Making Sense of the Presidential Healthcare Platforms

One plot that may make a differenceIf you’re like me, you’ve read and possibly reread summaries of the Presidential candidates healthcare platforms, and you’re still confused. Where do the candidates really stand? And how close do their positions approximate yours? A healthcare site, Healthcentral.com, puts the candidates’ positions on a grid and allows you to […]

The New World of Science Blogs

Impact of science blogging on journalism and academia is growing Last weekend marked the second annual North Carolina Science Blogging Conference in Research Triangle Park, N.C. More than 200 scientists, journalists, educators and students from around the U.S., Canada, Serbia, Sweden and England registered for the event held this year at Sigma Xi, the scientific […]

From Each According to His Ability, to Each According to His Gene

Imagine a day when a genetic test not only will determine your risk for a particular disease, but also the ideal medication and the ideal dose to treat that disease. For those who receive a blood-thinning agent called warfarin, that day has already arrived. One third of people who receive warfarin, known by the trade […]

Putting Common Good Above Private Gain

Our loss of community is jeopardizing health care The news that the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group is forfeiting at least $618 million to settle claims related to backdated stock options points to everything that’s wrong with the U.S. health care system. The system really has nothing to do with health. It has everything to […]

Dr. Tom Linden’s Health Blog

Dr. Tom Linden’s Health Blog An inside perspective on the health care debate from veteran physician journalist Tom Linden, M.D., professor of medical journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tom Linden, MD Director UNC Medical Journalism Program Tom Linden, M.D., is Glaxo Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Medical Journalism in […]