Tips for Talking to Patients About STDs
Let’s face it – sex is an awkward thing to talk about with just anyone. Even though you’re the doctor and they’re the patient, there’s still this uncomfortableness when it comes to initiating a conversation about sex. Should you wait for them to mention it or should you bring it up first? How should you ask them questions about their sexual health without being too pushy? What’s the appropriate level of humor to use during this...
6 Common Ethical Issues in Healthcare that Physicians Face
Physicians face numerous ethical issues on a daily basis, ranging from serious to minor dilemmas. When faced with an ethical question, what is a physician’s proper response? Keep reading to find out some of the most common ethical issues in healthcare that physicians may face on a day to day basis and how to handle them correctly. 6 Common Ethical Issues in Healthcare 1. Sharing end-of-life news with patients One of the most...
How Do You Know if Medical Research is Reliable?
Perhaps you read studies published by a Harvard doctor claiming that damaged heart muscle could be regenerated with stem cells. Well, it turns out that despite 31 published studies, the data was not true. The New York Times reported this week that the research was conducted by Dr. Piero Anversa, and charges against him include submitting fraudulent data to the government in order to get research funding. Anversa agreed to pay a...
Gardasil Vaccine Controversy | What Doctors Should Know
A new advancement in medicine will have some up in arms and revive the age-old Gardasil vaccine controversy. This month, the Federal Drug Administration has expanded the age in which patients can receive the vaccine for human papillomavirus. The HPV vaccine, known as Gardasil, originally was approved for use in 2006 for certain strains of HPV and was only available to women. That version of the shot is no longer available in the...
10 Terrifying Vintage Medical Tools
Thinking about scalpels and amputation knives is enough to make most people cringe. However, healthcare workers used many of these painful tools late into the 19th century. Some variations of the tools made their way into present-day operating rooms. Although healthcare has come a long way, with technology drastically improving the medical tools we use and the types of procedures we can perform, it wasn’t always so kind. Whether...