Two articles published recently in the NYT caused me to sit back and wonder what was right about healthcare and health education. I’m not sure whether it’d be easier to write a list of the good or the bad. It’s true that there are a lot of good programs out there training our new doctors, nurses, physical therapists, physician assistants, etc. And there are a lot of well-intention practitioners out there, but how many are operating under the influence? We don’t allow people to drink and drive but we do allow them to practice medicine under the influence of companies. Today pseudo educational talks and trips sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, studies funded by a drug maker, and the broken nature of health insurance make me wonder what healthcare could really be like if things were different. If they aren’t under the influence of another company, then too often they only think of their practice’s pocketbooks. Ordering a scan from your own office on old equipment (where you’ll make money) vs. allowing the scan to take place elsewhere with newer equiptment (no money in your pocket). But it’s not just about money, the quality of these tests affect the quality of medical care. But how do we make this not about the bottom dollar but about good healthcare. Can there be good healthcare for all under a free market. I’m not so sure.
I blogged recently about the end of promotional products from the pharmaceutical companies (like pens, mugs, and notepads). Clearly we need to continue this line of thinking. I wonder though if companies weren’t after only profit and their own sales, would they even continue to fund the clinical trials? Who would it behoove? I don’t know what the fix to this mess is, but I know the time to reform is now. I hope the Obama administration really can make changes this year. We have to start somewhere.
Tired of seeing medical students use Wikipedia for everything? “The Medpedia Project is a long-term, worldwide project to evolve a new model for sharing and advancing knowledge about health, medicine and the body among medical professionals and the general public. This model is founded on providing a free online technology platform that is collaborative, interdisciplinary and transparent.”
Only physicians and Ph.D.s in a biomedical field are allowed to make edits directly to the Article pages. However, everyone is encouraged to contribute by using the “Suggest Changes” link at the top of each Article page. Help build the repository of knowledge.
How might you or your organization might use Medpedia?
Social networking is infiltrating the OR. These doctors decided to post tweets about the removal of a cancerous tumor from a man’s kidney. After some uncertainty, which was shared with the world via Twitter, all turned out well. I wish we could get some perspective from the the hospital’s lawyers and the patient? I’m interested in what their thought were on this. I wonder if the surgeons had a reference librarian on their IM buddy list… just in case they had a question during surgery.
Maybe you can ask your doctor to update your Facebook status during your next surgery as well!
Happy New Year (except for the promotional product industry)! I’m happy to report that this year there will be no more “goodies” (or cheap crap from China) flowing out from the pharmaceutical companies. That means no more pens, notepads, mugs, magnets, calculators, t-shirts…you name it. According to the NYT’s article, they’ll still be giving out food with educational programs and money for consulting. And probably trips to the Bahamas. But there will be no more insidious brand names everywhere. Now the marketing tactics go underground!
Some skeptics deride the voluntary ban as a superficial measure that does nothing to curb the far larger amounts drug companies spend each year on various other efforts to influence physicians. But proponents welcome it as a step toward ending the barrage of drug brands and logos that surround, and may subliminally influence, doctors and patients.
People argue this is a silly step as these products don’t influence health care decisions. Really? You think a marketing team aided by psychologists just decided to drop billions of dollars for nothing? I’m not that naive. And I’m also really tired of having everything I see come with a brand. We are constantly bombarded by advertising, logos, and subliminal marketing. I try to keep a sharp eye out for these ploys but it’s tiring and depressing. Maybe I need to take a Zoloft?
I recently heard of a laptop that may have been designed for clinical use instead of taking current technology and trying to make it work.
H1 Toughbook
The new Panasonic Toughbook H1 looks to be a sturdy, efficient, hygienic laptop. Gizmodo just posted this description:
…Panasonic’s H1 Toughbook for clinical use is out, and its specs list is impressive. It’s water-, dust- and drop-proof from 3-feet, has a smooth-surface and with sealed buttons for hygiene, and is fanless. It’s got a six-hour battery life, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, an in-built RFID reader, 2-megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual LED lighting, barcode reader, smart-card and fingerprint readers and optional GPS. Specifically it’s designed to manage patient notes and collect information to simplify and speed up hospital procedures…
Not sure what to think about a laptop from Panasonic…though my TV, VCR and DVD player have been reliable for many years.
I also see that not too long ago Motion upgraded their C5 Tablet PC including a new solid state drive (SSD) and integrated mobile broadband. While it looks promising, I can’t say I’ve seen them all over the medical center yet. Anyone actually hear of or see someone using these?
Should people that claim evolution doesn’t exist not receive the proper drugs based on these beliefs? Just like I wouldn’t want to cure my own cancer if I found out I could, if I had three children killed. That just doesn’t fall in line with my beliefs. Hmmm…would making people pick drugs based on their beliefs be like “unnatural” natural selection?
I know we all make choices based on our beliefs (religious or other). What choices do we make in spite of our beliefs?
Hey check out this forthcoming book (Melissa and David are two of my friends)!
By Melissa Rethlefsen, David Rothman, and Daniel Mojon
2008, Approx. 160 p. 50 illus., Softcover
ISBN: 978-3-540-76381-9
Not yet published. Available: February 3, 2009
approx. $19.95
About this book:
Helps physicians keep up to date with new biomedical research tools with minimal effort, using free online tools
Designed for physicians who are familiar with computers and the internet, but no prior experience is necessary
Coverage includes social bookmarking, RSS, wikis and online collaboration tools, and Google’s new custom search engine builder
Written by experts and a physician from the field
Very reader-friendly format: each chapter starts with a list of ‘Key Notes’ and relevant cartoon strips are featured throughout the text
Feel like you’re being sucked down into a swirl of never-ending information? Today’s physicians are faced with new advances in medicine and new research that can impact practice, but finding the right information at the right time seems overwhelming in the constant deluge of scientific research. That’s where this illustrated guide will walk you through some of today’s most useful Internet tools, tools that can help you find, manage, and organize the information you need, so that it is always at your fingertips, whether for patient care, research, practice, or fun.
Written for:
All physicians interested in using the internet for their research
Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor, known for his famous “Last Lecture” died last week of pancreatic cancer at age 47. He left behind his wife and children (two boys and a girl). If you haven’t heard of Randy, then you’ll wonder why I’m posting this. I consider Randy an inspiration. He was a wonderful role model through his work, attitude, and personal life. He encourages everyone to follow their dreams as he has tried throughout his life.
He lived life to the fullest everyday…giving his all to his work, his family, and his health. He had humor, love and courage even when facing death.
Take the time to watch the lecture, at an hour I’m sure you’ll think it long. But I encourage you to just turn off the TV or unhook from the other parts of the Interwebs long enough to devote your attention to this video. It’s worth it.
Once you watch it, I hope you are inspired to consider (or make) your goals and strive to achieve them. And then work on treating everyday for what it is…a gift.
Hey check out this forthcoming book (Melissa and David are two of my friends)!
