Should Clinicans Give Recommendations?
August 20, 2011
I was taught to give recommendations to seriously ill patients and family members facing tough choices. This was probably best…
Are Antidepressants Ineffective for the Treatment of Depression in Dementia?
August 4, 2011
Depression is the most common mood disorder in elderly individuals with Alzheimer disease, with prevalence rates somewhere between 15% to…
Matchless: Residents Left in the Lurch
August 1, 2011
Over the last two weeks I have had four different second year residents from several institutions ask me about when…
What’s in a name? How do you explain “palliative care”?
July 27, 2011
It’s July, and that means teaching new fellows how to explain palliative care to patients and family members. For inpatient…
The Medicare Hospice Benefit: A Challenge to the Concerns About the Rise in Cost
July 20, 2011
I was very disappointed with the recent New York Times Article “Concerns About Costs Rise With Hospices’ Use.” The article…
Decisions on Feeding Tubes in Advanced Dementia
July 12, 2011
There is probably no one disease that so fully encompasses the intersection between geriatrics and palliative care as doesadvanced dementia…
Pain Poetry
July 2, 2011
It’s July, and that means new housestaff, students, and fellows. Interns, fresh from medical school, and newly minted residents. Medical students…
New Restrictions on Financial Conflicts of Interest in CME
June 24, 2011
As reported in The Carlat Psychiatry Blog, the American Medical Association recently approved a report that may have substantial impacts…
Get Out the Vote GeriPal Style II
June 16, 2011
“Hospice Care” is up against “Institute for Healthcare Improvement” (IHI) in the ModernHealthcare finals! OK, it’s kind of a ridiculous idea. …
Look SHARP
June 14, 2011
(well, maybe not) Last week, results of the SHARP trialwere released with great fanfare. In this study, investigators randomized over…