MD Whistleblower

It’s Saturday morning, and I’m in an undisclosed location drinking a fabulous cup of coffee while turning the pages of The New York Times, knowing that ink and newsprint will be vanishing too soon. Yes, I do have an iPad now, but I haven’t figured out how to blog on it. Any suggestions? Buried in the first section of the paper is an article on stool, which in my view as a gastro specialist, should have merited front page placement. Yes, we all know the adage, ‘one’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure’, but stool - as in excrement - should be prized by everyone. Perhaps, as a gastroenterologist, I have a jaundiced view on this issue, which explains my dyspeptic reaction. All Whistleblower posts have an accompanying image, and I wonder what visual would be appropriate here.  I opted against my first choice, and chose instead a photo of our beloved Labrador Retriever, Shoshie, of blessed memory. The Times reported a new program to trace canine unscooped poop back to Spo...

When lawyers talk, I listen. Two attorneys penned a piece on medical malpractice reform in the April 21st issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, the most prestigious medical journal on the planet. Here is an excerpt from their article, New Directions in Medical Liability Reform. The best estimates are that only 2 to 3% of patients injured by negligence file claims, only about half of claimants recover money, and litigation is resolved discordantly with the merit of the claim (i.e., money is awarded in nonmeritorious cases or no money is awarded in meritorious cases) about a quarter of the time. This is not self-serving drivel spewed forth by greedy, bitter doctors, but a view offered by attorneys, esteemed officers of the court. Apply the statistics in their quote to your profession. Would you be satisfied if your efforts were benefiting 2-3% of your customers or clients? Would this performance level give me bragging rights as a gastroenterologist? Perhaps, I should attach ...

As a gastroenterologist, I know a few things about scoping. Indeed, every working today I am tunneling through either end of the alimentary canal. These exercises are literally and figuratively enlightening as I seek new information that will make patients’ lives better or keep them well. Endoscopy is an example of prospective scoping, meaning the result of the scope is not yet known because the diagnostic study had not yet been done. This contrasts with the concept of retroscopy, which describes the concept of looking backwards at events that have already transpired and then making judgments on these events. In the vernacular, retroscopy is known as ‘Monday morning quarterbacking’. While I am not officially credentialed in retroscopy, and received no training in this procedure during my gastroenterology training program, I am quite familiar with the technique. Retroscopy is one of the main tools wielded by medical malpractice plaintiff attorneys who sue physicians for alleged ...

With regard to physicians’ support for medical malpractice reform, the times they are a changin' . These iconic words of Bob Dylan, who has now reached the 8th decade of life, apply to the medical liability crisis that traditionally has been a unifying issue for physicians. The New York Times reported that physicians in Maine are going soft on this issue, but I suspect this conversion is not limited to the Pine Tree State. Heretofore, it was assumed that physicians as a group loathed the medical malpractice system and demanded tort reform. The system, we argued, was unfair, arbitrary, and expensive. It missed most cases of true medical negligence. It lit the fuse that exploded the practice of defensive medicine. Rising premiums drove good doctors out of town or out of practice. What happened? The medical malpractice system is as unfair as ever. Tort reform proposals are still regarded as experimental by the reigning Democrats in congress and in the White House. The reason tha...

Last week, I attended a 2 day medical conference in Cleveland on obesity. It was a heavy seminar, which I would rate 8 on a (bathroom) scale of 1-10. Interestingly, the majority of the speakers appeared to have BMIs (body mass indices) within the normal range. Coincidence? I suspect discrimination against rotund academicians. I’m sure that if any attorneys were in attendance, that a proper legal response would have been promptly initiated. They would take the matter on a contingency fee basis, or in a more novel approach, fees could be linked to excess body weight so that each pound that was unfairly discriminated against would be fully and fairly compensated. I’ve been told that I think like a lawyer. Is this a compliment I should graciously accept or a slur that warrants a lawsuit for defamation? The conference was excellent and I hope to incorporate what I have learned into my practice. My community gastroenterology practice is ever expanding, and I don’t mean my patient volume. ...

Photo Credit Herman Cain gleefully shouts to adoring crowds that he now has a target on his back. Amazingly, this non-pol has vaulted to the front of the back, leapfrogging over career politicians who have been running for president and other political offices for years. Can Cain go the distance? Does he have the right stuff? With a 'wink' toward Genesis, is Cain ‘able’? He is derided over his 9-9-9 plan by folks who are scared that his bold and innovative reform proposal is attracting voters. They are more frightened that his plan may actually work. Critics point out or invent flaws in his proposal, trying to chip away at the edifice. Carping is a lot easier than constructing. I’m not an economist and I have no idea if the 9-9-9 plan should be championed or stuffed into a pizza box and recycled. Increasingly, the public believes that whatever flaws and inadequacies 9-9-9 may have are preferable to the deficiencies and abuses of the current tax system. Reform threatens ...

The blog, Shots , posted a question primer to prepare patients for medical office visits with their doctors. A reaction to this appeared on Glass Hospital , where John Schumann offered his own wry version of the question list. My less wryer, and more drier response appears below. While I agree with Shots that education is power, a closer look at the question list demonstrates that the intent to educate may obfuscate instead. First, the post is entitled, Ten Questions to Ask Your Doctor, suggesting that patients arrive at their physician’s office armed with 10 inquiries spanning a spectrum of medical knowledge and philosophy including medical treatment strategy, physician qualifications, risks of treatment, medical treatment alternatives, choice of hospitals and even how to spell the names of their medications. (I guess Shots believes that spelling counts!) Some of the questions sound reasonable, but could patients make sense out of the answers? For example, Shots suggests asking ...