Yesterday I received something in the mail about how I might be judged by certain “Quality Indicators”, such as my patients’ mammography rate. This struck me as very odd, since just a few weeks ago the U.S. Public Health Service Taskforce...

I said no when Nora Williams asked me to order a CA 125 blood test the other day. She is worried about ovarian cancer, not because of any family history, but because she, in her own words, just has the worst luck. She is an anxious woman, and I would...

Several patients Wednesday made me reflect on how fortunate I am to be doing what I do for a living. There was the young man with chest pain, skin problems and unusually long fingers. Could it be that he had a syndrome I have never diagnosed...

Can you imagine a doctor telling a heart attack survivor: “That was a close call, but I’m glad you made it. I’ll see you next time you have one. Oh, by the way, you might want to watch that cholesterol.” I thought not. Yet, that is how most...

Mrs. Jarvis seemed almost exasperated with my questions. She had told me all her symptoms a couple of times and I had asked several follow-up questions. Between our first and second visit she had gone for several tests, but I could not make a unified...