After a hiatus of almost a year from hosting Grand Rounds, I am back today to welcome you all to GRAND ROUNDS, Volume 6, No. 29. This is my 6th time to host this weekly round-up of the best in med- and health blogs. If one is passionate about it, hosting can be a taxing experience. More often than not, it eats precious time one should allocate for sleeping. Thank God I live on the other side of the planet, and most of those who submitted are on the opposite side --- I can still rest tonight. 'Kidding! I am always proud to host. I thank Nick for the invitation this week. Thank you also for all those who joined.
Those who are familiar with me know I do not require themes. I think requiring bloggers to create posts revolving on a certain theme asphyxiates creativity, and makes the job easy for the assigned host only. In my case, I arrange submitted posts as they arrive, and I try my best to include everyone. I also visit and read each post submitted.
Let's begin:
Can health insurers "cherry-pick" patients?
Read the Cockroach Catcher's Obama and the NHS: Patients Trading.
The Health Business Blog tackles one of the main criticisms of Obama's health care reform law --- cost control.
InsureBlog says insurance rates might rise and there might be a potential shortage of physicians in the future.
Chris Langston the majority of today’s health care providers are still fundamentally incompetent in caring for older patients.
Is the glass half-full?
The Health Insurance Insider ponders on expanding coverage for people with health conditions.
Catherine Hess, Senior Program Director at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), writes in Health Reform Galaxy Blog about her desire to push for kid's enrollment in public insurance programs.
That's all folks. I now bid you good night from Manila, in the Philippines. Happy reading!
Tune in at the Sterile Eye (over in far, far Norway) next week for the next edition of Grand Rounds.
Those who are familiar with me know I do not require themes. I think requiring bloggers to create posts revolving on a certain theme asphyxiates creativity, and makes the job easy for the assigned host only. In my case, I arrange submitted posts as they arrive, and I try my best to include everyone. I also visit and read each post submitted.
Let's begin:
CHOICE CUTS - these are the best of the best,
and as such, are must-reads.
How does a doctor encourage a patient to tell the Truth?
This is a very short post by my friend Ramona Bates, M.D., who is a plastic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Short. Sweet. Very profound.
What is the story behind your scar?
A double fault for Martina Navratilova on her recent breast cancer diagnosis. Know if you agree with Eve Harris or not.
EverythingHealth has second (and third) thoughts on whether sexual addiction is real or not.
Tiger would? Tiger wouldn't? Take your pick.
and as such, are must-reads.
As Oscar Wilde said, the truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Such was the problem of the #1 Dinosaur when faced with the difficulty of telling a patient the truth about the death of his wife. It was a moving experience and you can almost palpate the emotions involved.
How does a doctor encourage a patient to tell the Truth?
Ah, compassion fatigue. It happens to all of us. Even to doctors and general surgeons like Bongi. It is difficult to admit at times because no one wants to look bad in front of people and patients. But ignoring it does not make it disappear. In the place where I practice, physical exhaustion matched with loss of idealism remain to be its top cause. Read Bongi's reasons on why doctors succumb to it.
This is a very short post by my friend Ramona Bates, M.D., who is a plastic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas.Short. Sweet. Very profound.
What is the story behind your scar?
Death comes to us all, doctors and patients alike. But doctors always try to put up either a brave front or feign a deep connection with a patient to prepare themselves.
Inspired by an article from the New York Times, Pallimed explores how a palliative care physician and her relatives cope with death.
I have a few patients with Cushing's Disease, and because it is not a common disease here, it becomes quite a challenge when explaining the nature of the ailment to both the patient and the relatives. A doctor is a healer and a teacher most of the time. It comes as whiff of fresh air to me then, when librarian Laika makes a complex condition sound so simple and easy to understand.
USEFUL TIPS and HOW-TOs -
bloggers offer the steps on some interesting topics.
POINTS TO PONDER - strong opinions on select topics
bloggers offer the steps on some interesting topics.
Chris Nickson points us to the great William Osler as we learn how to be a better observer. Very valuable in Medicine as doctors are also constant investigators.
A Board-certified Orthopedic surgeon guest blogs in How To Cope With Pain, and highlights the merits and details of self-hypnosis in surgery.
This is bad news for Anaesthesiologists.
In this time of frequent earthquakes and other unexpected disasters, Jill of All Trades, MD urges us to prepare our respective emergency kits.
It is difficult to avoid patients who consult because they want narcotic prescriptions. What to do and how to get rid of them?
For the second time, Jill of All Trades, MD carefully explains to us the steps on how to 'dance' gracefully with narcotic seekers.
Finally, here's a very useful tip for medbloggers who lead double lives of being simultaneous health professionals and bloggers.
Lockup Doc teaches us how to handle medical blogs and a busy life.
POINTS TO PONDER - strong opinions on select topics
Dr. Jolie Bookspan offers a comprehensive discussion on Achilles tendon surgery, weighing on important issues like whether ligament tears can heal without surgery and whether surgery plus physical rehab, or physical rehab alone is the favorable approach.
EverythingHealth has second (and third) thoughts on whether sexual addiction is real or not.
Tiger would? Tiger wouldn't? Take your pick.
Here's a lengthy, lengthy, lengthy post on a medical oversight case in North Carolina. Did I say it's a long post? Dr. Mary Johnson also gives us a fair warning, but do not let that discourage you. It is a strongly assertive post on the clash of medicine and the law.
Happy Hospitalist dissects the many alternatives on female hair restoration. I would have considered this a good post if only Happy removed all those subtle links to Amazon, which offers several hair restoration products.
Philip Hickey, PhD offers a number of points to prove that schizophrenia is not an illness.
NICE TO KNOW - improves your conventional wisdom
ACP Internist tells us why peace of mind is so expensive in health care.
Most males dread vasectomy. Who doesn't?
Unbounded Medicine weighs in on both the effectiveness and failures of vasectomy procedures.
Find out with Nancy Brown, PhD, as she explores a probable reason why adolescents today are becoming more likely to commit violent crimes.
As a physician with an MBA degree, I found this post written by Dr. Joseph Kim useful.
MD/MBA career paths in the financial services? Would you consider this as an option?
ACP Hospitalist has good advice to give those who go out drinking alcohol with friends.
Most males dread vasectomy. Who doesn't?
Unbounded Medicine weighs in on both the effectiveness and failures of vasectomy procedures.
Find out with Nancy Brown, PhD, as she explores a probable reason why adolescents today are becoming more likely to commit violent crimes.
As a physician with an MBA degree, I found this post written by Dr. Joseph Kim useful.
MD/MBA career paths in the financial services? Would you consider this as an option?
ACP Hospitalist has good advice to give those who go out drinking alcohol with friends.
HEALTH CARE POLICIES - most of these posts discussed
different aspects of the Obama Health Care Reform
Read the Cockroach Catcher's Obama and the NHS: Patients Trading.
The Health Business Blog tackles one of the main criticisms of Obama's health care reform law --- cost control.
InsureBlog says insurance rates might rise and there might be a potential shortage of physicians in the future.
Chris Langston the majority of today’s health care providers are still fundamentally incompetent in caring for older patients.
Is the glass half-full?
The Health Insurance Insider ponders on expanding coverage for people with health conditions.
Catherine Hess, Senior Program Director at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), writes in Health Reform Galaxy Blog about her desire to push for kid's enrollment in public insurance programs.
That's all folks. I now bid you good night from Manila, in the Philippines. Happy reading!
Tune in at the Sterile Eye (over in far, far Norway) next week for the next edition of Grand Rounds.
