Out with the old and in with the new? Improvements in the quality and portability of electronic diagnostic equipment have led to increasing discussion of late over the possible demise of the stethoscope. News outlets for the general public and for medical professionals have noted the growing debate over whether portable and handheld ultrasound, as […]
Category: US healthcare
David Kerr: A bump on the road to mHealth utopia?
A recent clinical trial’s finding that digital health technology (also known as mHealth) failed to reduce healthcare costs is raising eyebrows on this side of the Atlantic. For naysayers the results will most certainly reinforce their belief that mHealth is a fad, which distracts from the real business of medicine, and that more investment in […]
William Cayley: Christmas thoughts
The Christmas holidays annually are a time for jolliness, cheer, and fun—from “Ugly Sweater” events to “White Elephant” gifts, and even The BMJ Christmas issue. It’s all in good fun, it can be especially helpful at this (often grey and gloomy) time of year, and it all seems to somehow make sense when one thinks of […]
William Cayley: Is the Good Samaritan the wrong metaphor to use for doctors?
A story from the Christian New Testament has provided the literary namesake for countless medical facilities, as well as legal and ethical principles guiding care for those in need, but it may be the wrong illustration—or at least, not an adequate one. The “Good Samaritan” story is told in the book of Luke to answer […]
William Cayley: To doctor is to diagnose—part two
Having recently posted some thoughts on the continuing centrality of diagnosis in doctoring, I was happy to see the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report “Improving Diagnosis in Healthcare.” I especially appreciated the IOM’s clear statement that “Improving the diagnostic process . . . represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative.” The IOM describes […]
William Cayley: The value of the tweet
I’ve only recently begun tweeting, but have already been struck by the challenge of sometimes trying to convey complex ideas in 144 characters or less. The combinations of abbreviations, “hashtags,” and “@’s” can add complexity, but also confusion—the challenge is how to get the right balance of complexity, yet clarity. Writing the “perfect tweet” is […]
Claire McDaniel: Mixing business with medicine
Twice a week, in the evenings, I cheat on one of the greatest loves of my life. I sneak away from my friends, slip out of the library, and leave the responsibilities of medical school strewn across my desk. I don’t respond to texts. I ignore emails. I miss meetings. I’m exhausted because of it. […]
Saurabh Jha: Saving Normal
The iconoclastic psychiatrist Thomas Szasz said that mental illness was metaphorical, not real, because mental diseases lacked biological substrates. The absence of a substrate predisposes psychiatry to overdiagnosis and avoiding overdiagnosis is psychiatry’s biggest challenge. This challenge has been taken up by Allen Frances in Saving Normal. Like Szasz, Frances writes in cultured, erudite prose. Unlike Szasz, […]
William Cayley: Neither complementary nor conventional
I appreciate Timothy Caulfield’s exploration of the “straw men” set up in many a discussion over integrative, complementary, or alternative medicines (CAM for short). However, I think we need to take the argument one step further. As he makes clear, many of the arguments proposed by “CAM-ers” against “conventional” medicine also apply to and undercut […]
David Kerr: Don’t move fast and break things
New technology companies need the oxygen of someone else’s money to survive and grow, that’s how capitalism works. Here in California, multi-million dollar investments and eye-watering billion dollar company valuations are everyday news. The ultimate goal of new technology companies is to gain “unicorn” status as rapidly as possible i.e. be valued at more than […]