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John Mandrola, MD

John Mandrola, MD

Dr. Mandrola is a cardiologist who specializes in heart rhythm disorders. He writes about doctoring and cycling at http://www.drjohnm.dreamhosters.com/

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Update on anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation: Encouraging news for rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

Update on anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation: Encouraging news for rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

May 22, 2013 11:29 pm by | 0 Comments

It’s time to do an update on the treatment of atrial fibrillation. It’s been a while, and there are worthy things to report from the real world. Stroke prevention in ... Read more
Ten simple social media rules for doctors

Ten simple social media rules for doctors

April 18, 2013 12:52 am by | 0 Comments

How should doctors behave online? This is a funny question, isn't it? A group of doctors came up with a 14-page, 6,000 word instruction manual. These 10 rules work just ... Read more
Notes from ACC Day 3: Catheter ablation, managing ICDs, and NNTs

Notes from ACC Day 3: Catheter ablation, managing ICDs, and NNTs

March 15, 2013 10:36 pm by | 0 Comments

My THO assignment for the final day was to find something useful to say about catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. ... Read more
Seven survival strategies for doctors in the new world of healthcare reform

Seven survival strategies for doctors in the new world of healthcare reform

January 23, 2013 10:27 am by | 0 Comments

It is with great pleasure that I offer the following guest post from Edward J. Schloss, MD, (Twitter ID @EJSMD) the medical director of cardiac electrophysiology at Christ Hospital in ... Read more
Healthcare reform is like a colicky newborn making everyone miserable

Healthcare reform is like a colicky newborn making everyone miserable

January 22, 2013 6:39 am by | 0 Comments

The healthcare reform baby is here. Blissful life for real-world doctors is over. The days of running on time in the office’gone. The days of having enough time to chat ... Read more
FDA’s overdue approval of Apixaban (Eliquis) is great news for AF patients

FDA’s overdue approval of Apixaban (Eliquis) is great news for AF patients

January 3, 2013 1:01 pm by | 1 Comments

Last week the FDA finally approved apixaban (Eliquis) for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. I use the words ‘finally approved’ because the markedly positive ARISTOTLE ... Read more
What to do? Ban assault rifles and treat mental health research just like breast cancer research

What to do? Ban assault rifles and treat mental health research just like breast cancer research

December 16, 2012 7:39 am by | 3 Comments

I grew up in Connecticut. It was in a town just like Newtown. It was safe and it was quiet. I am a father and a grandfather. My life is ... Read more
Beta tester did diagnosis on the fly with AliveCor iPhone heart monitor

Beta tester did diagnosis on the fly with AliveCor iPhone heart monitor

December 4, 2012 7:33 am by | 0 Comments

I’m sad. Gone is the novelty of having magic in my IPhone. For over a year, I was special. As a beta-tester, I could show you your heart rhythm on ... Read more
Just say no to linking doctor pay to patient satisfaction scores

Just say no to linking doctor pay to patient satisfaction scores

November 30, 2012 4:26 pm by | 0 Comments

On a list of well-meaning but dumb reform ideas, linking compensation of hospitals (or doctors) to patient satisfaction scores ranks near the top. Let me tell you why. It involves ... Read more
Faith in the protective power of mammography needs to change

Faith in the protective power of mammography needs to change

November 27, 2012 7:19 am by | 2 Comments

Few procedures have been more entrenched in the dogma of Medical practice than mammograms. In our climate of political correctness and right-think, it would define heretical to suggest a procedure ... Read more
Four viewpoints show doctor morale not much better than patient’s

Four viewpoints show doctor morale not much better than patient’s

October 10, 2012 8:19 am by | 9 Comments

Doctors need time with patients, not computer screens, a fair wage, and the leeway to be human. Several recent posts show that physicians are feeling demonized and blamed for all ... Read more
Don’t blame docs for codes that pay more for scans and surgery than listening and guidance

Don’t blame docs for codes that pay more for scans and surgery than listening and guidance

September 24, 2012 8:23 am by | 0 Comments

A recent analysis of billing codes suggests that doctors are gaming the system to get paid more. Doctors will tell you that counseling patients is much harder work than doing ... Read more
Hard truths of healthcare: We need universal care, but we must accept limits on spending

Hard truths of healthcare: We need universal care, but we must accept limits on spending

September 7, 2012 7:59 am by | 1 Comments

Universal care is the right thing to do, but we must accept there are limits on how much we can spend. Everyone - doctors and patients - must step up ... Read more
FDA’s new x-ray mandate for Riata patients doesn’t ignores complexities of reality

FDA’s new x-ray mandate for Riata patients doesn’t ignores complexities of reality

August 19, 2012 4:00 pm by | 0 Comments

If you have not already heard, there was more news (see theHeart.org) on the troubled St. Jude Medical Riata family of ICD leads. The high voltage leads were recalled in ... Read more
Supreme Court decision can’t help with “goals of care” or “less is more” conversations

Supreme Court decision can’t help with “goals of care” or “less is more” conversations

June 29, 2012 12:39 pm by | 0 Comments

With the permission of the editors at theHeart.org, a version of this post also appears on Trials and Fibrillations. I wasn’t going to write on this matter, but I changed ... Read more