The PMD Critical List: Are ‘Nice' Doctors Better?

A new study looks at the impact of physicians’ bad manners on patient health. The results might surprise you. That story, plus thoughtful pieces on Dr. Oz and government waste, make this week’s list of top news stories for physicians.

• Why Nice Doctors Are Better Doctors (US News & World Report)

Several new studies show that physicians with bad manners might be hazardous to a patient’s health. But patients have the power to advance a better medical relationship by “leading with their vulnerabilities.”

• A Guide to Financial Education for Doctors (Investopedia.com)

Doctors “frequently lack basic financial knowledge to make wise decisions in their practice and personal lives.” Here’s a neat and practical online financial resource guide for physicians from an independent source.

• Physician Stress and Burnout at Crisis Levels (Businesswire.com)

The numbers are frightful: 46% of today’s physicians “are severely stressed” and 89% want “some degree of job change, ranging from switching careers to leaving medicine entirely,” finds a new VITAL WorkLife/Cejka Search survey.

• Doctors Often Don't Follow “Best Practices” (NPR.org)

Despite “good science and clear consensus,” emotion and recent events can push physicians into a “game of tag”—or doing something because they think somebody else wants it, even if you don't really want it."

• UK Doctors Unlikely to Repay Student Loans (Medicalxpress.com)

The average British physician has over $121,000 in education debt upon graduation making it nearly impossible for them to satisfy the loans over their work lives. It’s worse for female docs who pay higher interest rates and earn less.

• Columbia and the Problem of Dr. Oz (New Yorker)

Here’s some interesting perspective from a respected science report on the Dr. Oz controversy. “Despite his training, skills, and many medical accomplishments,” he is “somewhere between a cult leader and a talk-show host.”

• US Surgeon General Wants “Prevention-based Society” (The Washington Post)

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation's top spokesperson on health matters, is controversial but committed. In a wide-ranging interview, he calls today’s medical challenges “too big to be solved by the traditional health sector alone.”

• 100 Great Hospitals in America (Becker’s Hospital Review)

A question the reviewers asked was: "Would you take a loved one here for care?” All the institutions boast “a strong foundation of high-quality care, stellar credentials, and a focus on doing what is right for the patient.”

• Dr Tom Coburn On Life After Washington (Washington Examiner)

A superb Q&A with the former US Senator and Oklahoma physician about the persistent problems in DC, his efforts to reform the FDA, and why he’ll “never practice medicine the way it is today.”

• Grey’s Anatomy Kills a TV Doctor (The Washington Post)

Medical shows have been a cornerstone of TV entertainment for decades. Despite their excessive melodrama, even real docs are known to enjoy them. Dr. Derek Shepherd, AKA “Dr. McDreamy,” was recently killed off in a shocking plot twist.