Lies, Damed Lies Statistics and Yellow Journalism: Sure I’m defensive about this. The advocacy group Public Citizen has posted a report by Sidney Wolfe MD ranking the 50 state medical boards’ rates of serious disciplinary actions in 1999 and earlier years. My state, Massachusetts, rates near the bottom. Wolfe and Public Citizen imply that that means the medical board is lax, or that its members are covering for their inept colleagues:

“These data raise serious questions about the extent to which patients in many states with poorer records of serious doctor discipline are

being protected from physicians who might well be barred from practice in states with boards that are doing a better job of disciplining

physicians. It is likely that patients are being injured or killed more often in states with poor doctor disciplinary records than in states

with consistent top performances.”

But, at least for Massachusetts, couldn’t it mean that the quality of medical care is higher and the need for disciplinary action lower, as I think it might be? The state has four medical schools and an enormous proportion of its medical practitioners are medical faculty, leaders in their disciplines; another large proportion are researchers without enough patient contact to commit disciplinable offenses. Think about it: the four best-ranked states are AK, with a total of just 1160 physicians; ND, with 1596 physicians state-wide; WY, with 981; and ID, with 2278. Massachusetts had 27622 physicians in 1999.

Why Web Journals Suck by Diane Patterson. Some of the comments are germane to weblogs too. There’s a section called “Hit Sluts” on how to attract more readers, with some thoughtful suggestions. One of them is to post a long diatribe about how web journals suck. Good work, Diane. Another is to link to other journals or weblogs, especially popular ones. Good work, Eliot. Let’s face it, I’m a hit slut too.

HIV puzzle explored:

new report of an elderly patient

who has survived with the infection for about 15 years, untroubled by any virus-related complications,

according to a group of Italian physicians.

Mounties Probe Fragrant Student

“A teacher (in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia) has asked Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate whether a student is ignoring the

school’s policy against wearing scented products and intentionally trying to cause her to experience allergic reactions.

If investigators deem the boy is intentionally trying to harm the teacher, the student could be charged with assault or mischief.”

Can George W. Save Bill G.? by Ted Rose

Last week, the New York Times reported that George W.

Bush campaign consultant Ralph Reed was moonlighting for

Microsoft, lobbying Bush about the company’s antitrust case. Could

Bush really make a difference in the case if he assumed the

presidency in 2001? [Slate]

Slate: Baby Needs a New Set of Genes – Everyone’s against genetic discrimination. Or so they think.  by Michael Kinsley

“So this ban on genetic discrimination that everyone seems

to be for would, if applied consistently, be an exercise in social

leveling like nothing since the Khmer Rouge turned Cambodia

into Kampuchea. That seems to leave only two logically

coherent positions, both intolerable: 1) level away; or 2) don’t

start down this road, because there’s no place to stop.” Does Kinsley really think we’ll stop and think just because we’re on a slippery slope??