Sensible Medicine

Sensible Medicine explores bio-medicine through a critical lens, questioning prevailing practices, ethics, and research in healthcare. It covers COVID-19 perspectives, scientific integrity, patient identity, vaccination strategies, medical treatments, and doctor-patient relationships. It also incorporates puzzles and quizzes for engaging readers in medical-related challenges.

COVID-19 Scientific Integrity Patient Care and Identity Vaccination and Healthcare Strategies Medical Treatments and Practices Doctor-Patient Relationships Ethics in Medicine Research and Study Critiques Educational Puzzles and Quizzes

The hottest Substack posts of Sensible Medicine

And their main takeaways

Masks are nearly all off

6230 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Masks Vaccination
  1. Many people have different opinions on mask-wearing and judge others based on their choices.
  2. Logical breaks for stopping mask-wearing include belief in its effectiveness and timing related to vaccination or Covid infection.
  3. Continuing to wear masks after certain periods or events may not always be rational according to the author.

The Patient

4088 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth Identity Self-reflection
  1. Identifying as a patient can sometimes overshadow your whole identity, and it's crucial to remember you are more than just the patient label.
  2. Being seen as a 'Patient' by others can affect how they interact with you, sometimes diminishing your identity beyond your health status.
  3. Despite the challenges of being defined by your health struggles, it's possible to regain aspects of your identity and redefine yourself beyond the patient role.

Fraud, Distortion, and Truth in Science

4540 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🔬 Science Fraud Truth
  1. Fraud in science is a serious problem, but the bigger issue is the lack of commitment to doing high-quality work.
  2. Many scientific conclusions lack truth and usefulness due to flawed methodologies and inadequate controls.
  3. The scientific field is filled with low credibility studies and a focus on personal gain rather than truth and welfare.

"Can you tweet my paper" vs. "Here are some edits, no need to add me"

3360 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Academic Training Selflessness Reputation
  1. There are two types of people in medicine: those who seek promotion and those who selflessly help with edits.
  2. In academic medicine, it's important to distinguish between those who want you to promote their work and those who genuinely help you improve yours.
  3. Trainees in medicine should surround themselves with people willing to offer constructive feedback without expecting credit.
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Friday Reflection 35: Why Don’t Doctors Want to See Patients?

2987 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Burnout Responsibility Empathy
  1. Being a doctor is a challenging and high-stress job, dealing with patients and their families every day.
  2. The responsibility of being a doctor means always needing to perform at your best, even on bad days.
  3. Doctors often feel overwhelmed by the limitations in fixing the underlying societal issues that contribute to their patients' health problems.

The Evidence that Established Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is Worth Studying

3459 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Surgery Cardiology
  1. Some old trials showed no significant survival advantage of coronary artery bypass surgery over medical therapy for stable coronary disease.
  2. Subgroup analyses and crossovers in these trials may have influenced the perception of bypass surgery's effectiveness.
  3. A meta-analysis combining data from these trials showed a significant mortality reduction with bypass surgery, especially in certain patient subgroups.

Can We Select “Better” Residents?

2063 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Professional development Training
  1. Today's medical residents have impressive qualifications on paper but may not be better than previous generations.
  2. Increased competition in medical education may result in a selection process that does not lead to better residents.
  3. Consider alternative selection processes, such as random selection or structured interviews, to potentially improve the quality of young doctors.

A Surprising Look at the Evidence for Beta-Blockers After MI

2948 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Cardiology Medication Trials Heart Health Patient Care
  1. Beta-blockers after MI have been a common practice, but recent evidence shows they may not be as crucial as previously thought.
  2. The BHAT and ISIS 1 trials from the 1980s provided insights on the effectiveness of beta-blockers after MI.
  3. These trials highlight the need to reevaluate the use of beta-blockers after MI, as current MI treatment practices have evolved significantly.

What it Takes to Actually Achieve Shared Decision Making.

2437 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine Patient Care
  1. Shared decision-making in healthcare is essential and should focus on educating patients about the risks, benefits, and harms of treatments.
  2. Emphasizing important clinical outcomes over surrogate markers is crucial to help patients grasp their cardiovascular risk accurately.
  3. Providing contextual information, using visual aids, and discussing lifestyle changes alongside medications can help patients make informed decisions about their health.

Can Data Just Speak for Itself?

1375 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medical Research
  1. Initial trial results may not always show the full picture of a medication's effectiveness.
  2. Surprising findings in data analysis might challenge pre-conceived notions of drug efficacy.
  3. Understanding the importance of setting primary endpoints in clinical trials to avoid false positives in data interpretation.

Sensible Diversion #4

530 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🚌 Education Puzzle
  1. Group 16 words into 4 groups of 4 for a puzzle that will reveal the answer at 4 PM CST.
  2. Subscribe to Sensible Medicine for a 7-day free trial and access to full post archives.
  3. Paid subscribers can sign in to access the content immediately.

Saturday's Sensible Diversion #2

668 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🚌 Education
  1. Group 16 words into 4 groups of 4.
  2. Answer will be posted at 4 PM CST on the website, not via email.
  3. Start a 7-day free trial to access full post archives on Sensible Medicine.

Sensible Diversion #2 Answer

157 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Medicine
  1. The text includes lists of long bones, wrist bones, cranial nerves, and ventricles.
  2. It prompts the reader to check their knowledge on the mentioned anatomy parts.
  3. The post encourages readers to subscribe for more content and offers a 7-day free trial.

A Sensible Connection Answer

98 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Senses
  1. The article discusses DNA and RNA viruses as well as joints and senses.
  2. It mentions specific viruses like Herpes, Smallpox, Hepatitis, and HIV.
  3. The content encourages readers to subscribe for a 7-day free trial to access more information.

Diversion #4 Answers

19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Hospitals
  1. The post mentions various medical centers like BI, Deke, and General, along with locations like Chicago and American public hospitals.
  2. There's an invitation to subscribe to Sensible Medicine for a 7-day free trial to access more content like the one provided in the post.
  3. Physicians like Adam Cifu, MD, are contributors to the content shared on the platform.