This Journal of the American College of Cardiology Case Reports editorial, A Perspective on the K-Index, by Dr. Robert Califf has drawn a lot of dialog. Through a critical discussion of the K-Index he questions the value of social commentary on research by non-research physicians. Central to Califf’s thinking is the idea that those not in traditional medical ... Continue Reading about Robert Califf and the Rise of Medicine’s Peanut Gallery
TikTok Health Champions and Skeptics
TikTok health champions and skeptics are haggling on MedTwitter over its worthiness as a platform. It started with some bad physician actors posting stuff that was disrespectful to patients. The disagreement looks something like this: TikTok health skeptics say it’s a place where bad things happen. TikTok health champions argue that pinheads are not platform ... Continue Reading about TikTok Health Champions and Skeptics
Moral Distress and Pet Theories of Burnout
This JAMA editorial, Clarifying the Language of Clinician Distress, offers a look at the complexity of physician burnout. The piece suggests that rather than talking about burnout we need to more precisely describe the problem for what it is: Moral distress. Moral distress, according to the authors, occurs when a doctor believes they know the right thing to do ... Continue Reading about Moral Distress and Pet Theories of Burnout
Practice Fusion Kickback Scheme to Push Opioid Prescriptions
The Department of Justice’s criminal investigation of EHR vendor Practice Fusion showcases medical tech’s latest display of malfeasance. As part of a sweeping DOJ investigation Practice Fusion admits that it solicited and received kickbacks from a major opioid company in exchange for utilizing its EHR software to influence physician prescribing of opioid pain ... Continue Reading about Practice Fusion Kickback Scheme to Push Opioid Prescriptions
Surgery Work-life Balance Reconsidered
"You can sleep when you’re dead,” the surgery attending said to me in 1989 when I showed up from the call room a minute late for rounds. As funny as it sounds, I believed him. Surgery work-life balance has never been a thing. In fact, this mindset has been part of surgery’s (and medicine’s) hustle culture for years. Broken personal lives were sadly worn as a badge of ... Continue Reading about Surgery Work-life Balance Reconsidered
Anti-vaccine Attack on TikTok – Is Facebook Complicit?
Following a post last week about the benefits of immunization, Ohio pediatrician Nicole Baldwin became the target of a coordinated anti-vaccine attack on TikTok, Facebook and even her office. Her story then became the subject of mainstream media news. Of course, physicians as targets of the anti-vaccine mob is not new. Bloggers and early era social media ... Continue Reading about Anti-vaccine Attack on TikTok – Is Facebook Complicit?