MD Whistleblower

Here is a reality of human behavior.  Folks behave differently when they know they are being watched.  Consider two examples that we have all seen.  We are sitting in the driver’s seat of our parked car.  The driver in the adjacent car sees us and then opens his door with particular care so as to avoid dinging us. We wonder what his car door action might have been had our own car been empty.  Similarly, in most business scenarios, I suspect that the staff perform at a higher level when the boss is around. This phenomenon is referred to as the Hawthorne Effect, whose name derives from some industrial research done in the Hawthorne suburb of Chicago nearly a century ago. Do you behave the same way when someone's watching? And yes, this truth exists also in the medical profession. Consider the following proposed studies and if the results might be distorted by the Hawthorne Effect. The Chairman of the Department of Surgery announces an initiative to improve...

From time to time, I am asked by someone about participating in a medical research study.  These situations are usually when an individual, or someone close to them, has unmet medical needs.  Understandably, a patient with a condition who is not improving on standard treatment, would be amenable to participating in a clinical trial to receive experimental treatment. I find that most folks misunderstand and exaggerate the benefits they may receive as a medical study participant.  Sometimes, I feel their ‘misunderstanding’ is fueled by study investigators who may overtly or unconsciously sanitize their presentation to patients and their families.  There is no malice here.  Investigators have biases and likely believe that their experimental treatment actually works.  Their optimism is likely evident in their communications. Here’s what an investigator might say to a patient. I thought you would be interested in a new clinical trial testing a new ...

The day before I wrote this, I read about a ‘research’ fiasco where 3 individual were blinded after receiving stem cell injections into their eyes.  This ‘research’ was done in a physician’s office and cost each patient $5,000.   What a tragic outcome.  At least two of these patients discovered that this treatment was available by clicking on ClinicalTrials.gov, a name that suggests government approval, which is not true.  Clearly, the name of this website is deceptive.  Neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Institutes of Health had any endorsement or sponsorship role here.  Moreover, press reporting indicates that these patients had scant medical evaluation prior to and following the medical procedure. Note to readers: Legitimate clinical trials generally do not charge patients for participation. Legitimate clinical trials have intensive evaluation to screen patients for eligibility.  Many or most patients may ...