Mr. Jones is a 65 year-old gentleman with a past medical history significant for hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and coronary artery disease (CAD), who presents from OSH with … who-knows-what?

OSH denotes an “outside hospital” from where a patient was transferred. These hospitals are generally smaller medical centers that do not have the advanced specialists, equipment, or support facilities to manage the evolving complexity of a patient’s disease. Consequently, they request from a higher-level care center (i.e., tertiary hospital, major academic institution) to have the patient transferred there. In rare instances where patients carry cryptic or immensely challenging clinical diagnoses, a tertiary center may even refer the patient to another hospital where supposed “world experts” of a particular field may practice.

A common complaint at tertiary centers receiving transferred patients is that they arrive with poor supporting documentation. That is, what had been done for the patient while at the other hospital? What happened whereby the patient now requires higher level care? Discharge summaries sometimes appear as if they were drafted on the fly; at other times, they are replaced by randomly copied chart notes or nothing altogether. In worse scenarios, patients may arrive with such dearth of information that the admitting physician is left dumbfounded about the real reasons for admission.

In response, a group of medicine residents from the University of Pennsylvania created the following video to critique–with gross exaggeration, of course–the infamous OSH.

Disclaimer: the video is intended to be a comedic satire and does not reflect the standard of care at OSH. Training programs, practicing medical professionals, and health care organizations are closely monitored by an army of acronyms, such as the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education), ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine), JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), etc.

5min Life Videopedia may appear like another of the million YouTube clones on the Internet. It, however, distinguishes itself from its competitors by focusing on brief instructional videos. The site builds on two premises: 1) “everybody is an expert in something and has something to teach others”; and 2) “any solution can be visually explained in no more than 5 minutes.” As a result, we have a great online video resource where users can provide or find answers to practical questions in a few short minutes.

The site has a Health category, which features informative health-related videos geared for the general public. The category addresses a breadth of topics, ranging from cardiology and dermatology to nutrition and first-aid. Some video clips demonstrate adult CPR, teach massage techniques, and discuss diverse medical issues (e.g., testicular pain, Golfer’s elbow, seizures in children, dealing with colic). There is also a section dedicated to performing self-exams, such as the testicular and breast exams.

Having launched only a few months ago, 5min is relatively new, yet its video catalog is quite impressive. As of today, the user affiliated with DrMDK.com, a pediatrics website, is the largest overall contributor to 5min (329 uploads) and its Health category (209 uploads). Most of the videos simply consist of pediatricians briefly speaking about a topic before a camera, which makes the thought of creating such videos less daunting. Teaching physicians, who are accustomed to engaging in lengthy discourse in their fields of interest, should have no problem.

Dr. George Lundberg, a pathologist by training and Editor-in-Chief of Medscape General Medicine, presents an intriguing method for treating seborrheic keratosis. He terms the procedure “fingernail surgery”. Dr. Lundberg also provides a helpful hint on how to differentiate seborrheic keratosis from other skin lesions, such as cancer.

Please remember that information from the Internet, including this site, cannot replace the professional opinion of a licensed physician. Consult your medical doctor when you notice a questionable skin lesion, especially if it has irregular borders, non-homogenous appearance, or changed in any way.