I recently blogged about the question of what the difference is between a doctor and a nurse, now that advanced practice nurses can do so many of the same things physicians do. As both a nurse and a doctor I thought maybe I could wade into that quagmire. In that post I suggested that the real difference is one of ultimate responsibility. A reader pointed out that this ...
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How to effectively keep tabs on a patient’s multiple medical problems? And how to do so without losing sight of the whole person?
The first question is the one I wrote about in a recent blog post. The second was the theme of many of the responses and also LinkedIn.
I love this second question; it’s an issue that’s always been of interest to me. Plus it’s especially ...
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The unexamined life is not worth living.
–Plato
There are obstacles to dignity at the end of life. Disease inflicted pain and debilitation, cost and confusion, poor planning and fear, all aggravated by our societal ignorance regarding dying, result in unneeded suffering and isolation. In addition, it occurs to me that a hindrance to control and quality is that we are overwhelmed by the pressure of our day-to-day lives. In other words, ...
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When I first heard of the tragic accidental shooting death of a 2-year old girl by her 5-year old brother, at first I thought it was because some adult left their gun out and was not supervising the children properly.
Not too many things surprise me anymore, but this time I was surprised when I found out that poor supervision was only part of the issue and that the 5-year-old was ...
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As I sit on this old wooden pew, I rock side-to-side to ensure that blood flows to each part of my bottom. We've been at this rented church for 75 minutes listening to the sounds of my daughter's violin class recital and now it's time for the last piece.
A high school student with a large tattoo of a stanza on her left ...
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The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do.
- B. F. Skinner
When I was a relatively junior member of the surgical faculty, an even more junior member came to my office and announced that a general surgeon and gynecologist in Georgia had performed gallbladder surgery with a laparoscope.
“Stupid stunt,” I snorted, or something equally derisive and all-knowing.
Some weeks or months later he returned to the topic, telling ...
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You might think a thing sold by a huge manufacturer of children’s toys and furniture as a “sleeper” would a safe, appropriate place for a baby to sleep. It is, after all, called a “sleeper.” But it is not a safe place for your baby to sleep.
The Fisher Price Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper is a sling-shaped baby holder sort of gizmo, ...
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A few years ago, I sat in a coding lecture for urgent care providers given by a very entrepreneurial physician assistant. An emergency room doctor, who had recently established his own private clinic, put up his hand to ask a question. He seemed puzzled.
“I can see your point about coding at a higher level for a sore throat when I was younger,” he said. “I used to take longer to ...
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Bobby was admitted to the hospital once again with overwhelming fatigue and shortness of breath. Yet this 37 year old farmer looked the picture of health. He grew up on a farm rising before dawn, milking cows and working long days in the fields with hay or corn. He was never seriously ill as a child and was a good football halfback in high school.
But this was his third admission ...
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I write a lot about end of life conversations that go well or have unexpectedly positive outcomes. But to be fair and balanced, you should also hear about the ones that don't go so well, lest you be led to believe that I have magical powers over my patients and their families.
Here are two of my attempted end of life map conversations that did not go over so well. In fact, ...
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"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's TakeWhy I’m skeptical of the growing number of disability beneficiaries
David Mokotoff, MD | Physician