Author's posts
We are suffering from an epidemic of anger
The nation’s racial upheaval, particularly vis a vis law enforcement, has shown us the value of the skill of de-escalation. A situation arises, and several outcomes are possible, although some are clearly preferred. The specific technique and approach …
Physicians sometimes need to deviate from established policies
Some time ago, I performed a colonoscopy on a patient who was having serious internal bleeding. He had already received multiple transfusions since he was admitted to the hospital. After obtaining informed consent for the procedure, I performed the c…
The medical profession is not as pure as it should be
We’ve all heard about the blue wall of silence that describes a belief that law enforcement personnel will refrain from reporting misconduct of their colleagues to the proper authorities. Physicians had similarly been accused of hiding behind a white c…
An EMR frustration that is still torturing us
I have written, or more accurately ranted, about electronic medical records (EMR) systems throughout this blog. While the systems have clearly improved since their mandatory introduction into the medical universe, they have still not delivered on many …
The future of the health care experience will be unrecognizable
Future doctors will celebrate that they no longer prescribe the same drug at the same dosage for hypertension or pneumonia or arthritis or cancer or many other conditions. Who knows even if drugs will be the mainstay of medical treatment. Tomorrow’s tr…
The skill doctors need to have, but haven’t been taught
Physicians handle thousands of questions annually. We respond to inquiries from patients, their families, insurance companies, nurses, professional colleagues, pharmacies, pharmaceutical representatives, our staff, and even strangers. This is, of cours…
Prescribing medication from a patient’s and physician’s perspective
At least a few times a year, I am asked to prescribe antibiotics to people who are not my patients. From my point of view, there is only one answer that makes sense here – no. I have the same reaction when patients call me for a refill or advice when I…
Don’t ask me about your husband’s flatulence if he’s not my patient. Bring him in instead.
Doctors dispense medical advice. That’s what we do. Folks come to our office with various medical issues. We talk to them. We poke around some of their body parts. Then, we exercise our medical judgment. We might order a CT scan. We might prescribe stu…
Medicine is for the birds, or it should be
Medicine is for the birds, or it should be. Hear me out. A day before I wrote this, I was on the trail in northwest Ohio, binoculars in hand, trying to tell one warbler from another. This was the final weekend of the biggest week of birding in Magee …
Patient demand doesn’t justify medical excess
We live in an era where plastic surgery is routine. Indeed, in many parts of the country, plastic surgery is an expected rite of passage. Years ago, facelifts and “tummy tucks” were done on those in middle age who were trying to experie…
