody who's anybody in the world of aging, the White House on July 13 held a comprehensive session to discuss what needs to change in the United States.

[LinksEtc]

Trish Greenhalgh - 'Real v Rubbish EBM'
https://m.youtube.com/watch?index=5&list=PLPdZt8Yjl_fCdMQiFysZUAgGlFz2g2t-T&v=qYvdhA697jI

--------------------


Tweeted by @joyclee

"The Uncanny Language of Medical Instagram"
http://www.theawl.com/2014/10/the-uncanny-language-of-medical-instagram?utm_content=buffer81657&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Do patients really know what they're consenting to? For that matter, do doctors know exactly what they're asking, from any perspective but their own?

It's how you must have to talk if you're a professional death-delayer, except with some extra social media flourishes

--------------------


Tweeted by @HealthNewsRevu

"Exaggeration in health science news releases – and what we're going to do about it"
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2014/12/exaggeration-in-health-science-news-releases-and-what-were-going-to-do-about-it/

It's difficult to imagine a journal article and an editorial that could set the stage for what we intend to do on this site in 2015 better than this paper and this editorial in The BMJ this week – about problems with health related science news releases.

--------------------


Tweeted by @nxtstop1

This AM the #HealthXPh community discussed 'Physicians & Empathy':a wonderful convo! ICUMI:transcript> ln.is/embed.symplur.... via @symplur

#HealthXPh transcript
http://linkis.com/embed.symplur.com/tw/ZuILA

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @Bob_Barker

"COMPANY REPUTATIONS AT RISK AS SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTIONIZES BREAKING NEWS"
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature1238.html

With the increased use of social media and 'citizen journalism', people are creating and sharing more information than ever before.

--------------------


Tweeted by @woodrumlaw

"Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out"
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/04/364745790/food-babe-or-fear-babe-as-activist-s-profile-grows-so-do-her-critics?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

"Unfortunately, the Web is cluttered with people who really have no idea what they are talking about giving advice as if it were authoritative, and often that advice is colored by either an ideological agenda or a commercial interest," Yale's Novella writes on his blog. "The Food Babe is now the poster child for this phenomenon."

---


Tweeted by @ScienceBasedMed

"Vani Hari, a.k.a. "The Food Babe," finally responds to critics"
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vani-hari-a-k-a-the-food-babe-finally-responds-to-critics/

In other words, the Food Babe brand has become lucrative. Viewed through this prism, Hari's antics are more understandable.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @ElaineSchattner

"Unable to Meet the Deductible or the Doctor"
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/us/unable-to-meet-the-deductible-or-the-doctor.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

"Unfortunately, the people who are attracted to the lower premiums tend to be the ones who are going to have the most trouble coming up with all the cost-sharing if in fact they want to use their health insurance."

&


"EMRs And The Dangers Of Digital Dependency And Drop-Down Medicine"
http://getbetterhealth.com/emrs-and-the-dangers-of-digital-dependency-and-drop-down-medicine/2014.10.17

I was bemoaning the fact that I was being forced to use hospital-designed templates for admission notes, rather than a dictation system or carefully crafted note of my own choosing. She looked at me, wide-eyed and said:

"You've worked without templates? How do you even know where to begin? Can you really dictate an entire note off the top of your head? I couldn't live without templates."

------------------------



Tweeted by @WhoseShoes

"The Skeptic Doctor: Reflections of a Physician Leader"
https://burningtheshortwhitecoat.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/the-skeptic-doctor-reflections-of-a-physician-leader/#more-163

This whole patient satisfaction, or "patient experience" push just seemed like another ploy to pressure doctors to compromise themselves or take accountability for things that are beyond their control.

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google forums, WordPress, chat rooms. Patients are flocking to these places, connecting with each other and giving advice about where to go, who to see and what to ask for.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @AmResProj

"Careful what you write"
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21608771-more-patients-are-getting-read-their-doctors-scribblings-careful-what-you-write?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/careful_what_you_write

Short for "funny-looking kid", it is meant not as an insult, but as a reminder to watch for slow growth and mental retardation, which can accompany physical abnormalities.

But such candour may become a thing of the past as more hospitals and clinics make doctors' notes available to patients and their guardians.

-------------------------------


Tweeted by @ashishkjha

"JAMA Forum: On Fear, Distrust, and Ebola"
http://newsatjama.jama.com/2014/12/10/jama-forum-on-fear-distrust-and-ebola/

As one frightened Texas congressman memorably said, "Every outbreak novel or zombie movie you see starts with somebody from the government sitting in front of a panel like this saying there's nothing to worry about."

Distrust unsettles and contributes to fear. Fear can lead to panic, as well as to discrimination, scapegoating, and even violence.

-------------------------------


Tweeted by @dropeik

Why You Don't Really Care About the Next 'Big One'
http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/07/why-you-dont-really-care-about-the-next-big-one/398969/

Turns out most of us just aren't that good at calculating risk, especially when it comes to huge natural events like earthquakes.

Risk perception is a vast, complex field of research.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @ePatientDave

#chw Jason (Camden) cites @Atul_Gawande 2012 #TEDTalk "How do we heal medicine," proposing "HC pit crews" dave.pt/1zhSBjM #chw

http://www.ted.com/talks/atul_gawande_how_do_we_heal_medicine?language=en

------------------------


Tweeted by @GomerBlog

"Medicare to Use Physician and Nurse Surveys to Rate Patients for Compensation"
http://www.gomerblog.com/2014/09/medicare-2/

"I don't think it's fair," proclaimed a tearful Gwendolyn Malingren. "I have been forced to expand the radius for my shopping for doctors and hospitals because they are charging me more based on those damn surveys about me. I have Chronic Hair Pain Syndrome, and sometimes I get cranky.

[LinksEtc]

"The New Boundaries Between Doctors and Patients"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-boundaries-between-doctors-and-patients-1449508150

Beyond the obvious no-go areas of sex and abuse, the relationship can be fraught.

Doctors are divided on how strict the boundaries should be.

------------------------



Tweeted by @SusannahFox

"In conversation with... Françoise Barré-Sinoussi"
http://mosaicscience.com/story/francoise-barre-sinoussi

she abandoned the normal scientist–patient distance and regularly went out into the community to understand better the needs of those she was trying to help

"Some of them I became friends [with] and some of them are not there anymore. The list is very, very long..." She looks away.

Despite not being alone in her reaction to the breakthrough, the manifestation of mental illness was alarming and bewildering.

------------------------



Tweeted by @medskep

"Patients underestimate CT scan radiation, risks"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/05/us-patients-underestimate-ct-scan-radiat-idUSTRE7044RO20110105?pageNumber=1

"We probably overestimate how much patients understand and underestimate how much we should tell them," she said.

------------------------


Tweeted by @AllenFrancesMD

"Medical errors: We can't trust doctors to get it right"
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/12/medical-errors-cant-trust-doctors-get-right.html

For now, the only protection is a well-informed consumer. Read everything about your condition. Ask lots of questions about the rationale, risks, and benefits of every test and treatment. Expect clear and convincing answers. When in doubt, get second and third opinions.

------------------------


Tweeted by @PsychCentral

"Should You Ask Dr. Google Your Health Questions? Yes, Absolutely"
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/01/25/should-you-ask-dr-google-your-health-questions-yes-absolutely/

to suggest you "never use Dr. Google" is both nonsensical and a non-starter. People will continue to use the world's largest search engine to do what they've always done online — research a topic of interest.

------------------------


Tweeted by @2healthguru

"Meet Rasu Shrestha MD MBA Chief Innovation Officer UPMC"
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pophealth-week/2015/12/04/meet-rasu-shrestha-md-mba-chief-innovation-officer-upmc

This interview is one not to miss and he lays out the call to action for healthcare providers to step up and 'own' the social media space via curation of high quality content via an authentic voice that engages customers and patients in meaningful and relevant ways.

I'm not crazy about the word "own", but nice interview.

------------------------


Tweeted by @DailyDilbert

"DNA Kit Predicts Health Issues"

http://dilbert.com/strip/2015-12-07


------------------------


Tweeted by @EricTopol

"Breaking the Paternalism of Healthcare: Eric Topol"
http://rockhealth.com/breaking-the-paternalism-of-healthcare-eric-topol/

Leading American cardiologist, geneticist, author, and digital medicine researcher Eric Topol discusses the state of patient-centered and empowered healthcare, paternalism, and what the future holds for data and digital health.

------------------------



Re: Bias

"Doctors and the Google Threat"
http://33charts.com/2015/12/doctors-google-threat.html?utm_content=buffere2363&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

This is the way that 21st century patients learn and connect in a medically complicated world.

Access to information represents one of the earliest and most powerful forces redefining doctors and patients.

------------------------


Tweeted by @parisreview

"Octavio Paz, The Art of Poetry No. 42"
http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2192/the-art-of-poetry-no-42-octavio-paz

I didn't set out to be a troublesome writer, but if that's what I've been, I am totally unrepentant.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @EricTopol

"The Doctor That Never Sleeps
How will telemedicine shape the future of patient-doctor relationships?"
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/11/the-virtual-house-call/380801/

What if you could text a doctor with a medical question at any time of day and get a quick, thoughtful response? No more haphazard Googling (swollen feet allergies; tick stuck in ear access to brain?).

As a patient, I'd say that sounds great. As a doctor, I'd say that sounds at best unsustainable, and at worst disastrous.

------------------------


Tweeted by @theNPSF

"Too many patients forgo getting a second opinion"
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/01/25/too-many-patients-forgo-getting-second-opinion/DassEDYCUGCU0PRWJXOu2J/story.html?event=event25

When I gingerly raised the possibility of a second opinion to my bare-chested friend, he demurred.

Which, according to a 2010 Gallup poll, is just what 70 percent of us do.

------------------------


Tweeted by @woodrumlaw

"Empathy Is Actually a Choice"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opinion/sunday/empathy-is-actually-a-choice.html

Not only does empathy seem to fail when it is needed most, but it also appears to play favorites. Recent studies have shown that our empathy is dampened or constrained when it comes to people of different races, nationalities or creeds.

In our view, empathy is only as limited as we choose it to be.

[LinksEtc]

"THE LARGER HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT + PATIENTS AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT"
https://hcldr.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/the-larger-health-care-environment-patients-and-family-engagement/

Patients told us they were worried about being labeled as "difficult" if they asked too many questions or dared to disagree with a recommendation from a physician. And if they were labeled "difficult" they worried that they would receive lower quality care in the future.

--------

"A Difficult Patient"  (Seinfeld - about medical chart)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ2msARQsKU


------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Tweeted by @EricTopol

"How Differently Patients and Doctors View Health Technology, With Dr. Eric Topol"
http://www.cfah.org/blog/2014/how-differently-patients-and-doctors-view-health-technology-with-dr-eric-topol

Welcome to the digital health chasm, that gap between what consumers want out of digital health and what doctors believe patients can handle at this stage in EHR adoption in doctors' offices and in patients' lives.

I have the video of Jack Nicholson's general in A Few Good Men asserting, "You can't handle the truth!"

That video in this context made me LOL.  It's a serious subject ... as usual, I have conflicted thoughts ... but had to  .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Tweeted by @kevinmd

"The patient's son is a doctor. But he's also scared."
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2015/01/patients-son-doctor-hes-also-scared.html

I had already heard from the night doctor about how difficult and "micro-managey" the son was

But beneath that stood the true soldiers of fear, sadness, terror, despair, anxiety, grief, and love for his mother marching along beside him.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @chasedave

"Health Care's Age of Enlightenment"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davechase/2014/10/21/health-cares-age-of-enlightenment/

We spend more than three-quarters of healthcare's spending on chronic disease where the majority of the decisions that most impact outcomes are not made by professionals. Rather, it's the patient, family and caregivers who make the crucial decisions such as diet, exercise, lifestyle, filling prescriptions, properly adhering to prescriptions and so on. Further, when patients and caregivers are part of the decision process, they are more successful at adhering to prescribed programs.

------------------------


Tweeted by @EricTopol

"Patients and Health Care Teams Forging Effective Partnerships"
http://tinyurl.com/oakl9xz

In this discussion paper, we explore how patients view their role in team-based care and explain what is needed to foster effective partnerships of patients and health care providers to create high-functioning teams that meet patients' needs. It stems from the view that it is important that the evolving health care system better serve patients and society and that team-based care and effective partnerships with patients across the care continuum contribute to achieving that goal.

---------------------


Tweeted by @aaronecarroll

"How Doctors Take Women's Pain Less Seriously"
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/emergency-room-wait-times-sexism/410515/

Rachel's physical scars are healing, and she can go on the long runs she loves, but she's still grappling with the psychic toll—what she calls "the trauma of not being seen."