This is awkward but I think we need to stop saying thank you. At least in the EHR. Take the health professional who responds to 25 staff messages per day. With all dutifully addressed in the early afternoon, by the end of the day they’ll often find their inbox full again. And each one with nothing more than a ‘thank you.’ A kind of warm and fuzzy last word in an ... Continue Reading about The EHR Thank You Crisis
Methodical Medicine: Things That Should be Done Slowly
Tom Peters inspired me this with The Speed Trap: When Taking Your Time (Really) Matters. So much of his thinking in management can be translated to medicine. So it got me thinking ...what are the things in medicine that should be methodical? What should be done slowly? To the uniformed reader, the answer will seem obvious: everything. But in medicine there is ... Continue Reading about Methodical Medicine: Things That Should be Done Slowly
The Request for a Blood Test – Why More Testing May Not be Better
I’ve heard it a thousand times. 'The patient wanted testing done.' So the doctor ran a blood test. But few people really want a blood test. What they want is to know that they don’t have something horrible. I’ve seen it a thousand times with young parents. Anxiety competes with their trust in me as we discuss what could be going on with their child. I never ... Continue Reading about The Request for a Blood Test – Why More Testing May Not be Better
Afib and Apple Watch – The Physician’s Emerging Role
Consumer-directed health technology is allowing people to be more involved their own health care. This week Apple turned on the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4. So many who have never seen a rhythm strip now can generate one on their wrist. Apple watch can help identify afib,the most common form of irregular heart rhythm. As one of the first diseases screened with a ... Continue Reading about Afib and Apple Watch – The Physician’s Emerging Role
Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff – How to Clean Clinical Workflows
If you want to see how the machine of medicine can be changed, read Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff in the New England Journal of Medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. Melinda Ashton at Hawaii Pacific Health, getting rid of stupid stuff was initiated to improve the inefficiencies of health professionals at the ground level. This program sought nominations for EHR ... Continue Reading about Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff – How to Clean Clinical Workflows
The Call for Humanity in Medicine
We call for humanity in medicine but we don’t know what it means. I’ll prove it to you: Go on Twitter and say “we need more humanity in medicine.” You’ll get lots of responses and retweets. People will cheer and smile and nod and sob.Everyone will bring their story. Everyone sees the need. Everyone sees humanity in medicine their own way: The burnout ... Continue Reading about The Call for Humanity in Medicine