Two Common Sources of Overtreatment
Experts, most recently former CMS administrator Don Berwick, tell us that no less than 20% – 30% of medical care is “waste.” At the very least, “waste” is harmful to…
Mobile Health Around the Globe: Empowering Rural Health Workers with Mobile Video
State-of-the-art broadband services still don’t reach many parts of the African continent, especially rural villages. But one consumer technology is pervasive: cell phones. State-of-the-art broadband services still don’t reach many…
Seek and You Shall Find
On April 15, 2013 I enjoyed my first visit to Austin, Texas!!! I was super glad to visit another gem of a quirky town after spending 3 years in Lawrence,…
Open Enrollment – Gangnam Style
Thanks to Barbara Kornblau over at Society for Participatory Medicine for sharing this video on You Tube. Until now, I would have never thought health plan Open Enrollment could be…
New Indication for Colonoscopy: High Value Target Captured.
This past week, I had a once-in-a-career event. Indeed, if I didn’t already author a blog, this episode would have been the catalyst to begin one. As I write…
Wound Healing Physiology
When body tissue is damaged by trauma, surgery, hypoxia, or other destructive processes, it quickly reacts to protect itself and begin the process of healing. Clean surgical wounds closed by…
Making Sense of the Oregon Experiment
Last Thursday, an article came by Kate Baicker and colleagues came out in the New England Journal of Medicine. Almost immediately, the article received widespread attention in the media where…
Keeping it Real
This is my second year painting an image that represents the wonder that is Medicine X at Stanford. The painting this year is called “Such as These.” The title is…
Another Reason Why Accurate Comparison of Health System Costs in Different Countries Is Difficult
In order to compare health costs in different countries, expenditures must be converted into a common currency. In practice, this is a more difficult problem than many people think. In…
What’s Next for Healthcare Information Technology Innovation
Last week the Greater Chicago Chapter of HIMSS invited me to participate in their healthcare technology webinar series. I covered the topic “What’s Next for Healthcare Information Technology Innovation?” and…
