The members of our armed forces dedicate their lives to a cause that puts them squarely in the path of danger on a more a less daily basis. We reward them for this service with the promise of advancement opportunity, continuing education, and the chance to travel the world. Take care of the family, and [...]
The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) has it all; a catchy backstory, a legitimate purpose, and some impressive real-world results. The brainchild of Dr. Peter Kim, STAR has been in development for years. Recently, a team of researchers led by Kim oversaw the robot perform successful open-bowel surgery on pigs. None of the patients suffered [...]
In the past, we’ve written about how difficult it can be to find information about a doctor or surgeon. In part, the lack of information is due to privacy laws, but overly strict non-disclosure clauses in medical malpractice cases and the closed-mouth medical community contributes to the problem. New resources are becoming available that can [...]
In 1986, Dr. Hershel Jick wrote a single paragraph letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. In it, he wrote that less than 1% of opioid users would become physically dependent or addicted. His statistic wasn’t wrong, it was merely misrepresented; Dr. Jick was referring to patients who were carefully monitored [...]
Last month, we wrote about the Tennessee Medical Association’s push for a constitutional amendment to cap non-economic damage awards for medical malpractice cases. While researching the subject matter, we discovered a much more disturbing proposal backed by a so-called “patient advocacy group” based in Georgia. The non-profit group, called Patients for Fair Compensation, purports to [...]
Having a child is many things: wondrous and scary and exhilarating and upsetting and a thousand other feelings. Children are a part of you, but a part of you that you can’t fully control and worry about constantly. For many, the safety fears of the early years go unrealized. For a very few, those worst [...]
The Tennessee Medical Association is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would cap non-economic damage awards for medical malpractice cases. Amending the state constitution is no small feat; it requires ratification by a two-thirds vote by two General Assemblies and voter approval thereafter. Needless to say, it’s an uphill battle. The deluded thinking that leads [...]
As Xarelto lawsuits move forward, new information about the clinical trials of the blood thinner is coming to light. At the heart of the controversy is a blood-testing device used during clinical trials that was later recalled for faulty results. While independent reviews of the clinical trials insist that the results were unchanged by the [...]
DePuy (pronounced DePew) Orthopaedics began a new phase of research in the late 1990s; more and more hip replacements were being performed on younger patients, and the company was looking to create a more durable product with a longer lifespan. Research and development efforts introduced a family of products starting in 2000 that had great [...]
Last November, we began a six-part series on how researchers are bridging the tech gap by integrating new technologies to make our lives better and safer. In the not too distant future, our healthcare system will be challenged to accommodate the growing needs of an aging population. With new tech comes new hope. According to [...]
