Highlights from ACP Internist and
ACP Hospitalist
ACP Internist (formerly ACP Observer) April 2009
- Do placebos have a place in clinical practice?
Placebos, and the placebo effect, have been discussed in the medical research community for decades, thanks to a number of studies that suggest they may have real and measurable effects on certain conditions. Yet it was a different sort of study, one that found placebo use among physicians is fairly common, that recently brought the issue from the lab to the physician's office. - Internist searches for answers when test results go missing
Mishandling of an abnormal test result is a common health care-related error that results in diagnosis and treatment delays. The commentator considers a case study illustrating that while admitting to mistakes is difficult, doing so may relieve stress, foster patient forgiveness, promote trust, improve practice (such as by adopting systems that prevent errors) and reduce litigation. - Unraveling autism's many causes, spread across the genome
Despite the 90% heritability of autism, suggesting a very strong genetic component to its etiology, zeroing in on the genetic underpinnings of this disorder has been very challenging. - Stroke 2009: The timing is right, and possibly expandable, for giving tPA
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was the star of the show at this year's International Stroke Conference 2009, with much discussion of expanding its treatment window, and several studies presented on gender differences in tPA treatment.
ACP Hospitalist March 2009
- Surgical co-management done right: Making a difference without catching the scut
Anyone who follows trends in hospital medicine knows that surgical comanagement is big. The more important question: Can they tell you what it is? - Mindful Medicine: Melding intuition with deliberation to sidestep diagnostic traps
Cognitive science posits two systems of thought, the intuitive and the deliberative. Intuition occurs rapidly, largely beneath the surface of conscious thought. Deliberation occurs more slowly and is consciously analytical. Both kinds of thinking are critical in medicine. - Creating a better discharge summary: is standardization the answer?
The discharge summary is a vital tool for transferring information between the hospitalist and primary care physician, but it isn't always given the priority it deserves.
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