How to Say ‘No’ to a Patient Without Inciting WWIII
Physicians sometimes have to say no to patient requests. Often, the “No” with an explanation suffices. The patient gets it. They understand. They’re not angry. In fact, they may be appreciative. But not always. Sometimes “No” is followed by denial, anger, bargaining, depression, etc. Sound … Read more
History in the Making: A Murder. A Toll-Meter for Anesthesia. And Colonoscopies Without Propofol.
Lenin is alleged to have said “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Snopes.com says it’s not true. That Lenin never uttered the quote. A similar version of the quote was published in 1908, during Lenin’s lifetime, although there … Read more
Can You Hug Patients? Should You Hug Patients?
The doctor-patient relationship is an intimate relationship. It is based on trust. One of the tenets of trust is that it will not be exploited for personal gain. Doctors become aware of patients’ most private secrets. And their vulnerabilities. Still, medicine is “hands-on.” Examination of … Read more
Are Chaperones Needed for Telemedicine Visits?
Most telemedicine visits are little more than visual addendums to standard phone call encounters. Still, they add a face to a voice. One can pick up on body language. And they do enable limited examinations. For example, does the patient have a tremor? If so, … Read more
Can You Win a Debate Posting a Patient’s Pics Online?
This question hit my desk. I’ve received some version of this same question over and over. A plastic surgeon performed aesthetic surgery on a patient. Objectively the results look good. Subjectively, the patient disagrees. Sound familiar? There’s a conflict. The patient takes the conflict online. … Read more
Healthgrades is Sued for Labeling a Physician as a Criminal
Dr. Hassan A. Saad is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Michigan. This physician shares the same first and last name as another physician, who worked in the same city. This other Dr. Hassan has a different middle initial. His middle initial is “T” and opposed … Read more
Workarounds to ‘The Dog Ate My Homework’
We live in a world of deadlines. When I was growing up, I learned the maxim, “Failure to properly plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Sound familiar? The excuse “the dog ate my homework” did not work in my … Read more
Regulation of Stem Cell Clinics: The Sands Are Shifting
Stem cells are promising. They may impact so many conditions down the road. Some clinics have a head start. They’ve been making claims that the future is here. Now. One major unknown was what authority the FDA has, if any, for regulating treated and spun-down … Read more
The Whirlwind World of GLP-1 Medications for Treatment of Obesity and Diabetes
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, take note that there are very effective medications used to treat obesity and type II diabetes. They include products with glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) activity. The two dominant players in the industry are Novo … Read more
Are You Covered by Insurance as a Medical Director? Are You Sure?
Many physicians are asked to serve as Medical Directors. Seems like easy money. What do Medical Directors do? Two things, actually. They act as administrators overseeing various operational issues – such as credentialing and privileging. And they serve as supervisors, assuming co-responsibility for mid-level providers. … Read more
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