Opinion | ‘Colonoscopy Is Not Effective if You Don’t Do It’: What We Heard This Week

“Colonoscopy is not effective if you don’t do it.” — George Chang, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, responding to findings from a European colonoscopy trial that suggested potentially less benefit from colon cancer screening than expected.

“Our country was founded on a philosophy of individual liberty, and in many spheres of life we tend to err on the side of allowing one person’s liberty to infringe on another person’s safety.” — Dirk Sostman, MD, president of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, commenting on how 40% of Americans misled others about their COVID-19 infection or vaccination status or about adhering to recommended precautions during the pandemic.

“We are only beginning to understand the implications of Paul McCrory’s serial scientific misconduct.” — Chris Nowinski, PhD, of the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston, reacting to the British Journal of Sports Medicine‘s retraction of nine more articles authored by concussion researcher Paul McCrory, MBBS, PhD.

“We need barriers so that children and youth who shouldn’t access [firearms] don’t have easy access.” — Lois Lee, MD, MPH, of Boston Children’s Hospital, on the American Academy of Pediatrics’s new harm reduction approach to gun safety.

“On a global level, could it help a lot of patients? Probably not, in its current state.” — Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, of UT Health San Antonio in Texas, on the potential benefits of using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for managing long COVID symptoms.

“We hear about [Medicare Advantage] policies that seem to purposefully use all sorts of protocols to deny people care, or at least delay it.” — David Weil, of the San Diego-based Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, discussing how some Medicare Advantage plans create roadblocks to care.

“As a matter of fact, it makes perfect sense to me.” — Lex Frieden, MA, of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, commenting on how 64% of physicians with disabilities reported at least one type of mistreatment from their coworkers.