March (pending)

  February
  Medicine's Ethical Responsibility for Health Care Reform — The Top Five List
   Howard Brody, M.D., Ph.D., The New England Journal of Medicine, January 28, 2010
         Dr. Brody spoke to the New York Times this week about the editorial, in which he blasts
        physicians for "regional variations in costs." He points out that if doctors in high-cost
        regions would only order tests and treatments in similar fashion to their low-cost region
        colleagues, one-third of healthcare costs could be saved without sacrificing quality patient care.
        Instead of "exercising moral leadership" by suggesting ways to cut healthcare costs, even if it means
        losing money, doctors are "acting like one more special interest group,"  he says.

        January
        The Radiation Boom: Radiation Offers New Cures, and Ways to do Harm
        Walt Bogdanich, The New York Times, January 23, 2010
        The first of a series of articles on the benefits of radiation therapy and its capacity
        for harm. Errors in programming software are often the cause of patient injury.

        December
        War on Drugs
          Aaron M. Gilson, PhD, Medscape Internal Medicine, December 23, 2009
        Yet another commentary on the DEA's "war" on physician that prescribe
        controlled substances for pain.

        Doctor and Patient: Holding Doctors Responsible for Medical Errors
          Pauline W. Chen, MD, The New York Times, December 17, 2009
        Dr. Robert Wachter of UCSF, noted expert on patient safety and promoter
        of changes in the system to avoid medical errors now takes on his fellow
        physicians, holding them accountable for many errors. He offers hand washing
        as an everyday example. The interview is conducted by the Times medical columnist, Dr. Chen.
        See also National Alert System to Prevent Harmful Medication Errors, Laurie Barclay, Medscape
        Medical News (Internal Medicine), December 28, 2009

       November
          FDA Seeks to Reduce Drug Dosage Errors
        Andrew Zajac, Los Angeles Times, November 5, 2009
        About 1.5 million preventable "adverse drug events" occur in the United States every year, according to a 
        2007 study by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences. Aside from the toll on
        health, the errors cost an estimated $4
        billion a year, the study found. The FDA called on doctors, other healthcare professionals and
        consumers to help identify drugs and circumstances that may be particular problems. The agency will
        hold public hearings to gather information, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for
        Drug Evaluation and Research.

       October
        Why Tort Reform is a Frivolous Diversion
          Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2009
        The Los Angeles Times columnist takes on and debunks most of the theories arguing that tort reform
        would correct much of the outrageous cost of healthcare. Doctors, lawyers, insurance companies
        and, yes, patients are all equal opportunity contributors to the inadequate and unfair medical
        malpractice system but the author correctly points out that it doesn't contribute much to the
        expensive healthcare system in the U.S.

       September
        Malpractice, Manslaughter or Murder-RIP MJ
        Arthur H. Weintraub, September 8, 2009
        Probably the biggest medical-legal case of the year, maybe the decade. How doctors did in Michael
        Jackson and how will they be charged and punished.

        From Tragedy to Advocacy
        Jean DerGurahian, Modern Healthcare, September 7, 2009
        How parents of victims of medical errors became advocates for patient safety.

        
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