MetaFilter posts tagged with medical

Harvard Study: Computers don't save hospitals money.

eleyna — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:40:39 -0800

Harvard Study: Computers don't save hospitals money. An article from Computerworld cites a clinical research study in the American Journal of Medicine. Four years of research finds that "the immense cost of installing and running hospital IT systems is greater than any expected cost savings." (Also on Wired and Slashdot.) “For 45 years or so, people have been claiming computers are going to save vast amounts of money and that the payoff was just around the corner,” he said. “So the first thing we need to do is stop claiming things there’s no evidence for. It’s based on vaporware and [hasn't been] shown to exist or shown to be true.”

Art from the heart (and nose, ear, etc.)

Kickstart70 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:41:38 -0800

CT Scan art - Radiologist Kai-hung Fung takes scans of our innards and makes them outwardly beautiful.

Double tall mocha and a vaporizer bowl, no whip cream

Burhanistan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:07:11 -0800

America’s First Cannabis Cafe Opens (at 4:20). [Via]

Without using the words “man” or “good,” can you please define what it means to be a good man?

Non Prosequitur — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:36:10 -0800

War Dances: “I wanted to call my father and tell him that a white man thought my brain was beautiful”. Sherman Alexie doing his thing in The New Yorker, excerpted from his upcoming book (early review; interview 1, 2.)

Patterns for the Color Blind

netbros — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:44:59 -0800

About 8% of the male population has some sort of color vision deficiency. The color blind are unable to clearly distinguish different colors of the spectrum, they tend to see colors in a limited range of hues. Because of this, the color blind have trouble with a lot of websites. The patterns and examples on We Are Color Blind help developers create websites the color deficient can use with minimal problems. Take a color vision test to see where you stand. 50 facts about color blindness.

The First Ripples of the Silver Tsunami

Acromion — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:18:53 -0800

Nearly 1 in 5 young adults is out of work. Student debt is the highest its ever been. With a 10 year job growth of negative 230,000 jobs, the pool of available jobs is the lowest its ever been as a ratio to available college grads. And even with this dwindling tax base, in order to sustain Medicare and Social Security by 2020, we will need to tax 1.5 workers for every retiree. The dominant media narrative now is focused on the racial tensions surrounding Obama's health care reform. But in reality, the strongest opposition to Obama now comes not from young whites, who stand to benefit the most from medical reform. It is largely from 'angry white seniors' who fear cuts in the their Medicare. Are you ready for the Silver Tsunami?

Eewww. Oh no! Ack. Omg.

nickyskye — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:21:00 -0800

Top 10 Disgusting Websites to Share With Friends: Bloody-Disgusting l The Internet Pathology Library for Medical Education and so much more.

Ex Voto

vronsky — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:42:29 -0800

Everyday Miracles: Medical Imagery in Ex-Votos "The expression of our relationship with illness is wonderfully illustrated in the ex-voto, a devotional painting giving thanks to a saint or deity for a miraculous healing or a blessing. The faithful have always used prayer to invoke the aid of saints as a means to heal the sick and end one's suffering. These devotional paintings are an individual's expression of thanks for the intercession of the divine in a crisis, a snapshot in time of illness and healing. They offer a rare opportunity to view health, healing, and illness through the hearts and minds of the ordinary person." Anatomy::Italian Tradition::Mexican Tradition::Early Medical Guides::Gallery (click for larger) More Mexican antique ex-votos H E R E [ some fav or ites]

Mother Courage and her Infuseion

Smedleyman — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:18:37 -0800

The Medill School of Journalism's Washington Program revealed its Pentagon Travel project last week (multimedia). Most privately paid for travel was found to be within the bounds of federal law, but some still show a clear conflict of interest. Key findings: From 1998 through 2007, sources outside the federal government paid for more than 22,000 trips worth at least $26 million. The medical industry paid for more travel than any other outside interest — more than $10 million for some 8,700 trips, or about 40 percent of all outside sponsored travel. Among the targets: military pharmacists, doctors, and others who administer the Pentagon’s $6 billion-plus annual budget for prescription drugs. Medill acquired 10 years worth of trip data and partnered with the Center for Public Integrity to form a searchable database which includes destination, date, sponsor, sponsor nationality, cost of trip or agency.

We release our poisions like Styrofoam- Fugazi

Lucubrator — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:31:07 -0800

Omega-3 fats are considered highly beneficial for the body. It may be important to take supplements because our bodies don't create it naturally. A nurse however, recently discovered that some supplements can make holes on Styrofoam cups.

Is There Nothing Lobbyists Can't Do?

expriest — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:33:54 -0800

FDA says your company's medical device isn't safe to market? No problem. Just hire a lobbyist. Afraid of being sued? Don't worry. The Supreme Court says you are immune.

This is what normal human genitalia look like

cybercoitus interruptus — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 09:04:15 -0800

Variations in normal human genitalia. All links NSFW. Breasts (of women who have not given birth; of women who have), vulvae, and penises. Previously, erection photos. The "vulvae" and "penises" links are from the UK's channel4embarrassingillnesses.com, which offers videos and articles addressing embarrassing body questions. There's an anatomy flash game, too.

Everyone's Favorite Upstart Mom-and-Pop Search Engine Tries to Yank Watchdog's Funding

univac — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:57:24 -0800

Bob Boorstin, Google's Director of Policy Communications, wrote a letter to the Rose Foundation, suggesting that the foundation stop funding Consumer Watchdog, an outspoken Google critic. Google later apologized for sending the letter. The latest accusations involve claims that Google lobbied Congress to gain the ability to profit from the sale of electronic medical records, a claim that Google denies. Consumer Watchdog countered that Google should back up its denial by fully disclosing its lobbying efforts.

Sombody Deserves a Break Today

thisisdrew — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:05:51 -0800

Be a hero on your own time (VIDEO) When McDonald's employee Nigel Haskett interceded to stop a man who was beating a woman in the restaurant, the assailant went outside, retrieved a gun from his car and shot Haskett – “multiple times,” as the employee stood at the door to keep the assailant from re-entering the restaurant. $300,000 in medical bills later, McDonald's insurance says no dice: "we have denied this claim in its entirety as it is our opinion that Mr. Haskett's injuries did not arise out of or within the course and scope of his employment."

...the intrinsic vitality of the human organism.

orthogonality — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:08:10 -0800

Human fat was supposed to alleviate rheumatism and arthritis, while a paste made from corpses was believed to help against contusions.... For some Protestants,... , it served as a sort of substitute for the Eucharist, or the tasting of the body of Christ in Holy Communion. Some monks even cooked "a marmalade of sorts" from the blood of the dead.
. . . . The assumption was that all organisms have a predetermined life span. If a body died in an unnatural way, the remainder of that person's life could be harvested, as it were -- hence the preference for the executed.... In 1492, when Pope Innocent VIII was on his deathbed, his doctors bled three boys and had the pope drink their blood. The boys died, and so did the pope.

When we read about Burundians and Tanzanians murdering albinos to make "medicine" of their victims, we should not forget that European Medical Cannabalism was an accepted practice as late as the 18th Century.

Articles to tickle your humerus.

kldickson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:53:22 -0800

The Canadian Medical Association Journal's archive of humorous medical articles. See, for example, why Pooh needs help, why Tintin needs a dose of HGH, and an exhortation to abolish the law of gravity.

BMJ Christmas Issue

alby — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:49:08 -0800

Every year the British Medical Journal publishes a less-than-serious Christmas edition. This year's edition includes:

[sort of via]

HHS baits, switches

casarkos — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:42:20 -0800

Not just for religious pharmacists anymore: the Department of Health and Human Services proposes a rule that protects anyone who refuses to provide medical services on moral or religious grounds. Missing from this final draft is (previously discussed) language that defined birth control devices as abortions - which could leave doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and other healthcare workers free to define abortion however they want. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt says their consciences are protected under the First Amendment.

Suicide by intracerebellar ballpoint pen and other fascinating tales from PubMed

madamjujujive — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:15:57 -0800

A Good Poop is an entertaining blog by an occupational and environmental health student who enjoys finding oddities in medical and scientific research from PubMed. (via Look at This...)

“The counter-argument to that, which I concurred with, was that this is a medical textbook that could save lives.”

orthogonality — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:58:03 -0800

“I’m ashamed to say that there were folks even in the medical department who said, Over my dead body will American civilians see this”

Appendicitis In Popular Culture

cashman — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:03:57 -0800

Medpedia is coming. "In association with Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine, Berkeley School of Public Health, University of Michigan Medical School and other leading global health organizations, the Medpedia community seeks to create the most comprehensive and collaborative medical resource in the world." Apply to contribute content. "Only M.D.s, Ph.D.s in a biomedical field and people with medical credentials will be allowed to contribute to Medpedia." "How is Medpedia different from Wikipedia?" "Medpedia is also receiving content and cooperation from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other government research groups."

Do no harm?

Paid In Full — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:51:28 -0800

To treat, or not to treat? Samuel Golubchuk is 84 years old, in a coma on life support in a Winnipeg hospital, and the subject of ethical, religious, and legal debates. Three doctors have refused to continue providing care, while one has stepped in, potentially keeping the intensive care unit in operation.

The Cover America Tour

cashman — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:50:56 -0800

4 months, 48 states, 3 full-time staff living and working out of a 31-foot Winnebago. "The Cover America Tour aims to put a face on the problems Americans are experiencing and to make sure their voices are heard as the debate over health care reform heats up." Meet Blake, Pauline & Meg (Consumer Reports) and talk about your health care issue or just follow past and upcoming stops along the route on the blog. Suggest a stop in your city or view pictures.

Caution or deception?

nax — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:24:44 -0800

A Planned Parenthood health center opened its doors to patients [in October], two weeks later than planned, after anti-abortion activists raised questions about how it received its building permits. Planned Parenthood is claiming victory, but :prolife/antiabortion: activitists are still smarting. But is the Aurora clinic just about abortions, or is it filling an unmet need in one of the largest population centers in Illinois? Illinois is ground zero for :prolife/antiabortion: activism

Big healthcare is watching.

uaudio — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:50:06 -0800

A new medical bill payment reporting system called MedFICO is said to be going live this summer. This system is being developed by the health care industry in an effort to judge a patient's ability to pay. Healthcare Analytics, a healthcare actuarial company, is developing the score in conjunction with Tenet Healthcare, credit scoring company Fair Issac, and venture capitalists. On one hand, it could lead to better and affordable pricing models based on ability to pay. On the other more likely and frightening hand, hospitals may deny your care based on previous inability to pay, pay on time, or keep medical billing errors off your record. After all, the corporate, for-profit hospitals have a responsibility to their shareholders. Federal law mandates that no hospital can deny your emergency care. But if you need to have a colonoscopy and have a few late payments to your allergist, will you now have to shop around for hospitals that are 'willing to take a chance' on you paying them?