Wednesday House Blogging

Last night's episode was interesting. Can't comment on the medical stuff except to say that Epstein-Barr is a foul virus that is usually only responsible for Mononucleosis, but in some cases can become chronic, and in other cases, amy lie dormant for years (much like chicken pox/shingles) and come on in response to stress.

However, I would like to address one point: House's speech to the conference.

In these days of CME (Continuing Medical Education) and full financial disclosure, it would have been hard for House to even be accepted to make that speech at a regular meeting. CME rules state that all lecturers/presenters at a professional meeting (including yours truly) must disclose any financial or other interest in the company(ies) who make the products that they are discussing, or who funds their grants. Because House's hospital is owned by Vogler's company, House would have to state that he is fully employed by the company through the hospital. Furthermore, his talk would be considered a sales pitch, and therefore not eligible for CME credit. so in all likelihood such a talk would have been held at a satellite event sponsored by the company, rather than the main meeting.

In that case, it's a surprise Vogler didn't try to fire him right then and there. He ruined a sales presentation.

But he did the right thing. Every time Vogler tries to hold his employment over his head, I have to laugh. In the real world, a hospital could lose its accreditation for allowing a pharmaceutical comapny to turn it into its own private colony of lab rats. What he's asked House to do, over and over is so unethical it's laughable. You can't fire a resident without cause. You can't pimp a product at a conference. You can't ask a doctor to give or withhold treatment from someone simply because it doesn't mesh with your corporate agenda (although HMOs try to do that every day).

And I suspect Cameron will be back.... the actress is listed as appearing in upcoming episodes and I think we all know now that Vogler is on his way out.