Shel Israel recently suggested that there have been several great steps in human communication over the past century. The Age of Broadcast lasted 80 years until blogging and social media created the Age of Conversation. Coming next is the Age of Context. It’s the subject of a book he is writing with Robert Scoble. Read into this the age of contextual ... Continue Reading about The Coming Age of Contextual Health
The Creative Destruction of Medicine Reviews
If you haven’t read the Creative Destruction of Medicine by Eric Topol you need to take a peek. As I mentioned in my initial thoughts here on this blog, I consider this one of the most important books of our generation. Since its release in late January, The Creative Destruction of Medicine has enjoyed some brilliant reviews. I’m launching this post as a dynamic, ... Continue Reading about The Creative Destruction of Medicine Reviews
Leaders and Their Smartphones
Recently I realized that really important people aren't fixated on their smartphones. I spent time recently with some very influential people. Higher ups, leaders, mucky mucks. I never saw them look at their smartphones. Next time you're around a real leader, take note. You would never know that they even own a phone. I suspect they have better things to ... Continue Reading about Leaders and Their Smartphones
Distracted Doctoring
This review by John Halamka is worth a read. He discusses the emerging phenomenon of distracted doctoring – physicians preoccupied with technology at the expense of patient care. The review was followed closely by a New York Times piece on the same subject. We’re experiencing a crisis of information. Our channels of input have crossed wires and messages ... Continue Reading about Distracted Doctoring
The Stethoscope’s Quiet Eclipse
My concerns about the stethoscope’s future began at lunch recently among a group of doctors where it was suggested that the revered icon had evolved as an ornament of clinical medicine – an iconic relic of medicine’s past. Others around the table held firmly to the idea of the stethoscope as a critical diagnostic tool. The contrast was striking. The more I looked ... Continue Reading about The Stethoscope’s Quiet Eclipse
The Buzzing Pager
It's funny what we remember. For example, as a 3rd year medical student rotating in surgery I remember clearly sitting in my attending's office at Worcester Memorial Hospital. He was a vascular surgeon. I don't remember his name. On this particular day I had followed him to his office after rounds. He had just received his new pager and placed a call to whomever had ... Continue Reading about The Buzzing Pager