I have been thinking a lot about C Everett Koop lately, ever since his death on February 25 at the ripe old age of 96 and more recently with the announcement that our current Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, is planning to step down from that post. In particular, I have been pondering what made Koop…
There has been lots of talk lately about a slowdown in health care expenditures. This has caused even more debate about whether the slowdown is temporary or permanent, and whether the Affordable Care Act deserves any credit for it. Below here is a picture from a recent analysis in Health Affairs, which shows the change…
In an article about Natalie Maine, the former lead singer for The Dixie Chicks, Hiatt writes about the way her conservative, country fan base reacted when she spoke negatively about President George W. Bush. I thought it was worth sharing this sentence: It was as if she’d French-kissed Saddam Hussein while setting fire to a…
I found a wonderful picture that nicely summarizes how much Americans spend on health care each year. The picture was produced by the Milliman company, and represents typical spending for a family of four. The $22,000 figure represents overall healthcare costs for this family. You’ll see that $12,000 of this money comes from employers. That…
A recent article in the New York Times, projects increasing problems with federal budget deficits over the next several decades, problems caused in no small part by the likelihood of increased health expenditures. More evidence of the importance of overcoming partisanship. Whether you are a liberal or conservative, you have to recognize that Medicare and…
As a physician who conducts research on decision-making, I have been asked many times: What does behavioral economics teach us about the role of living wills in medical care? Famed behavioral economist Dick Thaler recently opined on this topic in the New York Times, stating his support for a “requirement that all patients meet with their…
The war of 1812 was sometimes called “Madison’s war” by those who opposed the President’s call for military action against Great Britain. A whole slew of grievances was building up between the two countries, especially with Britain’s bullying behavior in the seas. But it was also clear that Pres. Madison was itching for war, and…
I was recently struck by two news headlines that hit my email inbox on the same day: “Most Doctors Don’t Meet U.S. Push for Electronic Records” and “Sebelius touts new emphasis on healthcare data“. Do you see the problem here? If we really want to leverage “big data” to improve health care, we need physicians…
On May 8th, the makers of the oncotype DX Prostate Cancer Test presented results of a large study demonstrating that their test can help men decide whether their prostate cancer carries a low enough risk of progression to forgo surgical or radiation therapy, two treatments that typically eradicate prostate cancers but also cause most men to…
I wrote not too long ago about a way to overcome the potential shortage of primary care physicians, the shortage some experts worry about because of the increased demand for primary care that will be created by Obamacare. I promoted the idea of primary care physicians teaming with allied healthcare professionals, so they can manage…