One Stop Medical Shopping: Convenience and much more

Would you want to get your pap smear and wrinkles filled in by the same doctor? An article in Health explores how more and more doctors are cashing in on cosmetic procedure boom and quotes our founder and blogger on the potential pitfalls:

"This boon for physicians, then, may be a bust for patients, says Kathryn Hinsch, founder of the Women’s Bioethics Project, a public-policy think tank in Seattle. 'A big problem is that any doctor with very minimal training can perform these procedures, so the potential safety issues are high...Part of the fundamental trust between a patient and doctor is the idea that the doctor has the patient’s best interest at heart, and that there is no financial incentive for the doctor to perform any procedure,' Hinsch says. 'When doctors start adding cosmetic procedures, which they’re adding because they’re big moneymakers, there’s a corruption of that basic trust.'

For more on what the article and what Kathryn had to say about this, click here.

Deadly (Mis)Diagnosis

After nine years Audrey Serrano is a "free" woman.
A jury has awarded her $2.5 million in damages for HIV treatment she received over those nine years--powerful drugs she was given to treat an illness she does not have.

Serrano filed suit against the doctor who treated her, following a second diagnosis that revealed no presence of HIV in her blood. The misdiagnosis was based, according to Serrano's attorney, on presumptions by her former doctor about Serrano's lifestyle that tend to be associated with patients more likely to have HIV and AIDS.

See details of what's being called an "astonishing" case in this article from the Washington Post.

Doctors don't like to say "oops"

A recent survey found that nearly half of physicians surveyed admitted to not revealing a medical error they were aware of.

They found that 46 percent of physicians surveyed admitted they knew of a serious medical error that had been made but did not tell authorities about it.

"There is a measurable disconnect between what physicians say they think is the right thing to do and what they actually do," said Eric Campbell of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, who led the survey.

...Up to 96 percent of those surveyed said they should report all instances of significant incompetence or medical errors to the hospital clinic or to authorities. The exception was among cardiologists and surgeons, with just about 45 percent agreeing.

There are many potential reasons for these findings - increased vulnerability to malpractice lawsuits, the need to re-establish authority as a medical professional, lack of adequate time and communications with patients - but the impacts are far-reaching. Patients are losing their trust in the medical profession, and this distrust leads them to either not see the doctor for preventative care or early interventions, or to turn to "alternative therapies" that are at best ineffective and at worst harmful. There probably is no correct answer, but open discussion needs to continue on this issue to stem the hemmorhage of trust.

When Quacks Attack

How one man's invention is part of a growing worldwide scam that snares the desperately ill (Seattle Times)

A Seattle Times investigation has uncovered a global network of manufacturers who sell unproven devices, and practitioners who prey on unsuspecting patients.

Capitalizing on weak government oversight, they have used these devices — some illegal, others potentially dangerous — to drain patients' bank accounts, misdiagnose diseases, and divert critically ill people from life-saving care.

These victims are casualties in the growing field called "energy medicine" — alternative therapies based on the belief that the body has energy fields that can be manipulated to improve health. Energy devices range from handheld machines the size of television remotes to behemoth machines that weigh hundreds of pounds, with costs ranging from $1,200 to $55,000.

Unfortunately, many people turn to these and other treatments, loosely termed "alternative therapies" (to include herbal supplements and holistic remedies) and the price they pay can range from thousands of dollars to their lives, whether as a direct result of the treatment or because they neglected to see real medical care for a serious condition. The reasons people turn to these practices range from a distrust of establishments like the medical community to bad experiences with previous medical treatments to a distorted perception of financial costs and expected gains.

I will be the first to admit that I do take vitamin C supplements and indulge in yoga and Shiatsu for my health because I feel that the potential gains outweigh the risks (both of which I have researched to a good extent). But I draw the line for myself and friends at expensive price tags or risky procedures; while there may be some benefit to be had, further research needs to be performed before alternative therapies are introduced freely to the public, who has a reasonable expectation of safety and efficacy.

There are many angles to a story like this – new medical technologies, public misinformation, cultural and social tendencies to believe in quack treatments – and there is no easy answer, especially when a vehement denial of the efficacy of alternative therapies by medical professionals could only exacerbate the existing atmosphere of distrust and suspicion that feeds this problem in the first place. While rational engagement by professionals and skeptics is important, a sincere and sensitive discussion on a cultural level will yield more progress in this issue.