Blogs

Blogs

ASCOconnection.org is a forum for the exchange of views on topical issues in the field of oncology. The views expressed in the blogs, comments, and forums belong to the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Please read the Commenting Guidelines.

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I just got out of yet another talk on health reform. There is no question that the current rate of health care spending is unsustainable, and something has to be done...We talk a lot about patient safety and quality, guidelines, and resource utilization, but are we just blowing smoke? If we look at...
I learn so much about my profession by listening to my colleagues speak, and attending ASCO's many committees has accelerated my education. Today I sat in on the Ethics...
A recent copy of The New England Journal of Medicine leads with an editorial from Michael E.
This is not about global warming—- ;-) ! But how many times have you thought about ecologic fallacy? Not many of us think about it and would wonder what it has to do with cancer care. This problem has been on my mind for years as I have watched cancer patients and health care professionals struggle...
While everyone else is learning about breast cancer in San Antonio this week, for those of us left behind in the freezing Mid-Atlantic, here are a few articles and links about health IT that I found interesting:
Yes, the title of this blog is a bit dry but the subject matter itself—a most interesting area to explore!I’ll start by saying that medical professionals in general tend to think about the near and distant future with a relatively high frequency. This probably could not be truer today as we...
In recent weeks, I have seen quite a number of blog posts, articles, and Tweets about social media and the medical profession that continue to illustrate how mainstream these Web 2.0 technologies and applications have become across the spectrum of medical care. Here is a sampling of items I found...
In this post, I would like to share the misunderstandings and anxieties that result when critical information is withheld from patients with cancer and from their family members.
By Jamie Von Roenn, MD. I have been reflecting on language. Both ASCO and the World Health Organization say palliative care is applicable early in the course of disease in combination with life-prolonging therapies. That fits with what my patients seem to want; to live as well as possible for as...
I have been threatening myself with the task of sitting down and doing a more thorough review of the literature and then writing something like this for some time. Now that the blogosphere at ASCO Connection gives me a less painful alternative, (yes, all you editors, you can comment as you wish but...
Modern business principles have convinced jillions of us that the road to quality improvement lies in managing processes within our practice/business. Certainly medicine and policy makers have taken this to heart, developing multiple ‘measures’ that focus on the processes of care. CMS’s PQRI...
Physician blogger Wes Fisher aka Dr. Wes, a cardiac electrophysiologist from North Shore in Evanston, IL, laments the “devaluation” of physician time in a recent blog post When the Doctor’s Always In:
I have no intention of devoting this blog to nothing but palliative care, but since one of my patients brought it to my attention, I can't help making sure anyone who reads here has seen a few of the articles that relate to end of life discussions.
As oncologists we are justly proud of the real advances we have made towards a cure of the many cancers that afflict our patients. But we also know that caring for those afflicted too often involves life’s endings. Health professionals caring for dying cancer patients bear special responsibilities...
A couple of events this week reminded me of what I can best describe as "our calling." The first was the good-bye party for an administrative staff member in an outreach clinic I attend. She had spent most of her career working in a busy orthopedic practice and the last 6 months working with our...
As I highlighted in the May editor’s desk column -- a colleague noted that in traveling the country, she had found oncologists often voiced feelings of being victimized by the ‘system’. They were tired, overburdened by the moment, and struggling with market forces in their locales, whether...
It seems like I've participated in every facet of the "ASCO guideline" process. During the past three years of being part of the HSC (now CPG) committee, I have been amazed to witness how complex and detailed developing a guideline can become. The manuscripts are reviewed at several levels and...

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