palmd
Posts by this author
January 19, 2009
I can't say enough about ScienceOnline09, and about how useful meetings like this can be. When you toss a bunch of smart people from various disciplines together, add a little ethanol, and shake vigorously, you get some interesting results.
I had the chance to chat a bit with Dave Munger (hi…
January 19, 2009
I'm normally not one to believe in the improbable, but someone has laid some serious ju-ju on me. While away at my fabulous geek-cation, my computer bit it, my furnace at home died, and....(God, I can hardly type it...)...MY DSL WENT DOWN!!!1!
Just in time for the launch of my brand-spanking-new…
January 18, 2009
The locals say it's cold, but North Carolina rocks. It's warm (meaning greater than 20 degrees F), hilly, piney. And people here are friendly. Here at ScienceOnline09 there is so much to do, both intellectually and socially, that I'm overwhelmed. In fact, even my computer is overwhelmed and is…
January 17, 2009
OK, in all the recent chaos, I finally got PalCast # 5 out. It touches on some wide-ranging issues: the screwed up US health care system, pooled risk, hospitalists, and the ethics of being a doctor-blogger.
Reference
Andrew B. Bindman, Arpita Chattopadhyay, and Glenna M. Auerback
Interruptions in…
January 16, 2009
Remember those pesky conscience laws the Bush administration is trying to ram into our collective orifaces on their way out the door? No?
Let me remind you.
You see, the theocrats who are on their way out on Tuesday want to step up enforcement of the so-called Church Amendment, which protect…
January 15, 2009
As I sit in my (very narrow) seat on a DC-9 heading for North Carolina, one thing in particular strikes me: I'm really, really pleased that there is no such thing as "alternative engineering". It's not that "allopathic" or "mainstream" engineers never make mistakes---bridges collapse, cars break…
January 14, 2009
In case you missed it, we're plugging the "diavlog" that Janet and I recorded the other night. I could talk medical ethics all day, and we spent an hour doing just that. Thankfully (for you) the thing is indexed, and you can skip around. Still, if you have the patience, try to catch the whole…
January 14, 2009
Hope, of all ills that men endure,
The only cheap and universal cure.
---Abraham Cowley, The Mistress. For Hope. c. 1647
I was visiting my friend in the hospital the other day. She had a port put in under the skin of her chest for chemotherapy. The…
January 14, 2009
While I wait for The Powers That Be to help fix the commenting feature on the brand new blog, let me tell you a little bit more about this place. (You can read my "About" page, but that's pretty boring, and there for technical reasons.)
I'm an internist, that is, a specialist in prevention and…
January 14, 2009
So, remember that little summary I gave you a few weeks ago? You know, the one where I sort of laid out my blog history, etc.? Well, I have to amend that. You see, as I was writing, I realized how much I missed my White Coat Underground. It's silly really, because it's just a name, a label, but…
October 9, 2008
This may ruffle a few feathers, but I've decided to cross-post this one. --PalMD
As a physician, I have a lot of politically conservative colleagues. Much of this stems from our experience with the government. The influence of Medicare helps set prices, which we are not at liberty to change, and…
October 7, 2008
Well, it's that time again. With the world economy in crisis, and the administration sticking to it's "Everything's gonna be OK" strategy, our candidates are holding a "town hall"-style debate. I live-blogged the last debate, and it wiped me out and pissed off the other people in the room, but…
September 26, 2008
2100 hrs
This is a bit of an experiment for me. First, I haven't done a lot of live blogging. Second, I don't know whether science will play any part in tonight's debate.
2102
Lehrer is introducing. Looks like McCain showed up...
Lehrer: quoting Eisenhower, re military and econ strength.
Obama:…
September 13, 2008
Both candidates have proposals for reforming America's health care system. You can read them yourself (Obama's here, McCain's here, and a detailed comparison here).
As statements of policy, these plans focus on the big picture of American health care: how to cover the uninsured, how to pay for…
January 28, 2008
(This post has been migrated from my old blog for reference. --PalMD)
But should you? Needles administering vaccines have saved millions of lives. Needles draw blood to help diagnose disease. They save diabetics' lives daily. Of course, they also help heroin addicts get high and catch diseases…
January 18, 2008
I am often asked my opinion of chiropractic care. My usual answer (based on evidence) is that it can be somewhat helpful in the treatment of low back pain. That's it. Any further claims are complete and utter bullshit. Many chiropractors practice ethically, and recognize the correct scope of…
January 14, 2008
"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
This "Quack Miranda Warning" is on every just about every woo-meister's website. I see dozens of patients every day, and I never Mirandize…
November 21, 2007
They media is often full of hype about "health foods". True "health food", to quote Michael Pollan, probably means, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.'' That being said, chemical compounds isolated from natural substances (foods included) are an important line of medical research and can…