I shared my assessment and plan with the preceptor as she walked into the room. She cut me off, “You think this patient needs surgery?” she smirked. “He has no idea what he is talking about, don’t mind him,” she whispered loudly to the patient. I kept …
Category: KevinMD
Who are the best educators for medical students?
I shared my assessment and plan with the preceptor as she walked into the room. She cut me off, “You think this patient needs surgery?” she smirked. “He has no idea what he is talking about, don’t mind him,” she whispered loudly to the patient. I kept …
The importance of patient education before surgery
A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com. For years, research and common belief have supported the concept that patient education alters patient behavior and improves patient outcomes. For instance, lifestyl…
How have EMRs changed the doctor-patient relationship?
I have penned several posts on the pitfalls of the electronic medical record (EMR) system that we physicians must use. Indeed, I challenge you to find a doctor who extols the EMR platform without qualification. Sure, there are tremendous advantages, …
Physician burnout is as much a legal problem as it is a medical one
A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated, and even prepared to leave the pr…
Physician burnout is as much a legal problem as it is a medical one
A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated, and even prepared to leave the pr…
Are the concerns about consumer genetic tests overblown?
When the Human Genome Project began in 1990, bioethicists feared that giving people the results of genetic tests would do them a lot more harm than good. Experts feared that individuals who received genetic information about their future health status …
Has your doctor asked you about climate change?
When Michael Howard arrived for a checkup with his lung specialist, he was worried about how his body would cope with the heat and humidity of a Boston summer. “I lived in Florida for 14 years, and I moved back because the humidity was just too much,” …
How to prevent patients from falling through the cracks
Falling through the cracks, when it comes to health care, is a bad thing, but the way things are going, it’s getting harder and harder to avoid. Providers in every setting are bombarded on all sides with data, results, messages, and things crying…
Think of diagnostic excellence as playing smooth jazz
When we think about clinical reasoning, most talks focus on diagnostic errors and the reasons for those errors. The legacy of Kahneman and Tversky focuses on errors and the many named mistakes we make. We focus on avoiding errors, but their work and to…
