Physicians | featured news

Don't be afraid to question your doctor and ask, "Do I really need that?" That's the advice from leading medical groups who came up dozens of tests and treatments that physicians too often prescribe when they shouldn't. No worrisome stroke signs? Then don't screen a healthy person for a clogged neck artery, the family physicians say. It could lead to risky surgery for a blockage too small to matter.

The Renaissance scholars and married couple Stephen Greenblatt and Ramie Targoff are trying to renew the reputation of Thomas Browne, a 17th-century physician and novelist.

Physicians and other medical professionals should screen children age 6 and older for obesity and refer obese kids to comprehensive weight-management programs, an expert panel says in today's Pediatrics online.