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
Typing as a Critical Physician Skill
I always loved to type. It started in high school with typing class. We were told that typing was critical for college term papers. I liked it so much that I took advanced typing. It was myself and 12 girls with Farrah Fawcett hair. Heaven. Fast forward to 2011. My interface with the medical record is my fingers. Most of my communication flows through my ... Continue Reading about Typing as a Critical Physician Skill
Rage Against the Machine
I was in an elevator at Texas Children's Hospital this weekend where there were a number of people looking at their smart phones. An older gentleman in the elevator remarked shaking his head, "I remember a time when people used to talk." Actually, no one talked in elevators. We've always stood the same direction and stared at the numbers at the top of the ... Continue Reading about Rage Against the Machine
Cut and Paste Medicine
I saw it begin to happen in the '90's. Residents came to rounds with their daily notes produced on a word processor. The notes were impressive. Legible, lengthy and meticulously detailed at first glance. Then I started to notice a pattern. The impressive notes began to look very much alike. The thorough exam varied little from patient to patient. And ... Continue Reading about Cut and Paste Medicine
Transient EPIC Disconnect
I spent the entire 4th of July weekend covering the inpatient GI service at Texas Children's Hospital. Our inpatient medical records were recently transitioned to Epic. I rounded the entire weekend without picking up a pen. Amazing, really. Here's what I've noticed when working with EMRs: I find myself focused on the technology. Pulldowns, data, pasting, ... Continue Reading about Transient EPIC Disconnect