The US is far behind peer nations in aligning policies with her public’s health. [Reblog]

The future of public health in the United States is difficult to predict, but the challenges public health has yet to overcome are much more certain. As Keck, Scutchfield, and Holsinger point out i…

Source: The US is far behind peer nations in aligning policies with her public’s health.

13 Tips for Surviving Hospitalization of an Aging Parent or Spouse [Reblog]

How many times have people said “You must take care of yourself?” when caring for an elderly loved on who’s hospitalized. There’s stress. …too many things to take care…

Source: 13 Tips for Surviving Hospitalization of an Aging Parent or Spouse

Time to Talk Tips on Complementary Health Practices [Reblog]

Time to Talk Tips on Complementary Health Practices Information Resources By Evelyn Cunico, M.A., M.S. Posted June 02, 2015 Background “Time to Talk Tips” is one of the resources in the…

Source: Time to Talk Tips on Complementary Health Practices

Ending medical reversal [New book]

Guest post by Vinayak K. Prasad, MD, MPH, and Adam S. Cifu, MD For doctors, it is common to have some doubt about a new medical test, procedure or drug—even one which is widely hailed as remarkable…

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For doctors, it is common to have some doubt about a new medical test, procedure or drug—even one which is widely hailed as remarkable or a game changer. It is not cynicism but a healthy skepticism towards marketing over substance. Doctors want to see the evidence that a drug actually works rather than just a good story about why it should work.

Often, however, this skepticism does not last. After a few months, still without any evidence, the doctor finds herself buying in, just a little, to the hype. OK, let me just see what everyone is talking about, she thinks. She begins recommending the drug herself. She still thinks of herself as cautious and conservative—while her colleagues use the treatment widely, she thinks it has a more narrow and defined role. Probably the pill does not work for everyone, but in a select group of people.

A few more years go by, and she gets comfortable with the once-hyped treatment. She now knows how to manage its complications; she thinks she has a good sense of who it benefits; and she considers it a part of her practice.”

Source: Ending medical reversal

Here’s how one journalist discovered the rush to robotic surgery was ahead of the evidence

What does it take to write an award-winning article? For Richard Mark Kirkner, the process involved finding the right idea, pursuing the reporting doggedly, and then putting it together in one comp…

“In a new How I Did It, Kirkner explains his thinking: “Whenever new medical technology is put to use, hospitals and specialty clinics like to put the best spin on it. But it can take years for such new medical equipment to prove its mettle compared with existing methods.””

Source: Here’s how one journalist discovered the rush to robotic surgery was ahead of the evidence