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How To Make Meaningful Use Of Social Media

I know this woman – a physician.  She spends a lot of time on Twitter.  She has a Tumblr presence but it’s sparse and not very memorable.  All day long she polishes her Twitter presence.  She’s everyone’s friend.  And to her credit she’s a wonderful curator.  We caught up recently and she wanted to know how she could bring herself to the next level.  Despite her time and investment in the latest real-time social tools she felt that her ideas didn’t get the traction that they deserved.

Here’s what I suggested:  Twitter works for interaction and dissemination.  But ultimately you have to create the stuff that defines you.  Retrievable text, video and audio is where your ideas will live.

It’s about content, not Klout.  You can share and engage, but it’s what you make that lasts.

*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*

How Your Diet Might Interfere With Prescription Medications


When people talk about prescription medications, everyone is familiar with the concept of side effects from medication. But, did you know that there are things in your diet that may interfere with your prescription medication?

In addition, your prescription medication may interfere with over the counter medications. In this video, there are two interviews recorded on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 on local TV news. If you find the information above helpful, I invite you to check out other TV interviews on medical/health issues at MikeSevilla.TV

*This blog post was originally published at Family Medicine Rocks Blog - Mike Sevilla, MD*

NPO Allows Medical Professionals To Get Feedback On Rare Health Problems

Human Health Project is  a non-profit organization funded by donations aiming at giving feedback on medical cases uploaded by medical professionals. Here is the description:

The Human Health Project began in California in 2006 as a non-profit organization when its founder, Dr. Phil Harrington, M.D., decided to create a platform for medical professionals to discuss rare and unusual health problems. The idea came from personal experience – for three years he went from doctor to doctor and struggled to find a diagnosis for his own illness. Even with access to modern healthcare and a background in medicine, the answers were still elusive, and the process was frustrating. For someone without the same access to healthcare, such as a patient in a developing nation, the challenge would have been even greater. This experience was telling of the lack of integration among the medical sciences and sparked the idea for the Human Health Project.

*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*

The Next Generation Of Medical Education Tools: Prezi Bests PowerPoint

I made my first PowerPoint presentation in 1997, and actually used Microsoft’s application to prepare 35mm Kodachrome slides for a carousel projector. Since then, I’ve seen thousands of PowerPoint presentations (and a few dozen Keynotes), and had a hand in creating many, myself.

Not since a conference a decade ago have I needed to make Kodachrome slides. Yet almost everyone still uses software built around printing slides, making a linear progression of topics. The impact of this format on human thought is substantial — PowerPoint was fingered as contributing to the Columbia disaster and has spawned a lot of discussion and linkage, even here, regarding effective communication (probably all conceived of during dull PowerPoint presentations).

While compelling presentations are possible with Powerpoint (using the Lessig Method, for example) those kinds of talks require planning, and a mastery of the material. And some great stock photos. My experience in school and training is that the PowerPoint is often made as the presenter is learning the content and so is bound to lack the organization and expertise necessary for a Lessig-style presentation. People procrastinate about public speaking, and when crunch time comes it’s just too easy to flip through a a textbook, call up a Pubmed abstract, and churn out another verbose PowerPoint slide. With practice, it’s possible to whittle down the number of words and bullets per slide — but who has time for that? Much easier to read the talk from the slide itself. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Blogborygmi*

Homeopathy: Why Is The Canadian Government Regulating A Scam?

Regular readers of the Better Health blog are familiar with the shoddy science behind homeopathy (an outdated system of “medical” treatment that relies on water dilution and shaking to ‘”strengthen” the effects of drugs). But because homeopathic placebos have been marketed so successfully (even receiving paid endorsements from hockey teams), the Ontario government has decided to regulate homeopathic practices.

In this terrific news exposé, reporters ask if it’s appropriate for the government to regulate health scams. In doing so, are they not lending credibility to modern-day snake oil? Check out these videos and let me know what you think. Is there a roll for government in regulating homeopathy?

Part 1:  

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Latest Interviews

The Surprising Economic Burden Of ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser It is estimated that as many as million U.S. adults have ADHD Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A recent research study publication-pending suggests that the economic burden of ADHD on America could be as high as billion annually. I…

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Is The Adderall Shortage A Harbinger Of Future Drug Supply Problems?

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser Today most- if not all- Doctor’s offices are strained by the shortage of some prescription medication or vaccine. A month ago President Obama signed his executive order directing the FDA to take steps to reduce drug shortages…

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Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: The First Step To Improve Health Care Is A Close Examination Of How It’s Delivered

My friend and former Chair of the CFAH Board of Trustees Doug Kamerow has written a book that I think you will like. Besides being a mensch and witty as heck Doug is a family doctor and a preventive medicine specialist. In his new book Dissecting American Health Care Commentaries…

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“Your Medical Mind” Explores Factors That Influence A Patient’s Medical Decisions

Recently I had a conversation with Shannon Brownlee the widely respected science journalist and acting director of the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation about whether men should continue to have access to the PSA test for prostate cancer screening despite the overwhelming evidence that it extends few…

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Book Review: Food Truths, Food Lies

Food Truths Food Lies written by family physician Eric Marcotte M.D. may be the most refreshingly evidence-based diet book of the decade. You will not find a single mention of super-foods magical berries or supplement must-haves in the entire book. What you will find is the cold hard truth about…

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