The PMD Critical List: Hospitals Struggle to Help Depressed Doctors
May 16th 2016A new study finds fully one-third of medical residents experience depression, yet few talk about it and their employers generally have few resources to help. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: Data-mining aims to help limit lawsuits and improve patient safety; and a scientific answer to why boys seems to be more interested in sports.
The PMD Critical List: Study Suggests Medical Error Is Nation's Third-Leading Cause of Death
May 9th 2016A new study suggest medical errors account for more than 250,000 deaths each year in the US. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: An investigative report questioning the marketing of OxyContin, and new concerns about children and cell phone use.
The PMD Critical List: Physician is America's Highest-Paid CEO
May 2nd 2016America’s highest-paid CEO is a physician you’ve probably never heard of. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: the FDA considers mandating more training for opioid prescribers, and Harvard opens a center looking at the impact of happiness on health.
Perhaps Money Can Buy 'Personal' Happiness, After All
April 27th 2016British researchers have “found people who spend money on things they enjoy (hobbies, interests, etc.) tend to be happier than their peers. What they mean, of course, is not spending money for the heck of it, but rather spending it on things that express one’s personality.â€
The PMD Critical List: Obamacare Makes Primary Care Docs Want to Quit
April 25th 2016A new study finds nearly half of all primary care physicians in private practice are thinking about leaving medicine due to low reimbursements. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also on the list: A doctor’s secret contribution to baseball, and a major shortage of pathologists weighs down coroner’s offices.
The PMD Critical List: Each Doctor Brings $1.6 Million in Revenue to Hospitals
April 18th 2016A new report tabulates the revenue generation of the average hospital physician. The number might surprise you. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: An article criticizing opacity regarding physician discipline, and changing viewpoints on marijuana use.
The PMD Critical List: Doctors 'Unprepared' to Discuss Healthcare Costs
April 11th 2016A new report says physicians fall short when patients ask questions about the costs of treatment. That story tops this week's PMD Critical List. Also on the list: Doctors continue to be held in high esteem in American society, and critiques of Harvard Medical School and WebMD.
The PMD Critical List: The Huge Cost of Reporting Data to Insurers
March 21st 2016Physicians spend hundreds of hours each year reporting data to insurance companies, for a total tab of more than $15 billion worth of time. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: Infection rates remain a stubborn problem, and one state outlaws paper prescriptions.
The PMD Critical List: The World's Richest Doctors
March 14th 2016Riches and power top this week’s PMD Critical List. Our top story looks at the richest doctors in the world. Another story looks at a group of physicians who hold incredible power over the US healthcare system, even though they’re not household names.
The PMD Critical List: America's 'Germiest' Hospitals
March 7th 2016A new study looks at the rates of bacteria, superbugs, and other unwanted dangers at America’s hospitals. Some of the names topping the list might surprise you. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also on the list, why doctors care about happiness, and why the stethoscope might soon become a thing of the past.
The PMD Critical List: Are 30-Hour Shifts a Good Thing?
February 29th 2016A new national study suggests surgical residents benefit from longer shifts, seemingly defying the notion that such lengthy periods are too grueling. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: Congress and the president find a way to confirm a nominee, and Elvis Presley’ personal physician has “left the building.â€
The PMD Critical List: Teen Busted for Pretending to Be a Physician
February 22nd 2016A Florida teen gets caught pretending to be a doctor, a Harvard-trained physician tells his story of drug dependence, and a new study looks at why the results of so many clinical trials go unpublished. Those stories top this week’s PMD Critical List
The PMD Critical List: When Doctors Strike, Fewer Patients Die
February 15th 2016A British study finds the unavailability of physicians doesn’t increase patient deaths. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: Why are pagers still around and why has tele-surgery not yet fulfilled its potential?
The PMD Critical List: Patient Satisfaction Reaches Record High
February 1st 2016A vast majority of Americans say they’re satisfied by their physician visits – an approval rating that would make candidates in Monday’s Iowa caucuses drool. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also on the list: Zeroing in on malpractice-prone physicians, and why are doctors’ office run so badly?