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The History, Practice and Future of Medicine

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Cutting for Stone

hartzog March 29, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

One of the most common surgeries in the pre-anesthetic era involved removal of bladder stones. Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, in her excellent blog, The Chirurge0ns Apprentice, provides a particularly gripping account of this procedure.

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The Importance of Empathy in Medicine

hartzog March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

Probably all of us want to be heard and understood by those around us. A challenge in medicine is to overcome our biases and approach patients who may be very different from you, both in terms of their background, their

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The Nation’s Health Dollar 2017: Where it Came From and Where it Went

hartzog February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

In 2017, the US spent $3.5 trillion or about 20% of GDP on health care.  These charts from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services explain there that money came from and how it was spent. Pie chart showing the

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Consolidation of Healthcare Systems Decreases the Quality of Care

hartzog February 11, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

There has been a tremendous consolidation of health care systems in the U.S. over the past decade.  This article reviews evidence that this consolidation is driving down the quality of care and describes some ways in which healthcare providers can

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Do you hate getting shots?

hartzog February 11, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

For those of you who have a strong aversion to getting shots, scientists are working on solutions.  A new device, Soma, that is ingested like a pill and then attaches itself to the wall of your stomach to inject medicines

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Why do drugs cost so much?

hartzog February 10, 2019 Uncategorized No Comments

According to a report from the PEW Charitable Trusts, spending on pharmaceuticals consumes somewhere between 10 and 17% of every healthcare dollar in the US.  Have you ever wondered why drugs cost so much?  This excellent article from the New

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    Recent Posts

    • Cutting for Stone
    • The Importance of Empathy in Medicine
    • The Nation’s Health Dollar 2017: Where it Came From and Where it Went
    • Consolidation of Healthcare Systems Decreases the Quality of Care
    • Do you hate getting shots?

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