In a poll of 415 adult patients between 2004 and 2005, 78% said they wanted their doctors to shake hands; 18.1% did not. It's not clear what the remaining 3.9% wanted - perhaps a hearty slap on the back.
Just over 50% of patients wanted doctors to use their patient's first names, 17.3% preferred to be called by their last name, and 23.6 wanted physicians to use both their first and last names.
On the flip side, 56.4% of patients wanted doctors to introduce themselves using first and last names; 32.5% expected their physicians to identify themselves only by their last name, and 7.2% preferred doctors to use only their first name, as in "Hello, I'm Doctor Bob."
The survey, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, also videotaped 123 new patient visits in the offices of 19 physicians in Chicago and Burlington, Vt.
The results: Doctors and physicians shook hands 82.9% of the time, but doctors never mentioned their patients' names in 50.4% of the visits and failed to identify themselves 11.4% of the time.
MEDTRONICA
Medical Myths
www.uams.edu/news/medical(underscore)myths/
Is drinking eight glasses of water every day good for you? Does sugar make one hyperactive?
These questions and others are answered by the medical staff of the University of Arkansas.
Here's some advice from "The Physical Life of Women" (published in 1872) on how to have beautiful children:
"During pregnancy, the mother should often have some painting or engraving representing cheerful or beautiful figures before her eyes, or often contemplate some graceful statue. She should avoid looking at or thinking of ugly people or those marked by disfiguring diseases."
GET ME THAT. STAT!
According to "Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die," at least 50,345 Americans have died from medical research since 1930.
NEVER SAY DIET
The record for eating live cockroaches is held by Ken Edwards of Derbyshire, England, who consumed 36 hissing Madagascar roaches in one minute in 2001.
OBSERVATION
Imprisoned in every fat person is a thin one wildly signaling to be let out.
- Cyril Connolly
PHOBIA OF THE WEEK
Epistaxiophobia - fear of nosebleeds
BEST MEDICINE
Members of a neighborhood health club were meeting for the first time. The leader of the group suggested they go around the room, describing their daily routine and habits.
"Really!" exclaimed the leader. "And there's nothing else you'd like to add?"
"Well, yes," admitted the overweight member. "I also lie extensively."
CURTAIN CALLS
John B. Curtis is sometimes credited with inventing chewing gum in 1848, though he admitted his idea came from watching American Indians chew tree sap. Curtis' big seller (relatively speaking) was a spruce-flavored gum, but he was always producing and testing new flavors.
Doing so killed him. Curtis died from asphyxiation caused by a lump of gum that became stuck in his throat.
