A national database for health records would greatly reduce duplicate lab work and diagnostic testing — not to mention overmedication.
Kathleen Kozak
Kathleen Kozak, M.D., is an internal medicine physician at Straub Clinic and Hospital. She is also the host of The Body Show on Hawaii Public Radio.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Watch Out, This Medicare Scam Begins With A Phone Call
A sophisticated solicitation can convince a patient to ask for unneeded equipment, and trick a doctor’s office into going along with it.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Pharmaceutical Companies Are Ripping Off Americans
You may get out of the pharmacy with pills in hand and money still in your wallet, but the high cost of medication will get you in the end.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Yes, Patients Can Be Trusted With A First Look At Test Results
Technology makes medical information available faster these days, but should it be accessible to patients without a doctor’s explanation?
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Marijuana Could Be Opioid Alternative — But Feds Just Say No
As we desperately seek alternatives to addictive painkillers, a federal ban on research is obstructing one promising option.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Really? You Need A Doctor’s Note To Go Back To Work?
Employers waste money requiring their workers to have physicians verify that they were legitimately sick and have now recovered.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Bring Back The Mental Hospitals
Most of them were shut down in favor of community-based services, but that has proven to be a colossal failure.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Beware Of This Dicey New Approach To Experimental Drugs
There already was a well-regulated program in place, but new federal legislation that just took effect raises many questions.
Posted inOpinion
Health Beat: Hawaii Can Do More To Save Opioid Overdose Victims
We need to join the many states that allow over-the-counter purchases of a drug that can potentially save those addicted to painkillers.