Text message: “John, This cough and congestion is killing me. It’s turning thick and green. Can you write me a Z-pak? It always works for me.†If you write a blog on medical decision-making and heart rhythm matters, it seems an incredible omission not to opine on the FDA warning concerning the commonly used antibiotic […]
Every once in a while a news item becomes so big that a threshold is reached. Thinking people must weigh in. When the US Supreme Court hears two cases involving the rights and treatment of individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, there is a lot at stake. Our country faces a really important […]
Sorry this took most of the week to get out. (There was a good reason.) Better late than never I suppose. On Day 3 of the 2013 American College of Cardiology meeting, I woke up well rested and inspired to squeeze in as much learning as possible. The first order of business was putting the […]
My hospital has just weathered an impressive upswing in patient volume. The house was full for weeks. The experience highlights an important aspect about quality care–an obvious one that doesn’t always make headlines. What I notice when the hospital gets full is that patients are sent to units that they don’t normally go to. For […]
Before beginning to read, please know that what follows is just a long-winded introduction to a post that featured me as an expert. You can can scroll down to the link if you wish. — This is that time of year. It’s a nice time. Longer days, warmer temps and big doses of hope power […]
If it weren’t so important, I’d let it go. You know how I feel about inflammation. There is a great farce in the healthcare world that needs more exposure. It’s a terrible problem because it gets in the way of me taking care of you. It inhibits humanism in the practice of Medicine. It inflames […]
I tweeted yesterday that the US healthcare delivery system remains broken. With only 140 characters, there was little means to expand. Let me tell you a story and then you be the judge. The patient was elderly and had multiple chronic medical problems, including the chief complaint of debilitating orthopedic issues. I was asked to […]
Judging other doctors is tough. You are torn. On the one hand, as a member of the profession, it’s hard to read stories of misdeeds of fellow cardiologists and remain neutral. You want to call out the foul. You want to set the record straight. That doctor did wrong. Justice needs to be done. I […]
Medicine is that way. You can get yourself in nadirs. It’s emotional, being a real doctor. You care about so much. You are attached. That’s the problem. Attachment leads to suffering and then to nadirs. Truth be told, most doctors, myself included, hang a lot of their self-esteem on the doctoring peg. I’m not sure […]
The first order of business today is to point you to an updated version of yesterday’s guest post. Dr Schloss, the thinker that he is, emailed me an eighth tip for survival in the new healthcare climate. Don’t be surprised if this list grows. It’s worth quoting: 8. Take Refuge with your Patients: Even on […]
It is with great pleasure that I offer the following guest post from Edward J. Schloss, MD, (Twitter ID @EJSMD) the medical director of cardiac electrophysiology at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. One of the many rewards of writing a blog is making friends. Jay Schloss started as a ‘social media’ friend but now that […]