Category: Conditions

Improving communication requires tough soft skill development

If we are going to take on the challenge of improving communication and related behavior, a.k.a. “soft” skills among health care professionals, we should be realistic. As nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals, we are keenly a…

Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment over family objections

“We can keep your loved one alive. but we won’t. Even though you think their life is worth living, we do not.” The first time I helped a hospital convey this type of offensive message to a patient’s family, it deeply humbled me….

When should you consider surgery for scoliosis?

Most people with scoliosis will never require surgery. But who does need surgery, and how do you know? Often diagnosed in childhood, scoliosis is characterized by an abnormal curve in the spine that can range from as small as 10 degrees to more than 10…

How hearing is connected to well-being

As an audiologist, treating hearing loss is a part of my everyday life. Even still, I’m sometimes amazed at the difference hearing aids can make in patients’ lives. For example, recently, when an older patient with longstanding hearing loss…

Let’s address the needs of millions of students with sensory processing disorders

As public and private schools around the country gear up for opening their doors to in-person learning later this month, it is important to acknowledge and accommodate the millions of children who deal with sensory processing disorders. An estimated 5 …

Not a cheater? Let’s count the ways.

Sexual infidelity is the headline grabber when most people think about betrayals in love relationships. But, everyday breaches of trust slide under the radar and can erode even the strongest of relationships. A small lie about a purchase, a slight exag…

Computers and your hands: Dispelling common myths

Have you heard that computer use causes carpal tunnel syndrome? In fact, there is a near-universal belief that technology gadgets can cause all sorts of hand problems. Both the lay public and most healthcare providers believe that entities such as &#82…

When the cardiac arrest algorithm comes into focus

An excerpt from South Eight. There is little similarity between the stillness of the archer, or of Arkin’s former self on the rifle range, with the organized chaos of a dozen nurses and respiratory therapists and lab technicians pouring into Room…

How every doctor should address a patient’s pain

From medical school to residency, I’ve worked with colleagues who don’t prescribe pain medications for their patients who truly need them. Or they are just very hesitant about doing so. Some simply don’t believe in them. Others fear t…

A pervasive culture of time constraints in health care

Picture this. A patient in a hospital or rehab facility has just finished exercising with therapy. He is thirsty, and he thinks he might as well ask for a snack now because he will be hungry in 30 minutes. His therapist sets him up in his wheelchair (b…