MedCity News Premieres Today

Before all the inauguration news floods the internet tomorrow, I did want to send some congratulations to my friend Chris Seper, co-founder Mary Vanac, and the rest of the team over at MedCity News. They went live at around noon today, from what I could gather, things have been going ok over there today. According to the site, here is how they describe themselves.

MedCity News is a news service focusing on business, innovation and influence in health care. We don’t write about consumer health or the research in medical journals. Instead, MedCity News covers health care as the economic engine of major American cities. Our current focus is Northeast Ohio, followed by the rest of Ohio and sections of the Midwest.

I also encourage you to check out a profile of the MedCity News founders in the online magazine Cool Cleveland (the blurb is about halfway down the page). Chris introduced himself to me when he was working at the Cleveland Plain Dealer online site. He graciously put a link to my blog and The Doctor Anonymous Show on the PD site, which introduced some local readers/listeners to the blog/show, and for that I'm grateful. So, especially if you're where I'm at (northern and NE Ohio), definitely check out MedCity News.

Props to Annie & Burl

In my opinion, justice was served today with the news of President Bush, in his last full day in office, commuting the sentences of Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos (left in the picture above) and Jose Alonso Compean (right). According to this story from FoxNews, their sentences will expire on March 20, 2009 and then they will be able to go home to be with their families.

I did want to recognize my good friends Annie and Burl for having the courage not only to talk about this topic on their show, but also to have the wives of these individuals, other family members, and a staff member from a US Congressman's office on their show on January 14, 2009. They didn't have to do that. I mean, they are a comedy show for crying out loud.

I know that they brought more awareness to the BlogTalkRadio audience and their show, I believe, touched a lot of lives and - I think - made people proactive to take action to make their voices be heard for these two American heros. So, thanks again Annie & Burl! I think that you made a difference in this case and for these families!

Twitter Shorty Awards & Trash Talking

Thanks to everyone who has already voted for me in the Health Category of the Twitter Shorty Finals. In case you didn't know, these are awards for the best "twitterers" out there. There are 26 categories and about 5 people made the finals in each category. The polls close Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at midnight pacific time. Don't forget to vote for Dr. A!

I usually don't engage in the "gamesmanship" that occurs during these voting cycles for awards. However, I have to point out what my competition is doing, because it is not altogether nice. Just today, I saw the person in 2nd place in the health category has been typing out twitters like the following this morning.

@shortyawards I vote for @TraderAlamo in the Shorty Awards Finals for #finance because they're in second and can win with my vote. 5 minutes ago from web in reply to shortyawards

@TraderAlamo I voted for you. :) Do you think it's right for me to be beat by a NO-NAME? http://budurl.com/Vote4Unde... Just wonderin 5 minutes ago from web in reply to TraderAlamo

ADHDParenting: RT @venuswithin @adhdparenting I'm saying we can't let a NO-NAME beat the Respect Effect Mom in Texas :) http://budurl.com/Vote4Family about 10 hours ago

NO-NAME? Wow, that's kind of mean, don't you think? In using the great tool called, "Twitter Search," check out how many times this person has used the phrase, "NO-NAME" in trying to get votes. Yeesh. Plus, stating things like they're voting for someone just because they're in 2nd?

On her website, she calls herself the "Respect Effect Mom." I'd like to ask her how she would deal with a kid who is name calling. That's not very respectful, don't you think? Another thing I found interesting is that on her twitter profile she says that "I can help improve your child's behavior." Well, how about your adult behavior. That's kind of questionable, don't you think?

Anyway, if she passes me and wins this category, my heart is not going to be broken. I very much appreciate the 60+ people who have voted for me (don't forget to tell your friends!), because I know that they feel I'm the best "twitterer" in this category. And, I didn't have to resort to "trash talking" to get people to vote for me. Best of luck to everyone in my category and to those who have made the Shorty Finals!

Addendum (5:15pmET): Apparently this post has gotten someone's attention. I'd like to welcome ADHD Parenting to following me on twitter about an hour ago which probably led her to this post and the following twitter response below.

@doctoranonymous=lack of name assoc=NO-NAME. Stating facts. In health, transparency rules. You post name. I retract tweets. Sound fair? :) 9 minutes ago from web in reply to doctoranonymous

My response to this is that my real name has been out there on the interwebs for months. I have my reasons for not making it front and center on this blog and on my internet radio show. If people don't like that I do that, then don't vote for me. 

But, I thought that this award was for the best tweets and the best twitterer - and not for how transparent someone appears to be. This award is about looking at my twitter feed and look at the other finalists twitter feeds. Make your own decision and vote for the best twitterer.

(Oh, by the way, here is the link that you're looking for. You can retract the tweets, but the votes have already been cast and your intention with this was obvious. So, we'll let the people decide.)

Twitter & Health Care

I'm fascinated by new an innovative uses of social new media tools in medicine and health care. The use of e-mail and tools like secure, password protected websites have been talked about (but not really implemented that much for a variety of reasons) for a long time. But, what about social media solutions like twitter, facebook, and other tools.

I came across this post from Phil Baumann who is a tech guy with some health care credentials. He shows this point of view by bringing up the commonly held concerns of those in health care in using technological solutions - namely issues of patient privacy, HIPPA, and fear of litigation. However, using his tech point of view, he challenges the health care industry to look "outside the box" and see innovative uses of social media.

In the health care industry there is often a fine line between caution and fear. It is the fear of change so common in health care that I hope we can overcome. Twitter may be a proving ground of how we overcome our fears, satisfy our cautions and extend the reach of our health care system with web-based technologies and communities.

His post is called, "140 Health Care Uses for Twitter." Some of these suggestions are really off the wall, but others I see as possible good uses of this medium. Take a look at some of these suggestions and let me know what you think. How would you use Twitter to take care of patients?

Finally, I'd like to welcome those of you who have checked this post out from Grand Rounds. So glad you're here! I invite you to check out the blog, my internet radio show, and my Twitter feed. If you like, then I encourage you to subscribe. If you like my twitter feed, please consider voting for me in the Twitter Shorty Finals! The polls close this week and your vote can help me reach the goal of winning my category. Thanks for your consideration!

Medgadget Polls Are Open!

If you didn't already know, the polls are open voting for the 2008 Medgadget Medical Weblog Awards. This year, there are 31 fabulous blogs nominated in seven different categories. The categories are as follows:

• Best Medical Weblog
  
• Best New Medical Weblog (established in 2008)
  
• Best Literary Medical Weblog
  
• Best Clinical Sciences Weblog
  
• Best Health Policies/Ethics Weblog
  
• Best Medical Technologies/Informatics Weblog
  
• Best Patient's Blog
  

This year's awards are sponsored by Epocrates (BTW, love epocrates. Use it everyday in patient care.) According to the website, the polls will close on Sunday, January 18th, 2009 at midnight eastern time. Winners will be announced on Friday, January 23, 2009. I definitely support these awards and this post will remain at the top of the blog as long as the polls are open. Haven't voted yet? Why not? Click here and cast your vote today! Good luck to all the finalists!

Show 67 Wrap-up

Thanks so much to my guest Jamie Davis from the ProMed Network which is a new network of medical/health podcasts. (You can also download the show here.) In our conversation, he stated that there will be a big launch of this site later this month with a sponsor. We talked a little bit about how to monetize new media. He has a premium site and he has recorded educational CDs and DVDs which are teaching tools for students. (Also check out the video post above)

We also talked about the podcasts that he produces including The MedicCast and The Nursing Show. What I like about these podcasts are the teaching tidbits that they have. It really makes me think about adding clinical teaching topics to my shows. Just like trying to do a little more patient education during the office visit, maybe I can incorporate that into the show.

The second half of the show had a very different feel than my shows usually do. However, I felt that this story needed to be told. My guest for the 2nd part of the show was Burl from the BlogTalkRadio show Annie and Burl Live. Their most recent show told the story of Border Patrol Agents Jose Compeon and Ignacio Ramos. In my opinion, these American heros are wrongly imprisoned and I hope that President Bush does the right thing and let these gentlemen go home to their families.

Burl and I talked about how he and Annie got involved with this story. He talked about how Facebook got him connected to one of the family members. And, then the family graciously agreed to be on their show. The show also had a staff member from a Congressman's office call into the show to discuss the case. Thanks Annie and Burl for sharing this story and I have faith that the right thing will be done and these families will be reunited soon.

Finally, I wanted to extend an invitation to check out the "Night Shift with Dr. A" which is my new BlogTalkRadio show. The next episode will be this Saturday, January 17th, 2009 at 9pm Eastern Time. My co-host is Kat from the BTR show, the "Llanview Lowdown." We talk a little medicine, a little news, a little entertainment, a little pop culture, and whatever else comes up. Hope you're able to join us!

Dr. A Show 67: ProMed Network

Thursday, January 15th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time (0200 GMT)

Join us tonight for Doctor Anonymous Show 67 where our guest will be Jamie Davis who is the Managing Director of The ProMed Network which is a new network of medical/health podcasts. In addition to the ProMed Network, Jamie also produces a number of podcasts including The MedicCast. The player above is the most recent episode of The MedicCast talking about Antifreeze Poisonings.

If you do listen live, you can even take part in the chat room. It is truly "The show within the show." You can even call in and say hello. A great opportunity to interact with medbloggers you've only read about. And, you will be able to see me on the live webcam during the show! See you tonight!

For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.

*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Play/Chat" button. Then, of course, press the "Play/Chat" button.

*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the green "Chat Now" button. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.

*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. If you have a headset microphone, you can "call" into the show by looking for the "Click To Talk" button at the top of the chat box to try out the BTR VoIP option. Hope these tips are helpful!

Today's Video Picks

Just today, I saw three great vids from fellow medbloggers and new media medicine peeps out there. They follow below. First is Kerri from SixUntilMe.com (BTW, vote for her blog in the Medgadget Awards!). In this video blog, she talks about her latest adventures with her HbAIC.

Next is our blog friend Medi-Medi-Mary who does what looks like a parody video of me doing a promo for The Doctor Anonymous Show. Unfortunately, I could not find the code to place here. So, check out her blog post called My first (kinda) video post. Finally is our buddy LizzPiano and her "secret project" which is a video shot by her hospital. It's a very well done music video which I think is about a recent quality improvement project that their hospital nursing staff did. Check it out below. Great use of video. If you're not using video yet, why not? You'll be glad you did!

Show 67 Preview

Join is this week for The Doctor Anonymous Show as we welcome Jamie Davis, RN, NREMT-P, from the ProMed Network. This is a new network of medical and health related podcasts - of which I am a proud member. As of this posting, there are 17 podcasts which are part of the network. And, I think the network has been up and running for about a month now. I'm hoping this year to let, you, the Doctor Anonymous listener, know more about medicine/health related podcasts.

In addition to building an empire of health/medical podcasts, Jamie produces a number of podcasts on his own including the popular podcast called The MedicCast: A Podcast for EMTs, Paramedics, and EMS Providers. In addition to this, Jamie also has The Nursing Show, the MedicCast News Podcast, HealthLiner News Roundup, and a number of other projects.

I encourage you to check out the video post above which was shot in my garage last night where the air temp was 22F and with the winds, the temp feels like -1F - Brrrr! So, join us on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 9pm Eastern Time for Doctor Anonymous Show 67 on BlogTalkRadio. See you then!

Prevent colds? Go To Bed!

Through the years, there have been volumes written on how to prevent the common cold. There are some people who swear by things like zinc and other "natural" or herbal therapies. There's even this pretty good article which outlines tips like washing your hands and keeping household surfaces clean.

On Monday, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh shared something that is very simple to prevent catching a cold - Get some sleep, Dude! It's kind of been conventional wisdom which has said that those who slept more would probably fight off infection better (Reuters).

"Although sleep's relationship with the immune system is well-documented, this is the first evidence that even relatively minor sleep disturbances can influence the body's reaction to cold viruses," [Sheldon] Cohen [a researcher at Carnegie Mellon] said in a statement. "It provides yet another reason why people should make time in their schedules to get a complete night of rest."

In this study, they took about 150 people and locked them in a hotel for five days after infecting them with the cold virus. Now, we'll never find out, but I wonder how did the people with less sleep keep awake those extra hours during those five days - Hmmm? Inquiring minds want to know.

Anyway, those with less sleep developed more cough and cold symptoms verses those who had more sleep. So, I know what you're asking. Why am I up late typing this post when I could be sleeping and preventing future colds? Maybe it is time to go to bed. I mean, I am a primary care doctor. I should be all about prevention, right? hehe