ICYMI (That’s “in case you missed it”, for the less-hip reader – Dave): Yesterday was a big day in patient liberation. The BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal) devoted an entire edition to people-powered medical care. Here’s Dave’s complete list of the 21 articles(!): “Big BMJ supplement on Patient Centred Care”
Doximity data on doc income: Transparency is spreading across all parts of healthcare, including MD salaries for various specialties across the US, courtesy of Doximity, which calls itself “LinkedIn for Doctors.” The Atlantic has the 411: “What Doctors Make”
Paying for the unaffordable: When you get hit with a healthcare sideswipe, like cancer or a stroke, the costs of care can ramp up pretty quick. If you’re uninsured, or under-insured, paying for care can be a steep hill to climb. Many people in that situation are taking to crowdfunding their medical care, according to this NY Times piece. “Managing Health Costs With Crowdfunding” (But be sure what you’re donating to is legit – there’s a lot of controversy around “Hannah’s Fund” fraud imitators on GoFundMe. – Dave)
Precision Medicine, Take 1: Moving from “one size fits all” medicine to what I (Casey) call “snowflake medicine” will require some serious DNA assay assembly. This piece from MIT Technology Review talks about Take 1 on that idea. “U.S. to Develop DNA Study of One Million People”
From the “This Should Be Obvious” desk: In a 2007 study published in the journal Health Services Research, the question of patient activation as a motivating factor in self-management of chronic conditions was raised. Their research concluded “maybe” … but we’d love to see a follow-up in the current age of quantified-self tracking. “Do Increases in Patient Activation Result in Improved Self-Management Behaviors?”
Mission Possible: On his “Musings of a Distractible Mind blog,” one of our favorite family doctors, Rob Lamberts, talks about his mission to transform medical practice, with his own practice as ground zero. He doesn’t take insurance, his is a direct-care practice. Think more “country doctor” than “Royal Pains.” Here’s his take on the team he’s working with to drive change at ground level. “The Mission”