What Should I Do, Doc?
“What Should I Do, Doc?” – Archives of Internal Medicine
“What Should I Do, Doc?” – Archives of Internal Medicine
I love behavioral science. I love public policy. And I am obsessed with music. So you can see why I think the nudge pictured below may be the coolest thing on the planet! It encourages drivers to drive at an appropriate speed, so they can hear music created by their passage over the road: I…
Here is a news article from Canada, experiencing the kind of healthcare inflation that causes them to call experts in the U.S. for advice—people like me, but also some actual credible authorities! Some see it as an eternal struggle: the goodhearted doctor championing the best treatments, no matter the cost, while doing battle against the…
Shutterstock Legalizing medical marijuana is controversial. Physicians have not always prescribed controlled substances wisely, as a look at our narcotic epidemic confirms. But marijuana is much safer than narcotics and, according to a recent study, might even save us money, by reducing people’s need for other, often more expensive medications. Most notably, marijuana can be…
Shutterstock A baby is born. The delivery was rocky, with the infant’s heart rate showing occasional signs of distress. Later, the parents learn that their child has cerebral palsy, and may never walk normally. Was the obstetrician to blame and, if so, should the parents sue? American medical care is burdened by a flawed and…
It is hard for any physician to advance as a medical researcher. Competition for research funding is fierce; the rigors of publishing in prestigious medical journals are gargantuan. And women pursuing such careers face even bigger challenges, with many having to take on disproportionate burdens at home compared to their male colleagues (caring for kids,…
Diabetes is a dangerous disease, putting people at risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, amputation…plenty of serious stuff. Fortunately, pills and injections can reduce blood sugar and thereby reduce the risk of those awful sequels. Unfortunately, doctors sometimes treat blood sugar too aggressively, lowering it beyond the point where it helps avert heart…