Recently I spent some time watching videos of surgeon David Samadi and the Da Vinci robotic operating sytem. I began thinking about doctors and automation. I wondered, can machines act like doctors? I wondered what part of me will be replaced by artificial intelligence? I suspect that much of what I do will be done more efficiently by machine. Then I thought ... Continue Reading about Can Machines Act Like Doctors?
Vertex’s VX-770 and the Near Future of Medicine
I can’t stop thinking about this: Yesterday Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported early success with their new drug for cystic fibrosis, VX-770. Designed specifically for the treatment of a specific mutation of CF, 6551d, it targets a defective protein critical to the disease process. Patients showed sustained improvement in lung function. There’s more work to be done ... Continue Reading about Vertex’s VX-770 and the Near Future of Medicine
Questioning Health Apps
This is something. Jay Parkinson on Future Well has suggested that health apps are overrated. Then on Twitter came a remark that the post represented ‘fightin’ words.’ While I think the tweet was in jest, I’m sure there are some who will take offense to the less-than-flattering remarks about our coveted health apps. We love the concept of health apps for what ... Continue Reading about Questioning Health Apps
So You Want to be a Guru at SXSW?
We’re just a few weeks away from SXSWi, the world’s biggest meeting for those with big social thoughts. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘how can I position myself as a guru-ninja at SXSW?’ A few pointers (or so I've heard): Refer to SXSW as 'South by'. Life moves fast. You’re a busy, multitasking, out-of-the box fire starting guru maverick with thoughts of ... Continue Reading about So You Want to be a Guru at SXSW?
Book Notes: Alone Together
This week I muscled through Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together – Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (Basic Books, 2011/Affiliate link). It explores our increasingly perverse relationship with technology and how it impacts us psychologically. This book falls into what I call the contratech genre, an evolving niche critical of technology's runaway ... Continue Reading about Book Notes: Alone Together
How I Structure a Patient Visit
If you visit my clinic, I follow a structured process during the the encounter. It’s fairly traditional but has some hidden twists that I think are worth thinking about. Here’s how I structure a patient visit: Introduction (provider directed). During the first few minutes I try to connect and find some type of common ground with the child and parents. Basic, ... Continue Reading about How I Structure a Patient Visit