Skip to main content

Posts

Who Deserves Quality Medical Care?

We all should know the difference between a slogan and real substance.   One of these has size and shape while the other is just a shadow.   Why then, is the slogan so powerful? A slogan is one of the weapons wielded by the Guardians of Political Correctness.  They will point toward the slogan du jour, and then, with cameras rolling, demand to know if you support it.  Even a moment’s hesitancy will be taken as weakness.   Expect to see your waffling go viral for all to see, edited down and sans context.  Politicians Advised to Avoid Waffles. During a presidential election, this practice is omnipresent.  Mr. Bush, do you support fair trade ? Mrs. Clinton, is your immigration policy to give amnesty to all illegal aliens? Mr. Cruz, do you believe in the rule of law ? These questions cannot be adequately answered with a reflexive yes or no.   The slogans contained within these 'gotcha' questions point to complex and nuanced issues that need layered responses. 

When Does Life End? Ask a Humble Doctor.

About a week before I write this, I met a man for the first time.  Though it is unlikely that I will see him again, it is unlikely that I will forget him. This was a side trip for us, as we meandered for a weekend through the beauty and nostalgia of Ohio.  Once you find yourself about an hour south of Cleveland, you are in a Land of Barns, where cornfields and cattle punctuate the countryside.  There are miles and miles of open roads unblemished by Starbucks, CVS or Big Box Retail.  Is the air truly fresher or does it just seem that way? On the Open Road in Ohio We drove out to meet this man to examine his wares.  The GPS faithfully led us to the desired location, but we assumed that we were misled as there was no business sign to alert customers like us.  Not quite the marketing strategy we know from city life where advertisements will soon appear on toilet paper.   He has an unusual profession, which I will not identify, as this might be enough to identify him which wo

Planned Parenthood Videos Threaten Truth

While we have all heard the adage, any publicity is good publicity, I don’t agree.   See if you agree that the subjects of the following hypothetical headlines would have preferred anonymity. Local Surgeon Loses Scalpel – in Patient’s Abdomen Teacher Pursues New Career as Porn Star Restaurant Owner Claims Rats are Really Pets Planned Parenthood is in the news.  Several videos, surreptitiously taken, have been released showing discussions between Planned Parenthood personnel and folks who were pretending to be interested in procuring fetal parts.  It is illegal under federal law for Planned Parenthood to make a profit selling fetal parts.  More fact gathering will be necessary to determine if a legal line has been violated.  Legalities aside, the videos have generated revulsion across the ideological spectrum by how unseemly and casual the Planned Parenthood folks discussed a subject with huge ethical and legal ramifications.  The public heard how the abortion technique cou

Warning! Cell Phones Can Kill You!

In medicine and beyond, folks just want stuff to be true.  Sometimes, we believe stuff that is unproven, but might be true.  We doctors recommend such treatments to patients every day.  On other occasions, a benefit of a drug or food item is extrapolated way beyond the data.  For example, if Nexium is known to be effective against stomach ulcers, then why not use it for patients with stomach aches who are ulcer-free?  There’s not a gastroenterologist on the planet that hasn’t engaged in this therapeutic mission creep.  More interestingly, folks often persist in beliefs that have been disproven.  The notion, for example, that certain vaccinations can cause autism has been thoroughly debunked by rigorous scientific study, yet there remain diehards who defy the science.  Curiously, many unproven or disproven practices have gained a fair measure of street cred in the Court of Political Correctness.  Keeping a gluten-free diet today is downright chic.  Colonic cleansing is the bomb.  K

Should Physicians Profile Our Patients?

Profiling in this country is highly discouraged and is illegal in many circumstances.  Anti-profilers decry this technique which, they argue, unfairly targets innocent individuals violating their rights.  Our beloved Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is charged not to use profiling as a screening tool.  Personally, I object to this prohibtion.  While an individual’s rights are important, it must be weighed against the rights of the community.  Our cherished rights to free speech and assembly are not absolute. I have flown on El Al airlines, whose personnel actively profile in an effort to keep its passengers safe.  Anyone who has been a passenger on this airline will likely agree with me that he has never felt safer on an airplane.  I have a right not be blown up, and if profiling further minimizes this risk, then call me a fan. Last year, my mother, who appears as threatening as a school librarian, was patted down twice when she traveled to visit me in Cleveland. 

When to Call the Doctor After Hours

Patients are entitled to receive medical advice 24 hours a day.   If you call your doctor at 3 a.m., you will reach a physician who will advise you.   Of course, it may not be your own personal physician as this individual cannot be expected to be available 365 days a year until he retires.  Physicians partner with colleagues who share on-call responsibility for evenings, holidays and weekends.   For example, my gastroenterology group has 3 physicians who take turns during the off ours to be available for our patients. Here are some tips for patients who are seeking advice after hours from the on-call physician. When possible, call your doctor before sundown. I advise against calling the doctor after hours for a question that only your own physician can answer, unless an emergent situation is suspected.   For example, the on-call physician will not know what the next step will be if next week’s colonoscopy is negative. If you call after hours for advice on a medical is

No Confederate Flag This Fourth of July

It’s the birthday of the nation, the Fourth of July.  John Adams proclaimed in a letter to his dearest wife Abigail that this day “will be celebrated by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival…with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Years later, in an amazing twist of historical fate, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would each ascend to heaven on the very same Fourth of July. 'Illuminations' These days, many of our historical figures and symbols are under review, judged in the context of current mores and sensibilities, always a process to be undertaken with care.  The Confederate flag is being banished from government property, as it should be.  During an earlier part of my life, I was sensitive to the argument that this flag properly honored the heritage of Confederate forefathers.  A little wiser now, I now reali