Next Generation: An Introduction to Medicine and Clinical Research

Selected Papers from the NEJM		NextGen Special Features
The following are free links to NEJM articles through the Next Generation. Original Article Needlestick Injuries Among Surgeons in Training by MA Makary et al., NEJM, June 28 2007, Vol 356 (26), 2693-9 Since nearly all residents, by the final year, have been injured with needles, many of them have been exposed to patients with blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B and C and HIV. Of course, the fact that doctors have an occupational hazard is nothing new, but by surveying surgeons-in-training, Dr. Makary and colleagues, have found surprising patterns of reporting–or rather, non-reporting–among health service employees. Perspective Communication Between Physicians and Patients in the Era of E-Medicine by JH Stone, NEJM, June 14 2007, Vol 356 (24), 2451-4 Imagine if in addition to chatting to friends, we can chat online with our physicians. Now, that is starting to become a reality. In addition to new was of connecting patients and physicians, information technology, especially the internet, has allowed better connectivity between institutions, between patients and their doctors, and among physicians themselves. Current Concepts Disclosing Harmful Medical Errors to Patients by TH Gallagher et al., NEJM, June 28 2007, Vol 356 (26), 2713-9 Admitting mistakes is always difficult, but it is all the more difficult when one is in a position of trust. Because of this, physicians have a hard time admitting and disclosing errors, for fear of breaking the crucial trust in the doctor-patient relationship. This transparency, however, is crucial, and consequently, policy makers in the US and abroad have been developing different mechanisms to make reporting more standard to the profession. What does this mean for those conditions that we may consider too minor to merit a visit to the doctors? What about privacy?		The following interviews and articles are exclusive to the Next Generation. Free Standing Perspective Patient's Orders: How Information Technology and the Media are Changing the Patient-Doctor Relationship The Internet is changing the way patients approach doctors by empowering patients and enabling them to communicate faster and cheaper with doctors, but it is also burying patients in information, often muddying the waters and potentially burning bridges of trust between the doctors and the patients. Emory Hsu looks at how medicine is dealing with the far-reaching influence of this medium. » More "Free Standing Perspective" Articles Tutorials in Medicine Models of Healthcare Delivery In the past fifty years, the practice of medicine has changed quite dramatically, with the advent of HMOs, government medical welfare programs, fee-for-services business models, and so on. The alphabet soup of names continues to grow, however, and so a healthcare management fellow at Harvard University has given us a brief overview of the major ways and business models in which doctors have practiced in the past 100 years. » More "Tutorials in Medicine" Articles Advice to the Next Generation What are some things to look for when choosing a medical school? Other than "helping people," what are some other aspects of a doctor's job? » Other Questions and Answers Next Generation Now Monthly! The Next Generation is now publishing at the beginning of every month! The next issue arrives August 1.

Selected Papers from the NEJM

NextGen Special Features

The following are free links to NEJM articles through the Next Generation.

Original Article

Needlestick Injuries Among Surgeons in Training

by MA Makary et al., NEJM, June 28 2007, Vol 356 (26), 2693-9

Since nearly all residents, by the final year, have been injured with needles, many of them have been exposed to patients with blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B and C and HIV. Of course, the fact that doctors have an occupational hazard is nothing new, but by surveying surgeons-in-training, Dr. Makary and colleagues, have found surprising patterns of reporting–or rather, non-reporting–among health service employees.

Perspective

Communication Between Physicians and Patients in the Era of E-Medicine

by JH Stone, NEJM, June 14 2007, Vol 356 (24), 2451-4

Imagine if in addition to chatting to friends, we can chat online with our physicians. Now, that is starting to become a reality. In addition to new was of connecting patients and physicians, information technology, especially the internet, has allowed better connectivity between institutions, between patients and their doctors, and among physicians themselves.

Current Concepts

Disclosing Harmful Medical Errors to Patients

by TH Gallagher et al., NEJM, June 28 2007, Vol 356 (26), 2713-9

Admitting mistakes is always difficult, but it is all the more difficult when one is in a position of trust. Because of this, physicians have a hard time admitting and disclosing errors, for fear of breaking the crucial trust in the doctor-patient relationship. This transparency, however, is crucial, and consequently, policy makers in the US and abroad have been developing different mechanisms to make reporting more standard to the profession. What does this mean for those conditions that we may consider too minor to merit a visit to the doctors? What about privacy?

The following interviews and articles are exclusive to the Next Generation.

Free Standing Perspective

Patient's Orders: How Information Technology and the Media are Changing the Patient-Doctor Relationship

The Internet is changing the way patients approach doctors by empowering patients and enabling them to communicate faster and cheaper with doctors, but it is also burying patients in information, often muddying the waters and potentially burning bridges of trust between the doctors and the patients. Emory Hsu looks at how medicine is dealing with the far-reaching influence of this medium.

» More "Free Standing Perspective" Articles

Tutorials in Medicine

Models of Healthcare Delivery

In the past fifty years, the practice of medicine has changed quite dramatically, with the advent of HMOs, government medical welfare programs, fee-for-services business models, and so on. The alphabet soup of names continues to grow, however, and so a healthcare management fellow at Harvard University has given us a brief overview of the major ways and business models in which doctors have practiced in the past 100 years.

» More "Tutorials in Medicine" Articles

Advice to the Next Generation

» Other Questions and Answers

Next Generation Now Monthly!

The Next Generation is now publishing at the beginning of every month! The next issue arrives August 1.

The Next Generation is an independent online publication produced in collaboration with Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine. All content referencing the New England Journal of Medicine is copyrighted property of the NEJM and the Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved on original content by the Next Generation.

The Next Generation (NextGen) seeks to broaden perspectives in medicine for everyone, from premedical and medical students to general readers, by connecting them to current physicians and clinical scientists. It is published every month by Harvard College undergraduates in collaboration with editors of the New England Journal of Medicine.