Medicine
If you've been reading this blog for long, you are probably aware of my skepticism about health care rankings in general, whether these rankings are of hospitals, medical schools, or doctors. Staying true to form, I would advise you to take with a grain of salt U.S. News & World Report's just-released Top Doctors, which purports to identify the top primary care and specialist physicians across the U.S., based on a peer nomination process.
- "top Doctors": Who Are They -- And Who Are They Not Necessarily?
. I have written about the US News and World Report ratings of “Best Medical Schools” (Rankings of Medical Schools: Do they tell us anything?, Sept 25, 2009; A New Way of Ranking Medical Schools: Social Mission, June 20, 2010). Another popular concept...
- Rankings Of Medical Schools: Do They Tell Us Anything?
. Often it appears that Americans are obsessed by “rankings”. I am not talking about which is the best: car, TV, stereo, video game, and all the other consumer products we buy, and which are evaluated and often ranked by various organizations such...
- Common Sense Family Doctor Turns Two: Top Posts
On Sunday, Common Sense Family Doctor will celebrate its second birthday! Many thanks to those of you who have been reading this blog since my very first post, as well as those who started reading sometime along the way. As an early birthday present for...
- Does Your Doctor Understand Your Health Beliefs?
As a family physician, I've found that patients' individual health beliefs often play a big role in important decisions such as starting a new medication or undergoing an invasive test or procedure. Some patients were more willing to endure potentially...
- Medical School Rankings Are A Means, Not An End
Two weeks ago, I asked, "Where will new primary care docs come from?" A group of researchers from George Washington University has provided an answer in this week's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. In response to the U.S. News and World Report...
Medicine
Reasons to visit U.S. News & World Report's "Top Doctors"
If you've been reading this blog for long, you are probably aware of my skepticism about health care rankings in general, whether these rankings are of hospitals, medical schools, or doctors. Staying true to form, I would advise you to take with a grain of salt U.S. News & World Report's just-released Top Doctors, which purports to identify the top primary care and specialist physicians across the U.S., based on a peer nomination process.
Still, it's well worth visiting the Top Doctors page to read some excellent patient-oriented pieces on "How to Find the Right Doctor," "How to Maximize a Doctor Visit," and "9 Signs You Should Fire Your Doctor," which include advice from me as well as prominent health experts such as Dr. Carolyn Clancy, my former boss at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Finally, you can also check out my latest Healthcare Headaches blog post on "Decoding Doctor-Speak: Translations of Common Medical Terms."
- "top Doctors": Who Are They -- And Who Are They Not Necessarily?
. I have written about the US News and World Report ratings of “Best Medical Schools” (Rankings of Medical Schools: Do they tell us anything?, Sept 25, 2009; A New Way of Ranking Medical Schools: Social Mission, June 20, 2010). Another popular concept...
- Rankings Of Medical Schools: Do They Tell Us Anything?
. Often it appears that Americans are obsessed by “rankings”. I am not talking about which is the best: car, TV, stereo, video game, and all the other consumer products we buy, and which are evaluated and often ranked by various organizations such...
- Common Sense Family Doctor Turns Two: Top Posts
On Sunday, Common Sense Family Doctor will celebrate its second birthday! Many thanks to those of you who have been reading this blog since my very first post, as well as those who started reading sometime along the way. As an early birthday present for...
- Does Your Doctor Understand Your Health Beliefs?
As a family physician, I've found that patients' individual health beliefs often play a big role in important decisions such as starting a new medication or undergoing an invasive test or procedure. Some patients were more willing to endure potentially...
- Medical School Rankings Are A Means, Not An End
Two weeks ago, I asked, "Where will new primary care docs come from?" A group of researchers from George Washington University has provided an answer in this week's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. In response to the U.S. News and World Report...