Endocrinology

Louise B. Andrew is a fifth-generation physician who has made a career of serving health professionals in distress after her own experience dealing with a medical malpractice suit.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems hold great promise. However, like many new technologies, the difficulty of achieving EHRs' promise has been vastly underestimated, as have the risks. The current national initiatives pushing for widespread EHR implementation may be leading us into an unmapped minefield.

Consider this hypothetical situation: A patient with new onset of a major depression is evaluated by a physician who has found no evidence of suicidal ideation.

Many physicians are skeptical about getting involved in the practice, and rightfully so. Sermo and other online physician communities are rife with posts and comments from physicians who know colleagues who have stretched the truth or even lied on the stand because of personal beliefs or compensation.

One of the most important legal documents in your practice may have a significant impact on your finances. And even though you (or someone in your practice) agreed to abide by its terms and conditions, it's highly likely that you have never even read it.

According to an article published in the June 17, 2008 edition of the New York Times, declining reimbursements, managed care, physician shortages (especially in primary care), and concerns about malpractice are contributing to doctors' discontent.

David Van Avermaete, CEO of VeraLight, a medical device company, discusses the SCOUT DS non-invasive diabetes screening system and the importance of early detection in type 2 diabetes.

New findings published in the September issue of The Lancet show that a new formulation of the drug exenatide given once a week is more effective than when given twice a day, as is the current practice.

The Endocrine Society has released new clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of primary aldosteronism.

Manhattan Research, a healthcare market research company, released a survey on Monday announcing the top 10 pharmaceutical product sites visited by physicians.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reveals that PPIs for treating acid reflux elevate the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.

A recently launched study will examine the effects of obesity and explore methods for teaching participants about prevention.

A consensus statement published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism indicates that the HbA1c test could be used to identify millions of people with undiagnosed diabetes.

Scientists from the University of Oxford have found that hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women increases the risk of gallbladder disease.

California has passed a law banning trans fats in restaurants, bakeries, delicatessens, cafeterias, and other businesses classified as “food facilities.”

Researchers around the globe are working on various breath-based technologies to not only diagnose illnesses, but identify the ingestion of drugs of abuse and provide defi nitive medication adherence documentation.

In June 2008, I participated in an online interview with Ed Silverman, author of the popular pharmaceutical industry blog Pharmalot.

Many of our patients are using the Internet to look up their diagnoses and medications as soon as they get home from our offices.

A year later, as we read and watch the breathless coverage devoted to recent moves by Google, Microsoft, and Apple, we are left asking "is healthcare IT worth the hype?"

Data interpretation and management has become increasingly more challenging and time consuming.

Columbia Medical School researchers at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center have found that the common Asian cooking spice turmeric may help prevent diabetes.

The AAPS said that many physicians have decided not to use EHRs because they fear the data will be used to control what they do and how they do it.

Last week, the internet’s regulating body, ICANN, made a historic decision to expand the Internet by allowing for new domain names.

Researcher George King, MD, presented data at the annual JDRF conference, showing that individuals with type 1 diabetes still have the ability to produce insulin.

According the National Scoliosis Foundation, scoliosis affects an estimated 6 million people in the United States. They account for more than 600,000 private physician office visits yearly.

I thought I would use my column this month to discuss RevolutionHealth.com. After spending some time surfi ng around the site, I've concluded that it just might be the most over-hyped health information website ever launched. It's an all-around healthcare information portal, with a few interesting features, but there's nothing revolutionary at all.

My blogging has allowed people to get to know me a bit more than my bio allows and to see if they like me or not, as well as if they agree with my approach to medicine.

10% of hospital admissions and 23% of nursing home admissions are due to the failure of a patient to take a prescription medication correctly, and as many as 59% of those taking fi ve or more medications are taking them improperly.

Matthew Holt is a ubiquitous presence in the online world of Health 2.0. He is the proprietor of The Health Care Blog, essential reading that promises to tell you "everything you always wanted to know about the health care system.