MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'competence'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:02:07 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664170&cid=t_116118_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jointcommission.org%2Fassets%2F1%2F6%2FARoadmapforHospitalsfinalversion727.pdf Lee Kirksey Interview by Disruptive Woman Glenna Crooks. Meet vascular surgeon Lee Kirksey, MD, MBA. He is assistant professor at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with a surgical practice based in Philadelphia. His concerns transcend those of his own surgical expertise, his own patients and this region, however.  He is an ardent, engaged, articulate spokesman for cultural competence in health care. I think about cultural competence sometimes, but I really ‘got it’ talking with him; for the first time seeing how cultural incompetence impacted my family. Here’s the story: a number of years ago as my Father lay in a coma, the physician in charge of his care refused to speak with my Mother. It required an attorney and intervention of hospital administrators to learn a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664170 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:30:25 +0100 4664170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532213&cid=t_116118_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-experienced-is-the-radiologist-who-reads-your-mammogram%2F2011.02.28 There’s a new study out on mammography with important implications for breast cancer screening. The main result is that when radiologists review more mammograms per year, the rate of false positives declines. The stated purpose of the research*, published in the journal Radiology, was to see how radiologists’ interpretive volume — essentially the number of mammograms read per year — affects their performance in breast cancer screening. The investigators collected data from six registries participating in the NCI’s Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, involving 120 radiologists who interpreted 783,965 screening mammograms from 2002 to 2006. So it was a big study, at least in terms of the number of images and outcomes assessed. First — and before reaching any concl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532213 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:57 +0100 4532213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424234&cid=t_116118_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-and-aging-5-things-to-help-good-doctors-stay-good-longer%2F2011.02.01 I asked my age-matched colleague the other day: “Do you think we’ll know when it happens to us?” He responded: “I know. I worry about that, too…a lot. I’m getting out before it happens to me.” We were talking about our fears of being labeled as an “old” doctor.  Not just old in years — our children and bifocals remind of us of that — but old in our mindset. We fear becoming one of the dinosaur doctors who get known for their excessive attachment to old dogma, premature dismissiveness of novel new approaches, fear of social media, and of course the tell-tail (pathognomonic) sign of agedness, ranting mindlessly in front of Fox news about healthcare reform in the doctor’s lounge. This transition can happen fast. One moment a doctor might be in their s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424234 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:00:27 +0100 4424234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399525&cid=t_116118_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-older-doctors-continue-to-treat-patients%2F2011.01.25 Did you know that one-third of the country’s physicians are over the age of 65? That’s right, there’s a good chance that your doctor is on Medicare. That’s a concern, because physicians aren’t immune to the ails of aging, and are just as prone as patients to succumb to the effects of Parkinson’s or various types of dementias. Not comforting if you’re about to undergo an operation, for instance. And absolutely frightening when you consider baby boomers and newly-insured patients will flood our health system in the coming years. An eye-opening piece from the New York Times highlights the trend. It’s up to doctors and medical societies to report doctors who aren’t able to proficiently perform, but few do. According to the data, the rate of disciplinary action for physician... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399525 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:00:06 +0100 4399525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538276&cid=t_116118_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F05%2Faaidd-death-penalty-task-force-conflict.html I was recently asked (and accepted) to be a member of the AAIDD Death Penalty Task Force to address issues regarding Atkins MR/ID death penalty cases.  I want to thank the AAIDD members for the privilege.  This is a conflict of interest disclosure note.  Any comments or posts at  IQ's Corner or the ICDP blog do not represent the views or opinions of the AAIDD Death Penalty Task ForceI will not post any AAIDD Death Penalty Task Force internal communications at my two blogs.  Any task force information that is made public will be posted here as an FYI post with a URL to the appropriate AAIDD web resource.  If the AAIDD DP TF asks me to disseminate information via my blogs, such posts will be clearly labeled.Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, foren... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538276 Wed, 05 May 2010 16:06:00 +0100 3538276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342612&cid=t_116118_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F07%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunny-day-edition%2F It’s 57 degrees in Nashville, and somehow I managed to sleep until noon. Hmph. I’m playing around with Formspring, so, uh, ask me anything? This freely available perspective piece from the New England Journal of Medicine ties in nicely to what Dr. Abraham Verghese said last week about engaging at the patient bedside – Ministry of Touch — Reflections on Disaster Work after the Haitian Earthquake. It includes this line about the approach to women in labor: “We develop a system whereby one of us sits behind the woman and holds her, another rubs her back, and I sit or kneel near her, touching her belly and legs, whispering words of encouragement. I pray, and I watch the woman’s face for clues as the labor progresses.” There is some discussion here in TN a... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342612 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:25:59 +0100 3342612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178814&cid=t_116118_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F15%2Freport-on-fort-hood-hasan%2F The AP reported this morning that the Army report to be released today will implicate Army Maj. Nidal Hasan’s supervisors and those who knew of his troubled behavior, but failed to detail it in his records or further followup on it. Hasan’s disturbing behaviors were detailed as far back as during his medical residency and were apparently known to anyone who worked closely with him in a supervisory capacity. And when they became aware of his behavior, did they detail it and pass it along to Hasan’s future bosses? Apparently not: Hasan got passing grades and a promotion in part because disturbing information about his behavior and performance was not recorded by superiors or properly passed to others who might have stepped in, the report found. As Hasan’s training p... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178814 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:45:54 +0100 3178814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089309&cid=t_116118_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2F15%2Freasons-why-you-should-be-a-better-emt%2F Sure, this site isall about being a better EMT, but perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “Why?” OK, granted, it was probably one of your more cynical moments. Perhaps you had a bad day, a couple of frusrating calls or a less than optimal interaction with a patient, your partner, another agency, your boss … or perhaps all of the above. Then you went out and threw down your stethoscope. Or maybe you didn’t throw it down because you remembered it was a Litman and a gift from your aunt, but you raised it over your head and thought about it. And while that stethoscope dangled over your head in your clenched fist you thought, “Why? Why do I work so hard to try to be better at a job that pays so little and offers so little in return?” “Why?” We&#821... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089309 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:02:52 +0100 3089309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993923&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F15%2Fif-its-any-consolation-i-dont-begin-to-understand-them%2F I understood growing up that trusted people were not inadvertently driving me crazy but were instead devoted to the systematic destruction of my sanity. It wasn’t about their behaviors, though I’d make it a point to avoid a beating by wandering the neighborhood til the lights went out, go home and step over mom on the way to the kitchen, eat a tub of Cool Whip, fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a caregiver’s dick in my mouth. Go down to the basement and burn my cum-stained nightie in the laundrytub, thinking, then head off to school in rumpled overalls and mother’s torn nylons, sleep at my desk while intuitive classmates point and ridicule, gearing up for the beatdown I was hoping to dodge by the bullies on the playground. Welp, I told myself, sucks all righ... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993923 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:09:44 +0100 2993923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834345&cid=t_116118_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fdid-us-5th-circuit-court-of-appeals-use.html Very interesting (puzzling) death penalty case decided on creative averaging of three IQ scores spanning decades.  Check it at sister blog.Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, criminal justice, criminal psychology, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, Atkins case, MR, mental retardation, death penalty, capital punishment (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834345 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:54:00 +0100 2834345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796606&cid=t_116118_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fcontroversy-re-use-of-mexican-wais-iii.html See post at sister blog Intellectual Competence and the Death Penalty.Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, developmental psychology, forensic psychology, MR, Atkins cases, SCOTUS, WAIS-III, Mexican WAIS-III, IQ tests, IQ scores, test norms, psychometrics (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796606 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:09:00 +0100 2796606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737878&cid=t_116118_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fnew-iq-mr-and-death-penalty-blog.html IQ, MR and the death penalty.Today I'm announcing a new blog projected related to the "life-and-death" (literally) issues surrounding Atkins cases...court cases dealing with the topic of mental retardation and the death penalty.  The blog has a specific focus on the intellectual competence (IQ) issues and research surrounding Atkin's cases.Additional information can be found at Intellectual Competence and the Death Penalty blog.  The announcement statement can be viewed here.Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, forensice psychology, criminal psychology, neuropsychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, Atkins cases, MR, mental retardation, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, death penalty, capital punishment, SCOTUS, intellectual competence (Source: ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737878 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:36:00 +0100 2737878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572909&cid=t_116118_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fsunday-news-round-up%2F Renee of Womanist Musings, has a great post, “The Convenience of ‘Super Crip,’” in which she describes how people treat her like she’s helpless and touch her without invitation when she’s out in her scooter. She also has her weekly links round-up, Drop it Like it’s Hot. Yet another reason why I don’t trust police. Police raided a gay bar in Fort Worth. On the Stonewall anniversary. Somebody left with head injuries, which the cops explain as “fell down, hit head.” They also tried to blame it on those dirty gays and their unwelcome touching (sarcasm, naturally). Dan Savage explains the improbability of the police explanation and vileness of what went down. Via Cara at the Curvature, allegations from female inmates “accusing ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572909 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:14 +0100 2572909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222494&cid=t_116118_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fmad-as-hell-anger-and-the-economy%2F There’s a lot to be angry about these days. ➢ My retirement fund is gone because of the greed of others. ➢ I lost my job while my boss gets a bonus. ➢ I’ve saved all my life, lived within my means and yet the irresponsible guy in default gets bailed out! Angry yet? In the blogosphere lately I’ve noticed the number of angry comments from readers responding to blog posts meant to sooth and uplift people traumatized by the economy. “How dare you make light of what I’m feeling!” sums up the reactions. Here’s the truth: Anger is a good, natural, healthy reaction to anything that can, or has, hurt us. But anger is also a difficult, often frightening, emotion - especially when it is overwhelming. ‘Mad’ can mean ‘insane’ as well as ‘furious.’ Most o... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222494 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:00:36 +0100 2222494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2169792&cid=t_116118_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F09%2Fproblems-with-psychology-research-irbs%2F The Association for Psychological Science latest issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science has a few interesting articles about the research and publishing side of psychology. One of the articles that caught my eye was about Institutional Review Boards. There is a certain arbitrary nature when it comes to a university’s research review board. These committees, called Institutional Review Boards (or IRBs), are charged with protecting subjects from unethical or unscrupulous researchers’ practices. IRBs exist in a world unto their own. They are run under the auspices of the university and while ostensibly they’ve been setup primarily for patient protection, they’ve arguably morphed into something else in more recent times. Ceci & Bruck (2009) discuss thei... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2169792 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:51:05 +0100 2169792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077059&cid=t_116118_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fbeyond-iq-byte-6-academic-self-efficacy.html Here is Byte # 6 from the Beyond IQ project, a project that outlines a proposed Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM). Today's construct spotlight is on "academic self-efficacy." Academic Self-Efficacy: Definition and Conceptual Background: A person’s confidence in their ability to organize, execute, and regulate performance in order to solve a problem or accomplish a task at a designated level of skill and ability. Academic self-efficacy refers to a person's conviction that they can successfully achieve at a designated level in a specific academic subject area.Individuals typically select tasks and activities in which they feel competent and avoid those in which they do not. Students who are confident in their capability to organize, execute, and regulate their problem-solv... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077059 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:07:00 +0100 2077059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056134&cid=t_116118_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FVlMp_Gb2gTo%2F Soon as December started, my students started asking me what we were getting Charlie for Christmas. I fumbled with an answer—what do you get for the child who doesn’t ask for anything?—and they seemed quite incredulous that he’d no desire for any electronic devices or a football jersey with X player’s last name emblazoned on it. I’ve been used to telling people that things are different with Charlie but, on further reflection, the thought occurred to me: Charlie, at 11 1/2, is getting closer and closer in age to my college-students. Certainly there’s more than a few similarities between him and the tall guys with really big sneakers or Timberlands with legs too long to fit in the desks and always fishing around in a beyond dog-eared notebook for th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056134 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:47:58 +0100 2056134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056180&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F20%2Fcatch-a-fire%2F It’s not everyday reading something on the Internet can move me to tears, but I’ve given up hope on seeing something like this post (and commentary) at Whiskey Fire. The study is not yet published and I know it only begins to scratch the surface but for the first time since the tests were done on me I have hope, if not for myself I can imagine glad tidings for tomorrow’s little Dickens. When the neuropsychologist laid it out for me 10 years ago I was crying and he was almost crying, because he couldn’t answer my very pointed questions and account for the disparities in my mental examination. An evaluation spanning eight hours over two days, as comprehensive as it gets, followed by a 25 page report and two hour debriefing and still something missing hangs in the air... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056180 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:09:52 +0100 2056180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975947&cid=t_116118_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fsituationism-in-the-blogosphere-october-part-ii%2F Below, we’ve posted titles and a brief quotation from some of our favorite non-Situationist situationist blogging during October 2008. (They are listed in alphabetical order by source.) * * * From Experimental Philosophy: “Causal Judgment and Moral Judgment“ “It is now widely believed that people’s moral judgments can affect their causal judgments, but a great deal of confusion remains about precisely why this effect arises. . . . Our hypothesis draws on the idea that people’s causal judgments are based on counterfactual reasoning.” Read more . . . From The Frontal Cortex: “Anchoring and Credit Cards“ “New research by the University of Warwick reveals that many credit card customers become fixated on the level of minimum payments given on credit... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975947 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:18:03 +0100 1975947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1927881&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F03%2Fi-want-to-be-remembered-as-someone-who-made-trouble-where-trouble-was-needed%2F Grazing the Internets this weekend is to follow intimate, overheard snippets in the shaping of a legacy. So I compile what the people are saying in a downright tsunami of link love, the hours well spent. Studs Terkel 1912-2008 “The thing that horrifies me is the forgetfulness.” A cigar and martini man, white-haired and elegantly rumpled in his trademark red-checkered shirts, an old rebel who never mellowed, never retired, never forgot, and “never met a picket line or petition I didn’t like.” He won a Pulitzer Prize for listening to other people’s thoughts, fears and dreams which he called guerrilla journalism but writer Garry Wills described as “underdog-ism” used his words, whether on radio or on the page, to celebrate the People with a ... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1927881 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:03:12 +0100 1927881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870945&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F11%2Fballad-of-a-teenage-queen%2F She shouts for a reckoning with entire mouth and unspoilt heart. My friend Poodle (”Ursula”) from Christchurch NZ declares her joy, in love with these times. (rule for radicals: that’s why she’s a teacher and you’re not) so thats me in the corner-thats me over there–was a hard arse interview 2 do-my dyslexia gets in the way some-times-just bear with it and it will show its beauty Living With the Scars of Abuse by KIM THOMAS Source: Press, The Christchurch, New Zealand Posted on: Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 15:00 CDT New Zealand’s mental health system has a dark history, with hundreds of former patients alleging abuse in state hospitals. Kim Thomas tells the story of one woman who suffered abuse and explores what former patients are doing to try an... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870945 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:54:34 +0100 1870945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726473&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F22%2Fwe-call-upon-the-author-to-explain%2F Doop doop I’m putting together that follow-up post as mentioned, can’t sleep while they’re filming FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS in my backyard and they’ll go til 4 AM again, no sleep and just got home from my 4th day in training and I couldn’t concentrate because of the clip in my head the last 2 days, which happens to be the first one added to the writhe safely rock-n-roll VODPOD, from which I’ll highlight a video every week, and make like a format. A show. A production, a playground, slightly twee but highly exacting. My task is to get you interested, this is still in my blood, and don’t it make you wanna get right back home. Remember, if you click the video two times it takes you to youtube where you can access the full-screen. Guess I should mention thi... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726473 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:34:12 +0100 1726473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723548&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F21%2Fobama-to-mccain-cbt-is-shit-fer-brains%2F Welp, I’m back from my break. Feast your eyes to the right of this blog, after 3 months over-thinking how to set it up we now have a world of VODPOD, and I think it’s going to help. I’m just building the library now but once it holds a hundred or so clips will find a way to order the narrative so we can get lost for a day or two in there. So what’s new? I took off a few weeks because I’ve been animated by a real serious project that I didn’t want to jinx by blogging about and since this project is uppermost in my mind found I couldn’t blog about anything until I feel secure it’s going to work out. I feel secure it’s going to work out and will explain everything tomorrow but as a tease will just share that due to this new and mysterious ... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723548 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:16:13 +0100 1723548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596564&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F08%2Fbusy-busy-busy%2F Discussion Presenters from implementation sites (Rhode Island Department of Corrections and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital) will discuss their work in creating trauma sensitive, trauma-informed programs that are responsive to the needs of trauma survivors by addressing key factors: 1) the role of agency leadership; 2) the identification and organization of trauma champions within the agency; 3) the raising of awareness and understanding of trauma through universal screening and assessment for trauma prevalence and its effects; the development of approaches/pract- ices that minimize re-traumatization, enhance safety, and promote models for trauma-specific interventions; 4) the development of empowerment models that integrate the consumer/survivor voice in all aspects of planning and services; a... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596564 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:33:49 +0100 1596564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492218&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F04%2Fcan-i-count-on-you-if-i-fall-apart%2F I have been consumed with feline diabetes the last few days, as I should, it’s complex as it gets and the knowledge base as demanding as that of informed mental health patients. Angelbait will need me to test her glucose 4 times a day, before and after I give her the shots, that means pricking her ear and getting the reading on a monitor. She will need prescription food and I have to figure out how to do things like get the insulin from the vet to my house in 100 degree heat without a car, the insulin has to be kept refrigerated. This home-based disease management will cost about 150 a month, the only way that will work is if I quit smoking. And I have to figure out how to do all this when the legislature is in session, and bills are passed at 2 AM, when I’m at the Capitol 18 h... Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492218 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:55:50 +0100 1492218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437002&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F12%2Fabout-sundays-ny-times-piece-on-mad-pride%2F Does anyone think that was a decent shot of journalism? Then damn your eyes. Oh I can imagine an earlier me who would come away from that complete piece of shit grateful for the exposure and yay for recognition! But that column pissed off a lot of people in a number of ways I [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437002 Tue, 13 May 2008 00:18:44 +0100 1437002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432638&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F09%2Fviagra-comes-to-mind%2F Shit. I haven’t been able to look at this, til talking on the phone with Poodie tonight who said the story isn’t getting proper coverage. So I went looking for the truth at Shakesville, who hits it out of the park from the git: THIS story should be reported with purpose. If it is not to [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432638 Fri, 09 May 2008 11:36:22 +0100 1432638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353093&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F06%2Fgood-touchbad-touch%2F Friday I learned something serious in a CPS hearing about the leading CSA (child sexual abuse) prevention program known as Good Touch/Bad Touch. I was grateful when this program came out 25 years ago, thought it would have helped me if it was around when I was growing up, I’ve used the teaching [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353093 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:24:06 +0100 1353093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340519&cid=t_116118_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fcrippen-diaries-2008-april-1.html What do you want to do when you grow up...April 2008 (1)A rather surely teenage boy, David, came in for the first appointment of the day. He was in school uniform and had a mate with him. David is 14. I asked him what the problem was, and he said, “I’ve been getting gut pains for a month and my mum said I should get down the doctor.”Mum was not with him. David said “she can’t come with me, she has to go to work.” This is a one parent family. David has an older brother, who I rarely seen. Dad is long gone, and is never mentioned. Gut pains for a month in 14 year old are unlikely to be anything serious, but David needed examining, including a check to make sure his testes were down, and possibly (unlikely) even a rectal examination. This happens more and more commonly. Should one... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340519 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:23:00 +0100 1340519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1269658&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F29%2Fwhat-you-fear-the-most-could-meet-you-halfway%2F I’ve been following the Guardian’s safe and predictable top ten reader recommended crazy songlist the last couple weeks; the results are in and I’m not familiar with half the songs yet but am pleased to see Kristen my hero made the list. This is such an important genre and maybe it’s me but I get [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1269658 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:38:59 +0100 1269658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1219959&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F09%2Fan-ode-to-elliott%2F I just found this, Dr. Mark Dombeck’s fine tribute to Elliott Smith in what he calls his Gift of Vulnerability Music at Mental Health Net: …. I was seduced again by the rawness and immediacy of the pain that the man was able to capture; was talented enough to shape and record; was courageous enough to [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1219959 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:45:12 +0100 1219959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162868&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F19%2Fhousing-first%2F Apologies to regular readers about the light posting, I spent the week running down opportunities for real life volunteer work and I have to learn about homelessness, so am back to the Internet for the goal-direction and learning tools. I remember when getting off the streets meant you can walk into a 24 hour drop in [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162868 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:22:04 +0100 1162868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146555&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F12%2Fintersections-what-intersections%2F At Psych Central Dr. Grohol makes a much needed point about the very fucking idea of relationship. He begins with the recent Lancet Journal study that shows the use of anti-psychotics as a useless option for subduing aggressive behaviors: Medicating People Because It’s Easier Than Talking To Them. Of course, this works too: Officer Claudia [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146555 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:00:15 +0100 1146555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126283&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F02%2Flink-love%2F I think I’ll start doing more of this sort of round up, beginning with a new blog, Eliminate the Stigma, “an open project for those passionate about mental health.” My first comment (in moderation) is a response to this wrong-headed post, which maintains that explanations of mental illness contribute to social stigma, so helpful [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126283 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:34:18 +0100 1126283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1082139&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F12%2F08%2Fspectacle-this-word-is-an-eyesore%2F You can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the goddamn contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbrush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail, you’ll see something, maybe. ~ Edward Abbey I found myself wandering [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1082139 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:52:07 +0100 1082139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1034882&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F18%2Fnamis-agenda-still-my-ruling-nightmare%2F And you know what, I’m gonna leave off this for awhile, I can’t handle it, there’s a lot of positive stuff going on in the movement and I’m gonna spend the next couple days drinking it in. But first let me show you my pain, from an email I sent to TMA yesterday, and [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1034882 Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:20:46 +0100 1034882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=983965&cid=t_116118_140_f&fid=35438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrithesafely.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F27%2Fobstructing-praxis-by-tampering-with-the-dsm%2F I spent the night editing this pdf document by the almost overwhelmingly ambitious Bonnie Burstow, a name we may recognize from the threads on Simone D. Link: Toward a Radical Understanding of Trauma and Trauma Work. I deleted 2,000 words, mainly references and shit I violently disagree with (identity politics), but since no one [...] (Source: Writhe Safely) Writhe Safely blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=983965 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:09:25 +0100 983965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=921870&cid=t_116118_152_f&fid=36428&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrankyfitness.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fare-you-eating-competent.html "People who are confident, comfortable and flexible with their eating habits may be at a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than people who are not."Or so says a recent study out of Penn State, and Barbara Lohse, one of the researchers. She calls this "eating competence." There is even a questionnaire designed to assess whether you know what you're doing when you shove food in your mouth, but after a few minutes googling exhaustive research, Cranky Fitness was unable to obtain a copy. So Crabby may never know if she is a competent or an incompetent eater.Of course it's hard not to poke a little fun at the notion of "eating competence." It sounds like just another instance of making a simple idea way more complicated than it needs to be. Right? Who doesn't know how to eat?We... Cranky Fitness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=921870 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:10:00 +0100 921870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=790583&cid=t_116118_107_f&fid=35025&url=http%3A%2F%2Frrresearch.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Ftime-to-do-some-experiments.html I did something at my bench yesterday, for the first time in more than two months. It wasn't a proper experiment - I was only growing up and checking some cells that another researcher has requested from us. But it reminded me of how long it's been since I did any benchwork (more than two months). I realized several years ago that the pleasure of doing "real" experiments was worth the time away from my desk. This time could productively be spent working on manuscripts and advising other lab members on their experiments, maybe more productively than by doing experiments. But doing experiments is where the best fun is, and I'm not going to let an obsession with productivity deny me the pleasure of doing them.But first I need to decide what to do. I could take up the "Can E. coli be made comp... RRResearch blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=790583 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:16:00 +0100 790583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=714037&cid=t_116118_107_f&fid=35025&url=http%3A%2F%2Frrresearch.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fshould-we-write-proposal-to-nih.html Yesterday one of the post-docs and I discussed whether we should submit a proposal to NIH. Yes, we did just get one proposal funded, to work on the regulation of competence genes in H. influenzae and E. coli. But her project is completely different, and some parts of it are going to be expensive.She's studying when, how and why different lineages of H. influenzae lose (or maybe gain) the ability to take up DNA and recombine it into the chromosome. We already knew that this occurs in various bacteria, and she's now completing a thorough analysis of the variation in DNA uptake and recombination ability in a broad selection of H. influenzae strains.Some of these strains were chosen because their genomes have been or are in the process of being completely sequenced (one of the benefits of work... RRResearch blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=714037 Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:06:00 +0100 714037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=651745&cid=t_116118_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhemodynamics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fneurodiversity.html There is a really interesting symposium now available by webcast from MIT's Media Lab. Though the name, "Human 2.0" is sort of irritating to me, some of the content is fascinating, including a talk by Oliver Sacks, some introductory remarks by John Hockenberry, and presentations of interesting work by Media Lab researchers. I am still making my way through the day-long proceedings, but as I watched some of the morning session today, one speaker mentioned a video by Amanda Baggs--who was in the audience--that I went and watched on YouTube. I found it to be both a lovely work of art and a striking political statement. I hope you'll watch it. The videomaker (whose blog is here) introduces her work on YouTube this way:The first part is in my "native language," and then the second part provides... hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=651745 Fri, 11 May 2007 18:48:00 +0100 651745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=579779&cid=t_116118_107_f&fid=35025&url=http%3A%2F%2Frrresearch.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fmight-h-influenzae-competence-be-phase.html One of the postdocs just raised an issue I've never seriously considered. Many surface structures on bacterial cells undergo what's called "phase variation". That is, a key gene controlling the structure has evolved to have a high rate of mutations that switch it from an active allele to an inactive allele, and from the inactive allele to an active one.By "high frequency" here I mean more often than one switch per million cell divisions. Switching is thus still a very rare event, but is much higher than the background mutation rate for normal DNA sequences. Such elevated frequencies are usually caused either by short sequence repeats that cause DNA polymerase to add or miss bases in critical positions, or by specific DNA-altering enzymes that recognize the gene.That's the proximate cause o... RRResearch blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=579779 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:30:00 +0100 579779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486278&cid=t_116118_107_f&fid=35025&url=http%3A%2F%2Frrresearch.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fpolishing-sxy-manuscript.html We're fixing the final details on the Sxy manuscript; I'm hoping to have it submitted in the next 24 hours. Below I'll try to summarize what it says, in less technical terms than the Abstract uses.We already know that the Sxy protein regulates expression of competence genes; here we're examining how Sxy itself is regulated. Our most powerful tools are regulatory mutations that turn Sxy on when it would otherwise be off. The paper starts by describing new mutations that, taken all together, strongly suggest that expression is controlled by changes in RNA folding. We conclude this because all of the mutations change how RNA can fold, but only one of them changes the Sxy protein sequence (and that in a trivial way).The paper then presents data showing that the RNA folding changes don't affect... RRResearch blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486278 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:38:00 +0100 486278