A recent MedPage Today roundup of healthcare social media posts captures physicians and nurses responding to news and pop culture. After allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members sexually assaulted an incapacitated peer, pediatrician Daniel Cohen emphasized the importance of teaching consent to children. Pediatric critical care physician Anita Patel explained that she stayed silent about her own assault in school because she expected a hearing and little consequence, and epidemiologist Alex Sundermann urged men not to be complicit.
The roundup also included practical advice: Anna Harris, an RN, shared guidance on avoiding unexpected medical bills that sexual assault survivors sometimes receive after forensic exams. Separately, after Taylor Swift released a song called 'Patient Zero,' the Yale School of Public Health examined the term's history and recommended more scientifically accurate terminology. Psychiatrist Agnes Simone discussed the 'damaging' relationship pattern described in the song's lyrics.
Lighter posts included a gastroenterologist's top ten natural laxatives, a resident's joke about sending a melatonin pill 'off to war' against caffeine, and a physician's 'alignments chart' for hospital departments. The items are not a single study or report, but they illustrate the range of medical voices on social media.