When undergoing a procedure in the hospital, the last thing most patients suspect would be sustaining burns from medical equipment or carelessness of the medical staff.

Thankfully, such instances are rare, but they do occur. As the WSJ reports, the oxygen-rich environment of an operating room can increase the risk of flames, from say, a stray spark of an electrocautery device.

Furthermore, medication patches, like nicotine or (more…)

Public reporting and transparency are frequent buzzwords in this consumer-directed era of patient care.

Bob Wachter wonders why patients aren’t using the data that’s already out there, as a recent study showed that most patients use word-of-mouth when choosing a doctor.

Is it because of technical limitations of websites, or something “more fundamental,” Dr Wachter asks.

I still think it’s the lack of awareness. A (more…)

Pediatricians knowing what to keep confidential can be challenging, especially when treating patients in the middle-school years.

Perri Klass, in a new NY Times column (kudos to them for bringing excellent physician-writers aboard) talks about the conundrum when an adolescent “doesn’t want to let Mom know.”

When talking to her colleagues, Dr. Kass finds that there are many cases of ambiguity. You have to weigh the value of keeping (more…)