I met with a prominent doctor recently. He opened by joking that he wanted the assurance that what we were about to discuss would not make my blog. I told him I couldn't do that. He stopped laughing. I get what he was asking and I always respect confidentiality. But when you think about it, it's an absurd request. The reality is that every conversation changes ... Continue Reading about When We Talk You Change Me
Writing As Process or Product
It's a pretty regular question? Why am I drawn to write things here when I could be doing other things? Or better, 'where do you find the time?' I've always suggested that public thinking is how the world understands health professionals. More importantly writing is how I understand me. How can I afford not to shape my ideas? Seth Godin summed it up nicely here ... Continue Reading about Writing As Process or Product
Design and Medicine’s Creative Class
As I suggested in 2014, we are seeing the rise of a creative class in medicine. These are health professionals hell bent on making, breaking, and bending healthcare. Enter Bon Ku and Joyce Lee in today's New York Times - Design Thinking for Doctors and Nurses. They see the world differently. More importantly they see the problems of medicine differently. Then they ... Continue Reading about Design and Medicine’s Creative Class
The Way We’ve Always Done It
The most dangerous phrase in medicine is this is the way we’ve always done it. This is one of those internet memes that resonates with our disruptive side. Virally passed on Twitter, it suggests that they’ve just had it wrong all these years and we know what’s right. In some cases they have and we do. Sometimes not. There are many things in medicine that work ... Continue Reading about The Way We’ve Always Done It
The Spark
I love to see doctors and health professionals come out in social spaces and blogs and maker spaces to think, write and make. When you talk to them, they have a spark. They're doing the job they’ve always done. It’s just that the power of connection and creation compounds what they do IRL. You can see it when you talk to them. For many, the ability to make and ... Continue Reading about The Spark
Reactive and Creative Spaces
When I look at my day there are 2 spaces that occupy my time. The first is my creative space. This is where I shape things that didn't exist before. Ideas, programs, writing, new presentations and initiatives. Next is my reactive space. This is the operational part of my day. Most of this time is centered on problems or emerging issues. Something arises and I ... Continue Reading about Reactive and Creative Spaces