Bully surgeons have nowhere to hide now, top doctor says: "After detailing cases of physical abuse in operating theatres and female trainees being propositioned for sex in return for tutoring, the final report recommended the College set up mentoring and coaching for surgeons that need to change their behaviour.
Commenting on this recommendation, Mr Campbell said surgeons who had been misbehaving should expect to get pulled up because bystanders were being encouraged to show leadership.
"Bystanders have been silent for too long. We want people to be tapped on the shoulder. If it's done at a relatively early stage and it's just some bad jokes, we'd want it to be dealt with relatively informally in an educational way," he said, adding that many of the accused would likely be good people who need only education.
But Mr Campbell warned that serious offenders would be referred to the police, the Medical Board of Australia, or an equal opportunity commission. He said the College was continuing to run its complaints line that connects callers to a college counsellor, not a fellow surgeon. Former federal discrimination commissioner Susan Halliday has been appointed to independently review the College's management of complaints every six months.
The expert advisory group's damning report on discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in surgery said the problems were rife in the profession. A survey of 3500 people found about half of surgeons, trainees and international graduates had suffered some form of abuse.
Women and people new to the profession bore the brunt of it - 54 per cent of surgical trainees said they had recently been bullied, compared with 31 per cent of surgeons with more than a decade of experience. Six out of 10 women said they had been bullied and three in 10 said they had been sexually harassed.
One woman told of how she would be considered for a job only if she had her "tubes tied". A man who stood up for his female colleagues said that he then been singled out for ill treatment, while other respondents spoke of being kicked under the table during operations. International graduates reported being ganged up on or threatened.
The expert advisory group, which was chaired by former Victorian health minister Rob Knowles AO, said hospitals, governments and others health sector organisations had to work on the problem. The College has committed to publishing an action plan in November.
"The College has shown courage and commitment in establishing the EAG (expert advisory group) and in accepting in full the findings and recommendations of the draft report," Mr Knowles said. "
'via Blog this'
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Psychiatrist Alex Sharah, who compared lesbians to paedophiles, disqualified
Psychiatrist Alex Sharah, who compared lesbians to paedophiles, disqualified: "Psychiatrist Alexander Anthony Sharah, 80, has been disqualified from registering as a medical practitioner after inappropriate treatment of patients, having also compared lesbians to paedophiles, because both "don't know that they are doing something wrong so we still have to love them".
In a decision handed down on Wednesday, the Civil and Administrative Tribunal rebuked Mr Sharah – a former candidate for the Christian Democratic Party – for encouraging his patients to explore religion to ease their mental health problems.
The decision said: "More than one of the patients referred to the displays of religious objects and material in his waiting room and consulting room, something which, in our view, is clearly inappropriate.
"[Mr Sharah] was indifferent, we consider, to whether patients might find unwelcome and confronting references to the power of prayer, religious beliefs and gestures that had religious symbolism, such as clasping hands and presenting crucifixes."
Mr Sharah is also a "figurehead" in the Men's Justice Movement, which believes the Family Court favours women over men after marriage breakdowns."
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/psychiatrist-alex-sharah-who-compared-lesbians-to-paedophiles-disqualified-20150923-gjt969.html
(moderator: was he not disqualified because he failed in treating his patients? rubbing 'holy water' on someone's forehead is not an accepted treatment, at least I was not able to find any clinical trials in any of the peer reviewed journals. This one example proves the power medical professionals have. There is little doubt that the 80 (!) year old psychiatrist has been doing this kind of 'treatment' most of his working life. Is this the first time he is challenged (and disqualified for 2 years...)?
In a decision handed down on Wednesday, the Civil and Administrative Tribunal rebuked Mr Sharah – a former candidate for the Christian Democratic Party – for encouraging his patients to explore religion to ease their mental health problems.
The decision said: "More than one of the patients referred to the displays of religious objects and material in his waiting room and consulting room, something which, in our view, is clearly inappropriate.
"[Mr Sharah] was indifferent, we consider, to whether patients might find unwelcome and confronting references to the power of prayer, religious beliefs and gestures that had religious symbolism, such as clasping hands and presenting crucifixes."
Mr Sharah is also a "figurehead" in the Men's Justice Movement, which believes the Family Court favours women over men after marriage breakdowns."
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/psychiatrist-alex-sharah-who-compared-lesbians-to-paedophiles-disqualified-20150923-gjt969.html
(moderator: was he not disqualified because he failed in treating his patients? rubbing 'holy water' on someone's forehead is not an accepted treatment, at least I was not able to find any clinical trials in any of the peer reviewed journals. This one example proves the power medical professionals have. There is little doubt that the 80 (!) year old psychiatrist has been doing this kind of 'treatment' most of his working life. Is this the first time he is challenged (and disqualified for 2 years...)?
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Anti-depressant paroxetine linked to youth suicide and no more effective than a placebo, researchers find - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Anti-depressant paroxetine linked to youth suicide and no more effective than a placebo, researchers find - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Approved anti-depressant deemed unsafe
Approved anti-depressant deemed unsafe:
Studies suggest that patients, clinicians, and society often hold unrealistic expectations about the effectiveness of tests and treatments. Two articles in this issue add to that literature. In New Zealand, Hudson et al3 surveyed 977 primary care patients and found that many overestimated the benefits of cancer screening and chemopreventive medications. The minimum benefit from screening that respondents deemed acceptable was less than their known benefit. The survey had a modest sample size and low response rate (36%), and its findings might not be fully applicable to other countries, but US studies have reported a similar problem. For example, a variety of studies document Americans' appetite for procedures of dubious effectiveness and their overestimation of benefits.4,5
Physicians are not immune to false beliefs about clinical efficacy or complication rates.8Correcting such misperceptions has always been part of the impetus for the evidence-based medicine movement and its promulgation of systematic evidence reviews, practice guidelines, and other tools that present the facts on benefits, safety, and scientific uncertainties. Even these tools, however, can reflect the misconceptions of those who produce them. The specialists who serve on expert panels derive much of their clinical case knowledge from the patients with advanced disease who fill their clinics. Having seen the worst of the worst, they are less sympathetic to expressions of concern about the potential harms of interventions or imperfections in efficacy studies.9Whereas epidemiologists consider the population denominator to put the numerator in perspective, the world of specialists is confined to the numerator, giving them a skewed basis for judging the population prevalence of diseases or benefit-risk ratios. Were this not enough, the preeminent scientists who often serve on guideline panels bring additional biases, such as being the authors of key studies under review or having financial ties to industry.10
http://www.annfammed.org/content/10/6/491.full
Studies suggest that patients, clinicians, and society often hold unrealistic expectations about the effectiveness of tests and treatments. Two articles in this issue add to that literature. In New Zealand, Hudson et al3 surveyed 977 primary care patients and found that many overestimated the benefits of cancer screening and chemopreventive medications. The minimum benefit from screening that respondents deemed acceptable was less than their known benefit. The survey had a modest sample size and low response rate (36%), and its findings might not be fully applicable to other countries, but US studies have reported a similar problem. For example, a variety of studies document Americans' appetite for procedures of dubious effectiveness and their overestimation of benefits.4,5
Physicians are not immune to false beliefs about clinical efficacy or complication rates.8Correcting such misperceptions has always been part of the impetus for the evidence-based medicine movement and its promulgation of systematic evidence reviews, practice guidelines, and other tools that present the facts on benefits, safety, and scientific uncertainties. Even these tools, however, can reflect the misconceptions of those who produce them. The specialists who serve on expert panels derive much of their clinical case knowledge from the patients with advanced disease who fill their clinics. Having seen the worst of the worst, they are less sympathetic to expressions of concern about the potential harms of interventions or imperfections in efficacy studies.9Whereas epidemiologists consider the population denominator to put the numerator in perspective, the world of specialists is confined to the numerator, giving them a skewed basis for judging the population prevalence of diseases or benefit-risk ratios. Were this not enough, the preeminent scientists who often serve on guideline panels bring additional biases, such as being the authors of key studies under review or having financial ties to industry.10
http://www.annfammed.org/content/10/6/491.full
Friday, September 18, 2015
Baker IDI Melbourne fabricated research results
“Fabricated results” retract JAMA clinical trial, plus a sub-analysis of the data - Retraction Watch at Retraction Watch: "“Fabricated results” retract JAMA clinical trial, plus a sub-analysis of the data
with 2 comments
A JAMA clinical trial that suggested a blood pressure drug could help patients increase their physical fitness, and a sub-analysis of those data, have been retracted after “an admission of fabricated results” by the first author on both papers.
The three-year clinical trial was published in JAMA in 2013. It was retracted this morning.
The trial found ramipril helped patients with artery disease walk longer and with less pain, according to the abstract:
Among patients with intermittent claudication, 24-week treatment with ramipril resulted in significant increases in pain-free and maximum treadmill walking times compared with placebo. This was associated with a significant increase in the physical functioning component of the SF-36 score.
The retraction note explains how the fabricated data came to light: "
with 2 comments
A JAMA clinical trial that suggested a blood pressure drug could help patients increase their physical fitness, and a sub-analysis of those data, have been retracted after “an admission of fabricated results” by the first author on both papers.
The three-year clinical trial was published in JAMA in 2013. It was retracted this morning.
The trial found ramipril helped patients with artery disease walk longer and with less pain, according to the abstract:
Among patients with intermittent claudication, 24-week treatment with ramipril resulted in significant increases in pain-free and maximum treadmill walking times compared with placebo. This was associated with a significant increase in the physical functioning component of the SF-36 score.
The retraction note explains how the fabricated data came to light: "
Saturday, September 12, 2015
"for any inappropriate care to occur, complicit action on a large scale is required" - MJA
Med J Aust 2015;; 203 (4): 161-162.: "Instead of dismissing, we should consider that for any inappropriate care to occur, complicit action on a large scale is required. To deliver a do-not-do procedure a medical practitioner must first be credentialled, have a defined scope of practice and operate within their clinical team alongside support services and the governance structures of an organisation. Start counting how many people are involved. Therefore, the question we should be asking is: how is it possible for inappropriate care to occur? And what systems-level agreements perpetuate this situation?"https://www.mja.com.au/.../it-not-appropriate-dismiss...
and:
"Far too many patients in some Australian hospitals get a treatment they should not receive, against all evidence that the treatment is unnecessary or does not work.
This report identifies five treatments that should not be given to certain types of patients. Yet this happened to nearly 6000 people – or 16 people a day – in 2010-11." http://grattan.edu.au/.../questionable-care-avoiding.../
"the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has discovered its ranks are riddled with bullies, creeps and bigots"
"Royal Australasian College of Surgeons revelations: Patients complicit in promoting surgeons' God complex" - you see? it's your fault if you are mistreated or abused by your surgeon...
"Yet the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has discovered its ranks are riddled with bullies, creeps and bigots."
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/…/royal-australasian-college-of-surge…
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Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
or archived page:
https://archive.is/AYnuj
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Doctor Skeptic: Fixing a hole
Doctor Skeptic: Fixing a hole: Migraine is common, affecting millions of people worldwide. A patent foramen ovale (PFO – a ‘hole in the heart’ that lets blood cross from...
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