Medical blogs for doctors and patients alike

Here's a roundup of some of the best-known medblogs. Go to the sites, however, and these doctors might introduce you to even more.

By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 4, 2008

The world of medical blogs is crowded, colorful and as diverse as the nation's population of doctors and nurses. Following are a few of the best-known. But virtually all med bloggers provide their own "blog rolls," which link to the fellow bloggers they like to read. And most will reveal a bit about themselves under FAQs or in their "About" section.



* From Medskool. This blog by a medical school student maintains links to the MedBlogs Grand Rounds that come out each Tuesday morning. In addition to following and linking to news of interest to medical students and professionals, this site has a comprehensive "blog roll" and links to a wide range of medical Internet sites.

* Emergiblog. Billed as "The Life and & Times of an ER Nurse," this blog includes observations on the practice of medicine from the point of view of Kim, a San Francisco-area nurse and 28-year veteran of the medical profession. It's also the occasional home of Change-of-Shift, a weekly compilation of nurses' blog postings.

* GruntDoc. Former Marine infantryman and physician Allen Roberts, an ER doc in Fort Worth, holds forth on medicine and life, oversees MedBlogs Grand Rounds regularly and is one of the grand old men of the medical blogosphere. "It's cheap entertainment for me," he says of blogging. Of the blogosphere, he says, "it's a strange little fishbowl."

* Blogborygmi. Dr. Nicholas Genes, an ER doc from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and father of the MedBlogs Grand Rounds idea, partners with a pathologist at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and a medical student from Harlem to maintain this widely read blog, whose name is a variation of the word Borborygmi, medical argot for stomach-gurgling sounds.

* Edwinleap.com. A thoughtful ER doc living in South Carolina describes himself as "husband, father, physician, writer," and writes about medicine, family and culture.

* DB’s Medical Rants. This blog maintained by Dr. Robert M. Centor, an internist at the University of Alabama School of Medicine comments on the practice of medicine and the healthcare system. Despite its name, it sticks to professional topics.

* Dr. Val and the Voice of Reason. Dr. Val Jones' take on "health, medicine and the pursuit of happiness." This blog includes comments and interviews conducted by Jones on the state of the nation's healthcare system, medical research in the news studies and on the medical profession.

* Kevin, M.D.. A Nashua, N.H., internist writes short, snappy takes on news and studies of general medical interest, providing great links.

* MedGadget. Just what it sounds like -- a cavalcade of specialized devices pitched to physicians, richly illustrated and sometimes taken on a test drive.

* Medpolitics. One of the newest of the medblogs, Medpolitics -- a site for "doctors only," aims to give physicians a forum for discussing the politics of American healthcare. Physicians-bloggers hail it as evidence that the med blogosphere will play an important role in shaping the coming debate over healthcare reform.

* California Medicine Man. The blog of Dr. John S. Ford, assistant UCLA professor and an internist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

* Notes of an Anesthesioboist An anesthesiologist and music lover in Boston writes eloquently about the care of patients going under the knife.

* Fingers and Tubes in Every Orifice. A doctor who calls himself "Charity Doc" came up in a housing project and practices medicine in a busy emergency department in "Crack City." With witty and often heartbreaking candor, he chronicles the woes of an underserved patient population that is often its own worst enemy.

* Ob/Gyn Kenobi. This often hilarious blog from the obstetrician-mom of an infant she calls "Bean" is highly engaging. If you're pregnant and sensitive, stay away!

* Mothers in medicine. A new blog in which physician-mothers share "our war stories" and write about "the unique challenge and joys of tending to two distinct patient populations." They're on call, they say, "every.single.day."

* Codeblog. A highly entertaining blog that primarily serves as a gathering place for nurses wishing to share their stories.

* Musings of a Distractible Mind. Dr. Rob is a primary care physician in the Southeastern U.S. who writes about "what it is like to be a physician, dogs driving cars, what troubles are in our system, toddlers with flame-throwers" and much more.

* Head nurse. A 4-year-old blog on the work and play of a head nurse.

* Urostream. Dr. Keagirl is the nom de plume of this very funny urologist, who posts on matters ranging from Pilates to penile fractures.

* Clinical Cases and Images. A teaching blog with a comprehensive collection of cases in all areas of medical specialty.

* Medical Jokes, Cartoons, Videos. Bills itself as a compilation of "Doctor jokes, medical jokes. Anatomically correct medical humor. Not another Medical Weblog."

* Placebo Journal Blog. Calling itself "Medical Humor With a Purpose," this blog is an extension of the print-edition Placebo Journal, and is written by Auburn, Maine, family practitioner Dr. Douglas Farrago. There's funny stuff here.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

source: http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/health/
la-hew-docblogside4-2008aug04,0,5919063.story