Esquire Magazine features a regular column called “What I’ve Learned.” There, a celebrity or a leader in his field, and often in the twilight of his life, reels off a collection of pearls, some well polished, some of little value. I am not famous and my doctor assures me actuarially I am not in the twilight in my life. But, this is what I’ve learned, so far.
Legal
Great Advice from Patient Advocate
Patient advocate Trisha Torrey has some great advice about doctor rating sites. In a recent post she writes, “take other patients’ reviews with a grain of salt. We patients may be great at determining how nice a doctor is, but do you want your choice of doctor being influenced by someone who was just ticked … Read more
Noted Rater of Restaurants Brings Its Touch to Medicine – NY Times
We continue to espouse the dangers of sites where patients can “rate” doctors. Medical care is simply far too complicated for such a simplistic approach. Today’s New York Times article “Noted Rater of Restaurants Brings Its Touch to Medicine” by Milt Freudenheim, discusses the Zagat-Wellpoint venture into a doctor ratings guide. The article cites Medical … Read more
Kevin MD
Kevin MD writes today about our thoughts on reforming health care. Check out the post at; http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/02/universal-care-increasing-patient.html
Healthcare Reform in 2009: Just What The Doctor Ordered
I often attend health policy discussions. I am usually the only physician in the room. My colleagues lament they just do not have time to make their voices heard. As healers, our first duty is to care of the sick and disabled; and to provide comfort when we have little else to offer. I hope the public will listen to one doctor’s voice.
We have many problems to solve: access to healthcare for the uninsured; affordable premiums for those with coverage; outcomes that provide value and keep patients safe. These goals can be realized.
Limiting Exposure to Medical Malpractice Claims and Defamatory Cyber Postings via Patient Contracts
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research Volume 467, Number 2 / February, 2009; Pages 427-433 By: Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD, FACS and Michael Sacopulos, JD Full article located at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/l70470072p905200/?p=d3a3c9ac51be47b0a29d3cdf9fe67fb2&pi=14 Abstract The documents patients sign on admission to a medical practice can constitute a legal contract. Medical practices around the country are attempting to use these … Read more
Medical Justice Report: Have You Googled Your Name Lately? Defaming Doctors With a Click of the Mouse.
By: Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD, FACS and Michael Sacopulos Download ANTI_DEF_-_MJ_Report
A Modified No-Fault Malpractice System Can Resolve Multiple Healthcare System Deficiencies
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research Volume 47, Number 2 / February, 2009; Pages 420-426 By: Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD, FACS and Michael Sacopulos, JD Full article located at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/m274717241n8621l/ Abstract Medical professional liability in the United States, as measured by total premiums paid by physicians and healthcare facilities, costs approximately $30 billion a year in … Read more
Defaming Doctors on the Internet: Problem and Solution
In innumerable ways the Internet has benefited the public. Online shopping means that goods are available at lower prices and often from a wider variety of sources, both nationally and internationally. That is good news for consumers.
If we want to purchase a car or appliance, for example, there are countless websites displaying consumer reviews from people who purchased the same item. These review sites help us make informed choices for our consumer decisions.
Increasingly, sites such as RateMDs.com take that process a step further, asking the public to rate their physician. For obvious reasons, reviewing a refrigerator is quite different than reviewing a physician. And the downside: it is all too easy for a patient to bad-mouth his physician in an anonymous and public way. With the click of a mouse, such posts can have a detrimental and permanent effect on the physician’s reputation.
Is “Pharmaceutical Tourism” Just Around the Corner?
General Surgery News October, 2008 By: Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD, FACS Download General_Surgery_News_SegalOpinion
