Talking Points
Münchausen by internet — how one woman fooled millions
Australian blogger Belle Gibson has been exposed for fabricating a tragic cancer story that brought her fame and riches: various publishing contracts and large donations to a ‘charity’ which she plundered. But Gibson’s strange behaviour is not that unusual – faking disease in return for online fame is now a recognised medical condition.ER doctor grieving
It’s grainy, it’s blurred. But a paramedic’s touching photograph of a Californian ER doctor doubled over, taking a moment to compose himself after losing a 19-year-old patient, has gone viral.
‘Hearing that a family member has died is such an awful and wrenching experience for the relative that it's easy to forget the emotional toll that must be taken by doctors sharing the news,’ wrote The Independent, London. Qatar Day wrote ‘It's easy to forget the incredible work doctors are doing every single day.’‘White plasma’ — commercialising breast milk
Breast milk, that most ancient and fundamental of nourishments, is becoming an industrial commodity, and one of the newest frontiers of the biotechnology industry — even as concerns abound over this fast-growing business, writes The New York Times.Changing face of healthcare industry
New entrants and established players are racing to create the next generation of medical products and services, writes Strategy+Business.
Increasing numbers of consumers are willing to abandon traditional care venues for more affordable and convenient alternatives. Many would choose at-home or retail options for more than a dozen medical conditions or procedures such as self-diagnosing ailments with kits.Lessons from CROI 2015
Dr Joel Gallant immediate past chair of the HIV Medicine Association, has spoken about five important lessons learned at the CROI 2015 conference on the prevention of HIV and the future clinical implications of some of the major studies that were presented, reports Healio.30-day mortality: The pressure of statistics
There is growing criticism of 30-day mortality as a measure of surgical success, writes The New York Times. 'That seemingly innocuous metric may actually undermine appropriate care, especially for older adult.''Lie back and think of your career' – Ozz surgeon
A senior surgeon in Australia has triggered controversy after telling junior female doctors to go along with sexual abuse at work for the sake of their careers.Official NHS calculator predicts your heart attack
Britain’s NHS has launched a controversial calculator which predicts when you will have a heart attack or stroke - and compares a person’s ‘heart age’ with their biological age. But some critics raised concerns about the accuracy of a 'blunt tool' which tells every Briton they will have a heart attack or stroke one day, when many will not, and raised fears that the tool could be used to push millions more people into taking medication.Anti-abortionIst confused about female anatomy
An United States politician asked a testifying physician testifying before a House State Affairs Committee whether a woman could have a remote gynaecological exam by swallowing a tiny camera. The doctor explained that items swallowed do not end up in the vagina.Cause of suffering decisive in euthanasia
More than 85% of Dutch doctors would help a patient die, while 60% said they had done so. Around 1 in 3 said they would consider it if a patient were suffering from early dementia or mental illness. This is according to a VU University Amsterdam study that surveyed almost 1,500 doctors.The issue of 'googling' patients
The practice of ‘googling’ others may be ubiquitous in most fields, but it is an unresolved dilemma for professional medical bodies, write the authors of a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.Judge: 'Therapeutic sterilisation … not eugenics'
A British mother-of-six with learning disabilities can be sterilised, a judge has ruled. Health authority and social services bosses had asked him to authorise forced entry into the woman’s home, the use of 'necessary restraint' and sterilisation, at a hearing in the Court of Protection – where issues relating to sick and vulnerable people are examined.SA’s Health minister and opposition MP slug it out over forensic failures
The operation of the national Health Department’s Forensic Chemistry Laboratories (FCL) has developed into a fiery exchange of public statements between Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and the Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Wilmot James after the opposition MP was denied access to the Durban FCL.Cape Town wants clarity on e-cigarettes
Cape Town says it will escalate its efforts for legislative clarity on the wide range of alternative smoking devices and habits that have become commonplace in SA, including the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), reports Business Day. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that initial public enthusiasm for e-cigarettes is waning among health and quality concerns.