Mandrola on Medscape

 
 
  • Want More Trust in Medical Science? Embrace Uncertainty and Cut the Hype On Earth Day, concerned citizens will March to defend the virtues of science. Dr Mandrola explores reasons that mainstream medical science has developed a problem with trust.
  • Estimating Risk/Benefit: Facts Are a Basic Requirement A recent study finds that clinicians are often wrong when estimating benefits and harms of a medical intervention.
  • Medical Debate Belongs in the Public Space Dr John Mandrola strenuously disagrees with those who argue that medicine should hold its scientific debates behind closed doors.
  • Avoiding Cynicism Is Getting Harder Dr John Mandrola details five recent news events that illustrate the confluence of healthcare and industry that have fueled his recent cynicism.
  • Maybe Doctors Don't Die So Differently Dying doctors go gently into the night, right? A new study suggests that they are just as likely to rack up hospital stays in their final months as nonphysicians. Is the death-denial culture to blame?
  • The Best Decision May Not Be What the Guidelines Say Patients deserve decision tools, but clinicians often balk at using them. John Mandrola explains why.
  • Justice Scalia's Death: Three Lessons for the Healthcare Community What are three lessons that can be drawn from the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia?
  • To Believe in Science Is to Believe in Data Sharing A proposal to require access to patient-level data from clinical trials has investigators in a tizzy, but like drug testing in sports, it could help restore faith in scientific research.
  • In Cancer Screening, Why Not Tell the Truth? In cancer screening, have we let what we believe become what we know?
  • The Wrongness of Being in Two Places at Once A recent expose examined the practice of surgeons double-booking surgery--and why it is wrong.
  • When a Physician Leaves, We All Lose Dr John Mandrola laments the factors that cause experienced physicians to opt out of medicine.
  • Doctor Doesn't Always Know Best Admitting doctors don't know everything and accepting that risk falls along a continuum can help restore the balance of power in the doctor-patient relationship, according to Dr John Mandrola.
  • Failing Grade for ProPublica's Surgeon Scorecard Dr Mandrola is a strong supporter of more transparency in medicine, but flawed data are worse than no data is his review of the surgeon scorecard from the public-interest journalism group.
  • Redefining the Annual Physical Should we redefine preventive health maintenance? Hint: It involves fearing healthcare rather than disease.
  • Cardiology's Top 10 Stories of 2014 John Mandrola reviews his top stories for 2014 covering more than 20 clinical trials. It turns out that a back-to-basics approach is the breakthrough most likely to yield the biggest benefits.
  • The Simple Reason the Medical-Home Study Failed Dr. Mandrola notes the limits of better management in chronic disease, if patients do not make healthy choices. This post originally appeared at drjohnm.org.
  • John Mandrola's Top 10 (er, 11) Cardiology Stories of 2013 End-of-life care, social media, and EMRs are among Dr. John Mandrola's top picks for cardiology game changers of 2013.Obamacare, the Sunshine Act, and the cholesterol and BP guidelines also feature.