CasesBlog - Medical and Health Blog

1 out of 6 doctors has been rated on a physician-rating website: are you one of them?

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:31:00 PDT

The current usage of physician-rating websites is still low but is increasing. International data show that 1 out of 6 physicians has been rated, and approximately 90% of all ratings on physician-rating websites were positive.

What Percentage of Physicians Has Been Rated?

Data for US physicians obtained from RateMDs showed that 16% of physicians were assessed by January 2010 (112,000 out of approx. 700,000).

What Is the Average Number of Ratings on Physician-Rating Websites?

Nearly half of the physicians had only a single rating on RateMDs in 2010, and the number of physicians with five or more ratings was 12.5%

Although often a concern, the authors of this meta-analysis could not find any evidence of "doctor-bashing".

How Should Physicians Deal With Physician-Rating Websites?

Physicians should not ignore these websites, but rather, monitor the information available and use it for internal and external purpose.

Physicians should perform “self-audits” on popular physician-rating websites to search for available information. It may be helpful if a staff member monitors these sites on a regular basis.

If nothing else, physician-rating websites often provide incorrect demographic information (eg, incorrect address, links to old practices, opening hours), which should be corrected.

Physicians should use the ratings in order to evaluate their patients’ satisfaction. Patients’ true thoughts on what makes a good doctor, what they value, etc., can be understood.

In the case of negative reviews, it is best not to respond online to try to refute the negative review point by point.

What Recommendations Can Be Made for Improvement of Physician-Rating Websites?

Some authors discuss whether a simple One Feedback Question containing a single question such as “Would you recommend Dr X to a loved one?” may be as useful as the multitude of specific questions.

Alemi et al suggest a 2-question survey: the “Minute Survey”. The first question asks patients to rate their overall experience. The second question asks: “Tell us what worked well and what needs improvement”.

References:

Eight Questions About Physician-Rating Websites - JMIR 2013 http://bit.ly/12ifjXA
Image source: RateMDs.com.

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:30:00 PDT

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles related to healthcare social media (#HCSM) in the past 2-4 weeks:

Social media for health professionals at a glance http://buff.ly/10Gopxy

Online Professionalism Investigations by State Medical Boards: First, Do No Harm http://buff.ly/10GozFe

Social media in vascular surgery. [J Vasc Surg. 2013] http://buff.ly/10L5kdJ

Study finds rampant envy on Facebook http://buff.ly/10sCUzo

Eight Questions About Physician-Rating Websites - JMIR 2013 http://bit.ly/12ifjXA

Preserving Science News In An Online World - NPR discussion. How can journalists and bloggers avoid some of the pitfalls of communicating science in an online world? http://buff.ly/UMNSAN

Dr Mike Cadogan takes the medical world beyond social media (PDF) http://buff.ly/X8RTOD

Don't Call It Social Media: FOAM and the Future of Medical Education http://buff.ly/UQQ6PD

Misleading Health-Related Information Promoted Through Video-Based Social Media: Anorexia on YouTube. Pro-anorexia information was identified in 29.3% of anorexia-related videos. http://bit.ly/12joxD6

“While the vast majority of journalists are honest, some believe the facts shouldn't get in the way of a salacious story” http://bit.ly/VhPC59

Feasibility study of using social networks for learning support: Facebook (PDF) http://buff.ly/Y07ouE

Tesla, the New York Times and the leveling of the media playing field http://buff.ly/XeHT5y - This will soon apply to medicine too.

The Geography of Happiness According to 10 Million Tweets http://buff.ly/12ILWOy - Source PDF: http://buff.ly/12JmhW2

Twitter has the potential to enhance professional collegiality, advocacy, and scientific research - for ophthalmologists http://buff.ly/ZB0cUF

The researcher of the future…makes the most of social media - The Lancet discovers Twitter (comment) http://buff.ly/133cB9O (free full text after registration)

Show Us You Are Real: Human vs. Organizational Presence and Online Relationship Building Through Social Networks http://buff.ly/ZFJZxr

Twitter may be a promising mechanism to spread brief exercise behaviors http://buff.ly/136KpD2

The articles were selected from my Twitter and RSS streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases at gmail.com and you will receive an acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Risk of diabetes and stroke may be influenced by what we experienced in the womb

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Thu, 30 May 2013 06:30:00 PDT

The risk of suffering diabetes or a stroke in later years may be influenced by what we experience in the womb. Medical researchers at Jena's University Hospital are investigating the long-term effects of prenatal stress on children now 8-10 years old.

Source: Research on Aging - Stress in the Womb | Tomorrow Today - YouTube http://bit.ly/15DQTtm

Analysis of Rafael Nadal's Knee Injury - Computer Animation from NYTimes

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Wed, 29 May 2013 06:30:00 PDT

Rafael Nadal missed seven months last year with a knee injury. Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, returned to the tour at a small clay-court event in Vina del Mar, Chile, in February after recovering from a partially torn patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee. That knee will face its toughest test when he plays in the French Open, his first Grand Slam event since his return.

The 26-year-old Spaniard is favored to win and become the only player with eight French Open titles, even though he said his knee is still “not 100 percent.” Although he can practice less than an hour a day, he’s made the final in each of the eight tournaments he’s played since he returned to the men’s tennis circuit in February.

References:

Even at Half Speed, Nadal Still the Man to Beat in Paris - Bloomberg http://bloom.bg/111VzBK

How and when do we learn to talk: Why German and French babies cry differently

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:04 PDT

Prof. Angela D. Friederici, of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig talks about Language Acquisition. She asserts that babies learn language right from birth, even cry with the intonations of their mother tongue.

Source: How and when do we learn to talk? | Tomorrow Today - Interview - YouTube http://bit.ly/15DQJSQ

Every single hour of television watched after the age of 25 reduces the viewer’s life expectancy by 22 minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:30:53 PDT

By comparison, smoking a single cigarette reduces life expectancy by about 11 minutes.

An adult who spends an average of six hours a day watching TV over the course of a lifetime can expect to live 4.8 years fewer than a person who does not watch TV.

References:

Get Up. Get Out. Don't Sit. - NYTimes, 2012 http://nyti.ms/10oXBQd

Comments from Twitter and Google Plus:

Humera Naqvi, MD @nayab78: hmmm that means we ppl should be dying early taking the amount of tv watched but life expectancy has increased.

K Dillon, RDMS,CPC-A @comalliwrites: Confounders & confirmation bias not accounted for...

@ShadolooDoll: Misleading. It isn't TV itself, but the lack of activity. A person who is dedicated to exercise can still watch TV, right?

Timothy Cook: Great, since I stopped watching TV. I can start smoking again! ;-)

Davíð Þórisson: Phew - no mention of watching Youtube! :-)

Jimena Yosara Aguilar Jimenez: I'll never watch tv again

Dimiter Stanev: Does that mean that disabled people suffer from this too?

Image source: Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License.

What is HDL? Videos for patient education by Cleveland Clinic

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:11 PDT

Watch and learn how high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol can protect the body from heart disease in this whiteboard session lead by Cleveland Clinic Cardiologist Michael Rocco, MD.

Here are more videos from the same series:

What is LDL? - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuEay

What is a lipid profile? - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuFLE

What is cholesterol? - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuHmX

What are the types of cholesterol? - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuKPA

Time to treat your cholesterol numbers - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuLmD

Know your cholesterol numbers - YouTube http://bit.ly/18cuMa7

"Attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to 5 minutes, spelling trouble for doctors and patients"

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:41:53 PDT

From the WSJ:

Our average attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to five minutes. To combat this, a "museum intervention" is now mandatory at Yale's School of Medicine for all first-year medical students. Called Enhancing Observational Skills, the program asks students to look at and then describe paintings—not Pollocks and Picassos but Victorian pieces, with whole people in them. The aim? To improve diagnostic knack.

The Waterseller of Seville, 1618-1622, Oil on canvas. This is not considered an example of the "Victorian pieces" mentioned in the WSJ article. Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

Each student is assigned a painting which they examine for 15 minutes, recording all they see. Then the group discusses its observations.

"We are trying to slow down the students. They have an urge to come up with a diagnosis immediately and get the right answer."

The study did not provide a huge improvement in the diagnostic acumen though. After the completion of the study project, the medical students were 10% more effective at diagnosis. Nonetheless, the program has now expanded to more than 20 U.S. medical schools. The evidence behind this intervention is not very convincing.

References:

Reviving the Art of Observation | Marvels - WSJ, 2012 http://goo.gl/iOhAV

Comments from Google Plus and Twitter:

Dr John Weiner @AllergyNet: Soon to become 140 characters? MT @DrVes: "Attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to 5 minutes” goo.gl/fb/818DN

andrew murphy, md @PAallergy: @DrVes took to long for me to read that story : )

Mike Moore: Interesting. What's the reference for "Attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to 5 minutes"

Ves Dimov, M.D.: The reference is the text: "Our average attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to five minutes, according to a study commissioned by Lloyds TSB Insurance. (And that was in 2008.)" I haven't checked the source beyond the referenced WSJ article in this case.

Mike Moore: Sorry, that was a bit of a rhetorical question. This is the best I could find, it doesn't appear to be an actual published study... http://www.insurance.lloydstsb.com/personal/general/mediacentre/homehazards_pr.asp

Mike Moore: Even better, here is an analysis of when the "data" was initially released in 2008. http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.com/2008/11/spooky-case-of-disappearing-crap.html [The link to David Moxon, the "researcher" who was commissioned by Lloyds to do the study is now dead, replaced with a generic landing page. I guess he doesn't do "Psychological Research" anymore.]

CMDoran @TheFebrileMuse: Yes, phones may be a part of this? very distracting..

"The happiest people in the world" live in Denmark and the happiness is lowest in middle age

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:26:45 PDT

According to the "World Happiness Report", the happiest people in the world live in Denmark, Finland and Norway. The report is published by the United Nations (the first edition was in 2012).

According to one of the people interviewed, it's all an expectations game: "We don't expect much from life in Denmark, and we are happily surprised when something goods happens." (quote from memory). I doubt that it is that simple. Here is the Deutsche Welle video:

The top 10 happiest nations on the planet are:

1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Ireland

Happier countries tend to be richer countries. Over time as living standards have risen, happiness has increased in some countries, but not in others (like for example, the United States). On average, the world has become a little happier in the last 30 years (by 0.14 times the standard deviation of happiness around the world).

Stable family life and enduring marriages are important for the happiness of parents and children. In advanced countries, women are happier than men, while the position in poorer countries is mixed.

Happiness is lowest in middle age.

References:

First World Happiness Report Launched at the United Nations - The Earth Institute - Columbia University http://bit.ly/ZdgyAr

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:25:35 PDT

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles related to healthcare social media (#HCSM) in the past 2 weeks:

Cardiologist: Physicians Beware on the Twittersphere http://buff.ly/YWDE3x -- William Dillon, MD: "I was left at a conversational disadvantage because of the loss of context that is inherent to 140-character interactions on Twitter. This is a complex issue, and surely not suitable for Twitter. Engaging on this medium on this topic was a mistake. I learned from it."

"Smartphone will evolve to become a 'soulmate' device that knows your body better than you know it yourself" http://buff.ly/Rz6PaK

70% of Americans sleep with their cell phone within arm’s reach. 61% check their phones every hour. http://buff.ly/WX3UoT

10 reputation management tips for doctors http://buff.ly/S04bea

The Rise of Patient Communities on Twitter http://buff.ly/X2oXqa

Chronic Disease and Social Networks http://buff.ly/REhcKp

Increased Use of Twitter at a Medical Conference: A Report and a Review of the Educational Opportunities http://buff.ly/ZdwhVi

Online portal leads patients back to doctors' offices - amednews http://buff.ly/VPXTt8

Tweets, Google searches help solve migraine mysteries - Harvard Health blog http://buff.ly/VNLNB4 - Migraine Tweets – What can online behavior tell us about disease? http://buff.ly/R625Z5 -- We did a similar study for allergies.

Using Social Media to Improve Continuing Medical Education: A Survey of Course Participants http://buff.ly/Uh0u37

Internet-based self-management improved asthma control after 3 months - however, all benefits were lost after 12 mo http://buff.ly/Uh25G0

Online urologist ratings usually positive: study http://buff.ly/UZBf2U -- Online Reviews Of 500 Urologists http://buff.ly/UmXcv7

The interaction between the medical profession and the media is becoming increasingly complex http://buff.ly/UZChfb

What were the top Nature papers according to social media in 2012? Nobody is quite sure, apparently http://buff.ly/UhJPMP

94% of high school students accessed social media on their phones during class http://buff.ly/V6Yqbx

How to Supercharge Google RSS Reader with Styles and Extensions http://buff.ly/HT8L8a

Share, Discuss and Learn, Socially - Disrupting Medical Education by Redefining “Social Media” http://buff.ly/UpUkvD

Lessons from 12 Years of Blogging http://buff.ly/Wrzry8

Most STD educational apps have failed to attract user attention and positive reviews http://buff.ly/11aAryf

The articles were selected from my Twitter and RSS streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases at gmail.com and you will receive an acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

140-character Resume: How Twitter is Changing the Job Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:30:02 PDT

How Twitter is Changing the Job Hunt. Some recruiters say Twitter has transformed their prospecting and hiring, helping them identify candidates they wouldn't have found otherwise, but others say the messaging platform has some way to go before it can replace LinkedIn, Facebook or other job-hunting tools. Lauren Weber from the WSJ reports:

What are the 6 Most Germ-infested Places in Your Office?

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:56:58 PDT

A study by the producer of Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark, found that the 6 "Dirtiest Places" in Your Office are:

- break room sink-faucet handles
- microwave door handles
- keyboards
- refrigerator door handles
- water fountain buttons
- vending machine buttons

And don't forget that the "Five Second Rule" doesn't work, says Dr. Susan Rhem, an infectious disease specialist from the Cleveland Clinic:

A common superstition, the five-second rule states that food dropped on the ground will not be contaminated with bacteria if it is picked up within five seconds of being dropped (Wikipedia).

References:

Office Germs: The 6 Dirtiest Work Places. WebMD, 2012.
Image source: Wikipedia, CDC.

Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:30:01 PDT

The “Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival” is a weekly summary of the best posts from medical blogs. Please email your suggestions for inclusion to clinicalcases@gmail.com. Best of Medical Blogs (BMB) is published every Tuesday, just like the old Grand Rounds.

Logic is not good enough. We need evidence. Why should performance measures receive a pass on evaluation?

We once thought it was logical to give antiarrythmic drugs to patients after they had a myocardial infarction. We once thought that beta blockers were contraindicated in systolic dysfunction. We consistently follow logic and conventional wisdom, yet find out that we were wrong. Why should performance measures receive a pass on evaluation? From db's Medical Rants: http://buff.ly/16uF3j7

Has Twitter Changed? Remember when Twitter was a great place to have conversations?

When people now want to have a little bit deeper discussion, they send me an e-mail, or even a text to my phone - and the conversation takes place off the "public" airwaves. But why?

In my opinion, here are reasons why "rich engagement" has gone private: Political Correctness prevents deep analysis; This hyper-partisian world leaves little room for the "middle of the road" opinion; Being taken "out of context" is no longer the exception, it is the rule. From Family Medicine Rocks: http://bit.ly/Z0ynE5

Dr. Wes: Maintaining Board Certification Every Two Years http://bit.ly/17gFAU9

We need more “old fashioned” doctors. Spending time with patients should not be considered “old fashioned”. Using technology sparingly should not be considered “old fashioned”. Technology is a tool not an answer. http://www.medrants.com/archives/7249

Work Life Balance - from Life in the Fast Lane medical education blog http://bit.ly/XoPZ12

Times have changed… we might break free from the self-flagellating oppression of yesteryear to forge a fitter and more fulfilling future

Brain networking among musicians

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:42:45 PDT

From Deutsche Welle:

When musicians play, what is happening inside their brains? Scientists at Berlin's Max Planck Institute for Human Development have discovered that while performing together, their neurological activity goes into a kind of synchronization mode - almost as though they were connected by a wireless network.

Industry breeds "superior" rodeo bulls. The result? A lot of cowboys with broken bones

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:00:08 PDT

Rodeo Bulls Kick Higher and Buck Harder. A great bucking bronco can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and an entire industry has sprung up that's dedicated to breeding these superior bulls. The result? A lot of cowboys with broken bones. WSJ's Michael M. Phillips reports:

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:00:07 PDT

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles related to healthcare social media (#HCSM) in the past 2 weeks:

The articles were selected from my Twitter and RSS streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases at gmail.com and you will receive an acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

How to use social media to supplement a novel curriculum in medical education. Twitter and Facebook are excellent applications of "push technology" as a means to deliver educational conten http://buff.ly/131Q8tW

Wiki as a Participatory Tool for Patients in Clinical Guideline Development http://buff.ly/SSA2cV

There are no definitive numbers on how many doctors prescribe apps but 10% of users have health apps on their phones http://buff.ly/QhKy0h

9% of medical school and residency program directors/coordinators search Facebook and Twitter to evaluate candidates http://buff.ly/UABZK4

Banned on Wall St.: Facebook, Twitter and Gmail. The number of global organizations blocking social media is declining 10 percent annually. By 2014, fewer than 30 percent of all large organizations are expected to be blocking employee access to social media. http://buff.ly/Ybn1Ay

59 Top Physician Blogs Worth Reading http://buff.ly/V37c91

Sign of the times: WSJ discontinues its health Blog http://buff.ly/YlouV8

How college students find and use information [Infographic] http://buff.ly/V2bXzx

Medical school applicants might want to rethink that last tweet http://buff.ly/YoTjZ5

“Human-powered discovery engine for interestingness” is what the NYTimes calls Maria Popova. The Web has a presentism bias, with Facebook updates, tweets and blog entries always appearing with the latest first http://buff.ly/VcDQFb

Productivity tips: TalkTyper and more http://buff.ly/VjmdUc

Social Media May Help Fight Childhood Obesity http://buff.ly/VjcIEx

Concussions 101, a Primer for Kids and Parents (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:31:41 PDT

Dr. Mike has put together a few resources on concussions at http://www.myfavouritemedicine.com/2012/03/07/concussions/

Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital.

http://twitter.com/docmikeevans
http://www.facebook.com/docmikeevans

Conceived, written, and presented by Dr. Mike Evans, Illustrated by Liisa Sorsa, Produced, directed, and filmed by Nick De Pencier, Picture and sound edit by David Schmidt, Gaffer, Martin Wojtunik, Whiteboard construction by James Vanderkleyn, Production assistant, Chris Niesing, ©2011 Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc.

Getting Strangled by a Boa Constrictor - BBC video

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:30:04 PDT

"Steve Backshall risks being strangled by a Boa Constrictor snake as he demonstrates their lethal killing technique - on himself! Incredible clip from Deadly 60 series 2."

Source: Strangled by a Boa Constrictor - Deadly 60 - BBC - YouTube http://bit.ly/XCfXhK

Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:30:00 PDT

The “Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival” is a weekly summary of the best posts from medical blogs. Please email your suggestions for inclusion to clinicalcases@gmail.com. Best of Medical Blogs (BMB) is published every Tuesday, just like the old Grand Rounds.

Choose Wisely when Choosing Wisely http://buff.ly/Wrjs4S

From NBC: "You don’t need an MRI for lower back pain. You don’t need antibiotics for a sinus infection. And you don’t need to be screened for osteoporosis, either, if you’re under 65. A list of 90 medical ‘don’ts.’"

Based on the headlines, one might think that these tests or treatments should never be done. However, this is not what the experts were saying. These are commonly overused tests and treatments, not useless.

Can computers replace physicians? http://buff.ly/WriSUx -- Why we need physicians rather than computers http://buff.ly/WriNAn

Computers might be great if we humans were identical. They might be great if our patients were accurate historians without unknown agendas. But none of those, and many other restrictions exist. We have to weigh each piece of evidence, especially the history. We use complex illness scripts and our experience.

Excellent doctoring requires knowledge (computers can provide) plus wisdom. How can we program wisdom?

“How safe is Z-pak?” With the medicalization of everything, patients and doctors need to better understand that taking medicine or having surgery means accepting trade-offs. http://buff.ly/16cMN76

Dr. Wes: The Generality of the FDA's Recommendations on Zithromax http://bit.ly/ZFKBDo

When 1A evidence is not 1A evidence - A quest to find the truth, via Twitter http://buff.ly/XCrV8s

Answering the critics of atrial fibrillation (AFib) ablation http://buff.ly/ZF6iDp

Dr. Wes: The Importance of Recess in our Era of Sequestration http://bit.ly/ZFKGqp

"In the 11th year of this blog, we just reached the 3 million visit bar" - medrants http://buff.ly/16cMysL

Americans "addicted" to salt - CNN interviews author of "Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us"

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:30:01 PDT

Americans overdosing on salt - Author Michael Moss talks about our addiction to salt, and how the food industry develops our taste for it.

From Amazon:

"From a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter at The New York Times comes the explosive story of the rise of the processed food industry and its link to the emerging obesity epidemic. Michael Moss reveals how companies use salt, sugar, and fat to addict us and, more important, how we can fight back.

Every year, the average American eats 33 pounds of cheese (triple what we ate in 1970) and 70 pounds of sugar (about twenty-two teaspoons a day). We ingest 8,500 milligrams of salt a day, double the recommended amount, and almost none of that comes from the shakers on our table. It comes from processed food. It’s no wonder, then, that one in three adults, and one in five kids, is clinically obese. It’s no wonder that twenty-six million Americans have diabetes, the processed food industry in the U.S. accounts for $1 trillion a year in sales, and the total economic cost of this health crisis is approaching $300 billion a year.

In Salt Sugar Fat, Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter Michael Moss shows how we got here. Featuring examples from some of the most recognizable (and profitable) companies and brands of the last half century—including Kraft, Coca-Cola, Lunchables, Kellogg, Nestlé, Oreos, Cargill, Capri Sun, and many more—Moss’s explosive, empowering narrative is grounded in meticulous, often eye-opening research.

Moss takes us inside the labs where food scientists use cutting-edge technology to calculate the “bliss point” of sugary beverages or enhance the “mouthfeel” of fat by manipulating its chemical structure. He unearths marketing campaigns designed—in a technique adapted from tobacco companies—to redirect concerns about the health risks of their products: Dial back on one ingredient, pump up the other two, and tout the new line as “fat-free” or “low-salt.” He talks to concerned executives who confess that they could never produce truly healthy alternatives to their products even if serious regulation became a reality. Simply put: The industry itself would cease to exist without salt, sugar, and fat. Just as millions of “heavy users”—as the companies refer to their most ardent customers—are addicted to this seductive trio, so too are the companies that peddle them. You will never look at a nutrition label the same way again."

Cleveland Clinic - Past and Present (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 07:30:02 PDT

Disclaimer: I was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic from 2005 to 2008.

Match Day 2013 at the Pritzker School of Medicine (video)

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:18:08 PDT

Holly J. Humphrey, MD'83, and James N. Woodruff, MD, describe the Match Day experience at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine as the medical students discover where they will be placed for their residencies. Look at the pure joy in their faces:

The most popular specialties chosen this year by Pritzker students were Internal Medicine (21), Pediatrics (11), Family Medicine (6), Obstetrics-Gynecology (6), and General Surgery (5).

For more information, see the Match Results at http://bit.ly/Yz681a

Disclaimer: I am an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at UChicago.

Acute otitis externa

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 07:00:05 PDT

What is Acute otitis externa?

Acute otitis externa is a common condition involving inflammation of the ear canal. It is caused by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Acute otitis externa often occurs following swimming or minor trauma from inappropriate cleaning.

What are the symptoms of Acute otitis externa?

The rapid onset of ear canal inflammation leads to otalgia (earache), itching, canal edema, erythema, and otorrhea. Tenderness with movement of the tragus or pinna is a classic finding.

What is the treatment for Acute otitis externa?

For uncomplicated cases, use topical antimicrobials or antibiotics such as acetic acid, aminoglycosides, polymyxin B, and quinolones. Some of these agents come in preparations with topical corticosteroids which may help resolve symptoms more quickly.

There is no evidence that any one antimicrobial or antibiotic preparation is clinically superior to another. Here two suggested approaches:

- Neomycin/polymyxin B/hydrocortisone preparations are a reasonable first-line therapy when the tympanic membrane is intact.

- Oral antibiotics are used when the infection has spread beyond the ear canal or in patients at risk of a rapidly progressing infection.

References:

Acute otitis externa: an update. Schaefer P, Baugh RF. Am Fam Physician. 2012 Dec 1;86(11):1055-61.
Image source: Wikipedia, a GNU Free Documentation License.

Calorie Detective: The Real Math Behind Food Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Ves Dimov, M.D.) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:00:10 PDT

With the help of a science lab, the filmmaker Casey Neistat found that calorie listings on food labels can be highly inaccurate - mostly underestimating the amount of calories in food products such as muffins, sandwiches, burrito, etc.

He selected 5 items he might consume in an average day: a muffin, a tofu sandwich, a Subway sandwich, a Starbucks Frappuccino and a Chipotle burrito. Then, two food scientists tested the caloric content of each using a device called a calorimeter. It’s a precise but slow process — taking more than an hour per sample. The results were surprising.

Four out of the five items had more calories than their labels reported, adding up to 550 calories. If he unknowingly consumed those extra calories every day, in a week he would put on an extra pound of body weight.

References:

‘Calorie Detective’ - NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/Yit3KO

CasesBlog - Medical and Health Blog

1 out of 6 doctors has been rated on a physician-rating website: are you one of them?

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

Risk of diabetes and stroke may be influenced by what we experienced in the womb

Analysis of Rafael Nadal's Knee Injury - Computer Animation from NYTimes

Top medicine articles for April-May 2013

How and when do we learn to talk: Why German and French babies cry differently

Every single hour of television watched after the age of 25 reduces the viewer’s life expectancy by 22 minutes

What is HDL? Videos for patient education by Cleveland Clinic

"Attention span halved in a decade, from 12 to 5 minutes, spelling trouble for doctors and patients"

"The happiest people in the world" live in Denmark and the happiness is lowest in middle age

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

140-character Resume: How Twitter is Changing the Job Hunt

What are the 6 Most Germ-infested Places in Your Office?

Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival

Brain networking among musicians

Industry breeds "superior" rodeo bulls. The result? A lot of cowboys with broken bones

Healthcare social media #HCSM - top articles

Concussions 101, a Primer for Kids and Parents (video)

Getting Strangled by a Boa Constrictor - BBC video

Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival

Americans "addicted" to salt - CNN interviews author of "Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us"

Cleveland Clinic - Past and Present (video)

Match Day 2013 at the Pritzker School of Medicine (video)

Acute otitis externa

Calorie Detective: The Real Math Behind Food Labels