February 2017

How the Internet and the “Age of Personal Beliefs” Threatens the Integrity of Medical Institutions Part II: Ramifications of Self-Diagnosis and Ways to Avoid its Risks

  Though the ease of the internet’s diagnostic abilities may be appealing – and completely appropriate for seeking home remedies for something like a cold sore – the spread of misinformation and misinterpretation through online medical sites and chat groups can have serious consequences. Beyond weakening patient-doctor relationships and causing unnecessary stress, as discussed in

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How the Internet and the “Age of Personal Beliefs” Threatens the Integrity of Medical Institutions Part I: Losing Sight of the Facts

As the plethora of information available to modern Americans envelopes us, so too does the increasing desire to distrust it. Anyone can have an audience and a platform, and while this can certainly be beneficial, it also makes it more difficult to sift through intentions, biases, and sources that may or may not be accurate.

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The Opioid Epidemic: A Breakdown of one of America’s Top Public Health Problems

The Opioid Epidemic: A Breakdown of one of America’s Top Public Health Problems   When a doctor prescribes a medication, the expectation of both patient and physician is that that prescription will better a patient’s condition; what if it instead complicates it? More alarmingly, what if that prescription causes a distressing, life-altering addiction that threatens

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Breaking News Honestly but Softly: 8 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations with Patients and Families

Breaking News Honestly but Softly: 8 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations with Patients and Families   One of the heaviest responsibilities weighing upon medical professionals is that of informing patients and their families of life-limiting diagnoses. Though effective and accurate communication skills are essential to nurses’ and physicians’ daily routines, practitioners receive very little formal

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