Monya De

An online health startup called Nurx bills itself as the "Uber for birth control." Dr. Monya De takes the site out for a spin, and finds she has some serious reservations along the way.

Have we incentivized electronic checkboxes at the expense of more deliberate, thoughtful ways of practicing medicine? Dr. Monya De suggests that today's focus on efficiency and technology leaves little time for actual doctoring.

As any ER doc can tell you, alcohol can lead to all kinds of horrible and entirely preventable health effects. So why not jump on the "dry January" trend? As Dr. Monya De writes, drinkers who do so are more likely to use less alcohol going forward.

Just five years ago, newly minted doctors looking for jobs in a desirable city had to get in line. Doctors hoping to score work in cosmopolitan Los Angeles, for example, often found themselves commuting hours to faraway locales. That has dramatically changed. But why?

“Out-of-network” means “bad idea.” Right? Yet many patients do willingly choose out-of-network doctors for medical care, whether it's for a complex surgery or for managing their diabetes. Going out-of-network isn't for everyone, but it can have benefits for those who make a fully informed choice.

This year alone, I have learned of three doctors, two of whom I personally know and one who I went to medical school with, being disciplined by the Medical Board of California. They're all men. Likewise, a recent study found male doctors were more likely to be disciplined. What's going on here?

What does "Talk to you doctor” mean? It’s a legal and ethical security blanket. But it's also a solid piece of advice at a time when people increasingly find health info online. It also keeps doctors on their toes, as they encounter a steady barrage of new treatments and questions.

A troubled California database that allows doctors to check which patients are already receiving potentially addictive prescriptions is currently being relaunched. But one doctor argues that the state needs to do far more to stem prescription drug deaths than simply revamp CURES.

At a recent Stanford conference, doctors and patients sought to find a balance between the dizzying array of new health technologies and patients' old-fashioned need for engaged, attentive care from increasingly overwhelmed and distracted providers.

Electronic medical records held out the promise of a better future, with everyone reaping the benefits. In reality, poorly designed systems slow doctors down, hinder the doctor-patient relationship, and often get things wrong. Doctors and patients deserve better solutions.