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Law & Medicine: Which doctors get sued?
Question: Doctors are more prone to lawsuits if they: A. Have been sued before. B. Spend fewer dollars per hospitalized patient. C. Show poor communication skills. D. A and C only. E. A, B, and C. Answer: E. Two very…
Analysis finds 28.8% prevalence of depression in residents
The estimated prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 28.8% among residents and interns worldwide in a meta-analysis of 54 studies of the issue, according to a report published online December 8 in JAMA. The depression rate ranged from 20.9%…
The pros and cons of novel anticoagulants
Novel anticoagulants will likely replace need for vitamin K antagonists BY MADHUKAR S. PATEL, M.D., AND ELLIOT L. CHAIKOF, M.D. The discovery of oral anticoagulants began in 1924, when Schofield linked the death of grazing cattle from internal hemorrhage to…
Medicare at 50: Physicians brace for transition to value-based payment
As Medicare celebrates its 50th anniversary, federal officials are beginning one of the most significant shifts in the program’s history – paying physicians based on quality and efficiency rather than for the volume of services they provide. The shift to…
Reduced resident duty hours haven’t changed patient outcomes
Patient mortality and morbidity outcomes have not changed since the most recent round of reforms to medical residents’ duty hours in 2011, according to two of the first nationwide studies to assess these “improvements,” which both were published online Dec.…