‘Three Identical Strangers’: The high cost of experimentation without ethics
On Sunday night, CNN will air “Three Identical Strangers,” a documentary about an experiment in which adopted twins and triplets were secretly separated. Viewers will probably be appalled as they learn about the emotional damage these individuals experienced as a result of their forced separation. But this medical experiment was not exceptional: It was just […]
How Americans Learned to Condemn Drunk Driving
At a traffic safety conference in 1980, a Californian named Candy Lightner delivered her first public speech about a 13-year-old freckle-faced girl who had recently been killed by a drunk driver with several previous convictions. At the conclusion of her talk, she announced, “That girl was my daughter.” As Lightner later wrote, the press ran […]
Fat Nation Changed How I Talk to My Patients About Obesity
A couple of years ago, I wrote a purposely provocative post for the New York Times’ Well blog arguing that it was reasonable for physicians to discuss serious health issues with their patients without first asking permission to do so. Unfortunately, the editors titled the piece, “Can We Talk About Your Weight?” which perhaps implied […]
When Your ‘Regular Doctor’ Could Be Anyone
“Will you be my regular doctor?” a new patient seeing me in my primary care clinic asked. “Sort of,” I honestly answered. She looked back at me quizzically. “Technically speaking I will be your doctor,” I explained. “But you may have trouble scheduling an appointment with me and may have to see another doctor here […]
The Trap of Treatment Dogma
New research showing that certain women with early-stage breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy has created understandable excitement: Avoiding the side effects of chemotherapy without compromising one’s prognosis is highly appealing for women diagnosed with this difficult disease. Interestingly, such an approach would have been of little surprise to a group of largely […]
The Death of the Doctor’s Dog
Our dog’s brain tumor had worsened to the point that she was restless at all times and often walked in circles. She had mostly stopped eating and was partially blind. Like so many pet owners, our family finally decided to intervene rather than having “nature take its course.” Akeela, our beloved boxer, had had her […]
Falling Asleep At The Wheel: A Confession
It turns out that I have something in common with Anson Williams, who played Potsie Weber on the long-running 1970s television show “Happy Days.” No, not that we were both nerds in high school, he fictional and I actual. Both Williams and I have fallen asleep while driving and narrowly averted a major crash. Nov. 5-12, […]
Whoa, Tiger! Early Thoughts About Tiger Woods’ DUI
While details are still forthcoming, Tiger Woods has been arrested on the charge of driving under the influence (DUI). It’s hard to think of another public health problem that has gotten so much attention, that is so avoidable and that yet still persists. What are some of the likely reasons that Woods did what he […]
Should Hospitals Be Upbeat?
Would you appreciate being cheerfully greeted when you step into your local clinic or hospital? How do you feel about signs announcing, “It’s a great day,” replete with stickers and hearts, on an inpatient ward? And what about a passageway between two hospital buildings labeled the “Compassion Tunnel”? The Affordable Care Act is in trouble […]
John Bailar’s Righteous Attack on the “War on Cancer”
When then-President Richard Nixon launched the “war on cancer” in 1971, there was no more admirable cause to support. The dreaded disease was the second leading cause of death that year for Americans, after heart disease, and has maintained that spot for decades. Yet John C. Bailar III, a physician and epidemiologist who died in […]