Volume 1 Issue 5 – Late Spring 2005
Images in Clinical Medicine: The Tale of Phineas Gage, Digitally Remastered – An NEJM Original Article
P. Ratiu and I.F. Talos, NEJM, December 2 2004, Vol 351(23):e21
Two researchers use digital imaging to revisit the injury of construction worker Phineas Gage, one of the most closely-studied cases contributing to the study of neuroscience. Gage survived an explosion in which a 1.25 inch-wide metal rod was thrust through his skull and brain, resulting in a permanent change in his personality. The NEJM presents two digital video clips reconstructing the explosion and the resulting fractured skull.
A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century – An NEJM Original Article
Special Report by S.J. Olshansky et al., NEJM, March 17 2005, Vol 352(11)
New considerations of increasingly prevalent conditions such as obesity and diabetes suggest a possible decline of the projected average lifespan in the future of the United States. These changes in projected lifespan may have many public-policy implications.
Overbilling vs. Downcoding: The Battle between Physicians and Insurers – An NEJM Original Article
Perspective Article by A.S. Kesselheim and T.A. Brennan, NEJM, March 3 2005, Vol 352(9)
In September 2004, a federal court case pitted “almost all doctors versus almost all major health maintenance organizations” on the issue of reimbursement for physician services. This case exposes a continuing conflict between physicians and insurers: physicians allege that insurers purposefully delay and reduce resimbursements, and insurers claim that physicians misreport and overcharge for their services.
Hospitalization for Mental Illness Among Parents After the Death of a Child – An NEJM Original Article
Original Article by J. Li et al., NEJM, March 24 2005, Vol 352(12)
When a physician loses a patient, the effects of stress and grief of losing a loved one on family members can sometimes be overlooked. This study reports the risk of clinical psychiatric disorders and hospitalizations among parents who have lost a child.
Unraveling the Cox-2 Debacle
A NextGen Perspective
The recent controversies in the pharmaceuticals industry with regards to Cox-2 inhibitors such as Merck’s Vioxx and Pfizer’s two drugs, Bextra and Celebrex, may indicate some problems with the drug-approval process as a whole. Here, we present the views of one particular author, Dr. Marcia Angell, author of The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It.
Tutorial: An Introduction to Clinical Trials Part II of II: Statistics and Experimental Design
Part II of II: Statistics and Experimental Design
A sound experimental design that minimizes bias and confounding is crucial for a clinical trial to provide valid information regarding the efficacy and safety of a new drug or treatment seeking approval. This second part of a two-part tutorial discusses the principles of randomization and blinding and introduces the statistical methods that interpret trial data into reliable conclusions.
A Day in the Life of Doug Kelling, General Internist
The Third Installment of NextGen’s “A Day in the Life of a Physician” Series
The Next Generation speaks with internist Doug Kelling on his path to internal medicine, practicing privately vs. working as a hospital employee, and his perspectives on contemporary health care.
