The PMD Critical List: Ben Carson's Claim to Fame

Ben Carson, MD, became a household name this year thanks to his run for the Republican nomination for president. But his first moment in the spotlight came from a groundbreaking procedure he performed nearly 30 years ago. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List.

• The Surgery that Made Dr. Ben Carson Famous (The Washington Post)

He’s a physician who has captured the nation’s attention in the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Here’s a compelling account of the 1987 operation that separated conjoined twins and brought stardom to a brilliant young pediatric neurosurgeon.

• Many Patients Lie to Their Doctors (US News & World Report)

About 25% of “patients admit they've told their doctor ‘white lies’ or omitted information in the exam room.” A survey says embarrassment and fear of being judged are the reasons why. Are doctors getting half-stories because they don’t have enough time to ask?

• Patient Access to Physicians: Best & Worst States (CNN)

“As the US healthcare system evolves, there will be clear access ‘haves’ and access ‘have-nots.’” The Physician Access Index, created by Merritt Hawkins, compiles 33 benchmarks and metrics that influence patient access to physicians by state. Best: Massachusetts; Worst: Mississippi.

• Making the Grade for Physicians (The Health Care Blog)

A thoughtful essay by a California doctor and management consultant about the new drive for quality measurements of doctors. “The problem has to do with how people take and give feedback. If anything, there’s a tendency to point fingers. That leads to resistance and frustration.”

• Doctors More Optimistic About Making Profit (Yahoo Finance)

“It appears that after years of ‘pessimism’ about medical practice profitability, US physicians are more upbeat,” finds the Practice Profitability Index. “Despite the constant change in the industry and ongoing pressure on profitability—physicians remain resilient and proactive about improving practice performance.”

• AMA Seeks to Block Insurer Mergers (The Connecticut Mirror)

The nation’s most famous physician group wants to stop two proposed mergers between health insurance companies. The American Medical Association says reduced competition among insurers would allow them to pay doctors less. The insurers say “providers share responsibility for keeping healthcare affordable.”

• 5 Steps to Improve the Physician-Patient Relationship (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Patients are demanding more from their physicians than ever before. The physician-leader of The Institute for Healthcare Excellence believes “the #1 thing patients want from their physician is to be respected and listened carefully to.” Plus four more.

• Online Reputation Management Strategies for Physicians (Diagnostic Imaging)

Nearly half of consumers believe reputation is the leading factor when selecting a healthcare professional, so today’s physicians must be able navigate the tricky waters of online reputation. Here are five steps to yield results.

• Best and Worst Airlines for Holiday Travel (Forbes)

For the busy physician thinking of doing some traveling this holiday season, getting there happily is half the battle. “By the official statistics, almost one quarter of holiday flights arrived behind schedule. Some airlines, however, did much better than that.”