What’s With the Epidemic of Whining?
Watching the news, you’d think that US hospitals are being crushed by the weight of an Ebola epidemic. While Ebola poses a non-negligible risk, it pales in comparison to the epidemic of whining.
Ebola and Quarantine / Isolation Laws. What is the Government Allowed to Do?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a webpage which gives excellent summary information on government powers to enforce isolation and quarantine. First, the definitions. Isolation separates sick people with contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates and … Read more
To “Or” or Not To “Or”; That Is the Question.
Dr. Carolyn Lobo received a metaphorical “rectal exam” from two Boards of Medicine – first California; then Ohio. Here’s what triggered the kerfuffle.
Surgical Warranties – Here They Come
It’s common knowledge that the US healthcare system is the priciest in the world. Some healthcare systems are testing new financial models to see if they can squeeze more efficiencies beyond the status quo. Warranties.
First Ebola Death in US. Is the First Ebola Lawsuit Far Behind?
Thomas Duncan returned from Liberia and presented to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital with fever and abdominal pain. He was released with symptomatic treatment and returned 3 days later. Sadly, he died of Ebola. The family of the first Ebola victim in the U.S. will … Read more
2,610 Hospitals Just Got Screwed by Medicare
Spare the rod and spoil the child. Medicare fined 2,610 hospitals, a record, for too many re-admissions. Interestingly, the national rate for readmissions is getting lower. Still, last year, 18% of Medicare patients were re-admitted within a month. Medicare believes these re-admissions costs … Read more
Loss of Consortium in Med-Mal Cases for Same-Sex Couples
In a typical medical malpractice case, the patient is the plaintiff, seeking a remedy for the injury caused by the doctor’s negligence. There’s a second type of claim – loss of consortium. Many laypeople narrowly interpret “loss of consortium” as an injury experienced by … Read more
Surgeon Charges $117,000 – and Receives – for Assistant Fee
A couple of weeks ago, my car’s battery died. It was dead-dead. Was never going to take a charge. AAA has a service where they will put in a new battery – instead of just giving you a jump. While the price seemed high- … Read more
Three Steps to Avoid Being Burned by Statistics in the Courtroom
Mark Twain, (and possibly Benjamin Disraeli in England) famously stated “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” I just finished a 9 week MOOC – massive open online course in Medical Statistics offered by Stanford Medical School. The course was … Read more
The “Disruptive” Physician and the New Political Correctness
Guest post by Dr. Michael Rosenblatt. Dr. Rosenblatt is a retired podiatrist on the west coast. Those older physicians reading this certainly know the World has changed, perhaps some of it for the better. If you served your residency years ago you will remember “disruptive” … Read more
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