There is little argument that physical activity promotes good health, and that outdoor “green space” such as parks, forests, and recreation fields, promotes physical activity. Many studies have concluded that access to such space has an independent benefit on health and health-related behaviors. Now, however, there is evidence that access to green space many actually reduce the disparities in health care inequality related to socioeconomic status.

A new study published in The Lancet postulates that exposure to quality outdoor recreational space mitigates factors that lead to disease for populations in a lower socioeconomic position. Read more →

I ask this question because as a medical professional I believe this is a significant question for all of my patients to consider. Whether you are currently healthy or sick, young or old, this is the key question.

All too often, I see patients who don’t have an answer to this question. Perhaps they are healthy and haven’t gotten sick or ill before. Perhaps they already are sick and they are a widower or do not have a strong support system. Whatever the situation, the fact is that most of the people that come into the hospital and don’t do well outside of the hospital are those that don’t have people to take care of them. Read more →

Some people have questioned why I blog as a physician and why I blog anonymously. For those of you who haven’t kept up with the medical news, there have been a handful of lawsuits recently where physicians blogged about their patients anonymously. In one case, a physician was being sued for malpractice by a patient. When the blog was discovered by opposing counsel, the physician abruptly settled the case out of court. I suspect it had nothing to do with the actual case itself but that the physician’s counsel felt that the blog undermined the physician’s defense. Read more →

I’ve been helping a friend look for health and dental insurance these past few weeks. As a physician employed by a hospital, I get insurance as a benefit of my employment. Essentially, it is a corporate type of insurance that is paid for by my employer. Anybody who works for my hospital gets the insurance, regardless of whether they are healthy or sick, smokers or non-smokers, or young or old. Read more →

Nearly 43 million Americans are without health insurance and the number is rising, as the average cost of a family’s healthcare insurance is about $12,000. America pays 16% of its national income for healthcare, more than any other country, yet its position on the health chart among developed countries is astonishingly low. The WHO lists USA below even Costa Rica, Morocco, and Chile! Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor of the Republic, traveled across the USA to interview families denied access to healthcare because of the looming cost-spiraled-out-of-proportion crisis faced by America’s healthcare system. The problems are largely due to a convoluted system that Americans use to pay for their healthcare costs. Read more →

There are several pathways to becoming health psychologist; however, those wishing to undergo board certification should consult the American Board of Clinical Health Psychology. There are two lines of graduate programs available: masters and doctoral programs. They include courses in research methods, statistics, introductory and abnormal psychology, pain management, mind-body connection, health care management, stress and illness, physiological psychology, psychopharmacology and several other elective options. Read more →