Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Patients And Their Apple Watches Present Doctors With A Mixed Bag Of Data
USA Today: How Doctors Really Feel About Data From Your Apple Watch, Fitbit
It's clear that consumers love wearables and the information they provide – but do physicians? Doctors have mixed views on how patients gather and present information from gadgets with quasi-medical aspirations. Most say its a plus that patients can collect and curate more health-related data than ever before. However, bringing printed out pages of calories burned or counted steps to your next check-up isn't exactly advised. (Brown, 8/14)
Modern Healthcare: 1 In 7 Internal Medicine Residents Are Bullied
Approximately 1 in 7 internal medicine physicians reported being bullied during their residency training, according to a new study. The study, published Tuesday in JAMA, analyzed survey results from more than 21,000 internal medical trainees who took the 2016 Internal Medicine In-Training Examination and found 14% of respondents reported experiencing bullying during their residency. (Johnson, 8/13)
Houston Chronicle: Doctors Unaware Of Where Their Patients Live Impacts Care
Family physicians have little idea where their patients actually live, according to a new study, and that’s a major shortcoming given recent evidence showing the health impact of a person’s environment. The study, published online Monday in the Annals of Family Medicine, is being touted by the University of Houston College of Medicine, whose planned medical school will emphasize more community-oriented delivery of health care. One of its doctors was an investigator on the study. (Ackerman, 8/13)
The New York Times: How False Beliefs In Physical Racial Difference Still Live In Medicine Today
Today Cartwright’s 1851 paper reads like satire, Hamilton’s supposedly scientific experiments appear simply sadistic and, last year, a statue commemorating Sims in New York’s Central Park was removed after prolonged protest that included women wearing blood-splattered gowns in memory of Anarcha, Betsey, Lucy and the other enslaved women he brutalized. And yet, more than 150 years after the end of slavery, fallacies of black immunity to pain and weakened lung function continue to show up in modern-day medical education and philosophy. ... Recent data also shows that present-day doctors fail to sufficiently treat the pain of black adults and children for many medical issues. A 2013 review of studies examining racial disparities in pain management published in The American Medical Association Journal of Ethics found that black and Hispanic people — from children with appendicitis to elders in hospice care — received inadequate pain management compared with white counterparts. (Villarosa, 8/14)
