I read recently about a patient who spent 4 hours in an ER but was never experienced touch by a human. Not surprising, really. Technology is doing a lot of what we used to do with our eyes, ears and hands. For better or worse. While physicians often associate touch with the physical exam, it can facilitate more powerful things. Here are a few things the hand can ... Continue Reading about Touch | Beyond the Physical Examination
How a Language Barrier Creates Opportunity
As a physician in one of the most diverse cities in the United States I often communicate with families with the help of an interpreter. Some see the language barrier as a compromise and a challenge. But it’s really an opportunity. What we fail to achieve with use of words we can bridge with non-verbal communication. Expression, touch, tone, and animation will ... Continue Reading about How a Language Barrier Creates Opportunity
Do Your Patients Think You’re an Amazing Doctor?
A friend had asked me to see one of her neighbors. A young child with some elimination issues, the family had been to a couple of other doctors with no success. A fairly routine problem that needed the right evaluation and a consistent approach, it was sorted out in 2-3 visits. When I ran into my friend a month later, I was met with hugs and thanks for ... Continue Reading about Do Your Patients Think You’re an Amazing Doctor?
String as the Technology That Connects
This tweet from a pediatric play therapist found its way into my feed. And it stopped me in my tracks. Children isolated during XRT therapy remain connected to their parents by a spool of string. Child holds one end and the parent holds the other. Magic string. Beyond appealing to the concrete developmental place where kids are at it serves to remind us that the ... Continue Reading about String as the Technology That Connects
The Waiting Room
In clinic I do my best to run on time. I bend every which way to see on time patients on time. It drives my staff crazy. Consequently, I prefer that my patients arrive in a reception area rather than a waiting room. The space is the same but the intent is different. Language is powerful in healthcare. If you like this post you might like the 33 charts ... Continue Reading about The Waiting Room
Procedure – The Only One That Matters
I've done some 10,000 endoscopic procedures over the past 25 years. Sometimes I offer that procedure number as a context for risk when discussing endoscopy. This morning when discussing consent with a mother she remarked, 'But this is the only one that matters.' You may have done a procedure 10,000 times. But for the individual patient there's only one that ... Continue Reading about Procedure – The Only One That Matters