Better Health: Smart Health Commentary Better Health (TM): smart health commentary

Latest Posts

The Downfall Of EMRs: Capturing Too Much Data

We have a new EMR system.  I like it because I type well.  I’m facile at using a keyboard and touch-screen.  Not everyone in my group is so blessed, and we’ve had some difficulties using the voice-transcription software.  Nevertheless, my gut tells me that in a month or two more, we’ll be getting along with our new system swimmingly.  It’s the sort of thing I have wanted for a while, since I truly hate to dictate; and especially hated dictating the information the nurses had already entered into the computer!

However, I have an issue.  Not so much with our EMR, but with all EMRs.  I have an issue with the deeply-held delusion that computerization will automatically improve charting and patient care.

Some time ago, the inimitable, world famous blogger Dr. Wes (who can be found at http://drwes.blogspot.com/ ) told me that his facility’s conversion to EMR caused him to spend far more time at the computer than with the patient.  And true to his great wisdom and insight, that’s where I find myself.  It isn’t the location of the computers.  We have portable ‘tough-books’ that can go to the bedside. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*

Six Simple Steps To A Long And Healthy Life -Or- A New Way To Protest Bad Healthcare Legislation

healthcarebillRegular readers know that I’ve been promoting healthy lifestyle choices since this blog’s inception. In fact, I even used to lead a weight loss group called “Lose 20 pounds with Dr. Val.” I’ve often joked that because of the law of the conservation of mass, when someone loses weight, someone else must “find” it. And well, I guess I realized – looking towards 2010 – that I had found some of that weight myself!

If healthcare reform debates teach us one thing, it’s this: the future of healthcare coverage is uncertain for all of us, so the most important thing we can do is avoid needing it (if at all possible)! Time to turn that into a New Year’s resolution… so here’s what we can do: Read more »

Attention Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi: The Senate Bill Penalizes The Poor

Provisions in the Senate and House health care reform bills propose to reallocate resources based on geographic differences in Medicare spending. While well intended, they will penalize providers who care for the poor and impair access for these vulnerable patients.

A reallocation of resources to lower-cost states has been endorsed by members of Congress from states with lower Medicare spending who believe that, by receiving less from Medicare, their states are currently being penalized for being “efficient.” However, it is not efficiency that accounts for their lower spending. It is less poverty and better health status. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at PHYSICIANS and HEALTH CARE REFORM Commentaries and Controversies*

When Medical Care Becomes A Commodity: A Rebuttle

Dr. Val Jones publishes Get Better Health an excellent healthcare website. https://getbetterhealth.com/

It is composed of a selection of many of her chosen healthcare bloggers. Val publishes blog entries of many contributors in her network daily. Val published my December 19th entry. It generated the following comment.

“Comment:

I am surprised that a diabetes doctor let his politics permeate his opinion of the AHRQ? We know that over 50% of the time patients don’t receive the standard of care and I would be interested to know what the numbers are like in his practice? Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System*

What It’s Like To Be Pregnant And Diabetic: A Day Of Medical Appointments

Last Friday, Chris and I (and BSparl) were at Joslin all day long.  ALL DAY.  But that’s what’s required with type 1 diabetes and pregnancy, so I wanted to recap these appointment for posterity, and for anyone else who is curious about what it takes to manage this whole party.  It’s a long post, but with five different appointments to cover, I want to make sure I don’t miss a beat.

Grab some coffee.  I’ll wait.  🙂

I love this baby.

Eye Dilation: Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*

Latest Interviews

IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation

It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors…

Read more »

How To Be A Successful Patient: Young Doctors Offer Some Advice

I am proud to be a part of the American Resident Project an initiative that promotes the writing of medical students residents and new physicians as they explore ideas for transforming American health care delivery. I recently had the opportunity to interview three of the writing fellows about how to…

Read more »

See all interviews »

Latest Cartoon

See all cartoons »

Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: Is Empathy Learned By Faking It Till It’s Real?

I m often asked to do book reviews on my blog and I rarely agree to them. This is because it takes me a long time to read a book and then if I don t enjoy it I figure the author would rather me remain silent than publish my…

Read more »

The Spirit Of The Place: Samuel Shem’s New Book May Depress You

When I was in medical school I read Samuel Shem s House Of God as a right of passage. At the time I found it to be a cynical yet eerily accurate portrayal of the underbelly of academic medicine. I gained comfort from its gallows humor and it made me…

Read more »

Eat To Save Your Life: Another Half-True Diet Book

I am hesitant to review diet books because they are so often a tangled mess of fact and fiction. Teasing out their truth from falsehood is about as exhausting as delousing a long-haired elementary school student. However after being approached by the authors’ PR agency with the promise of a…

Read more »

See all book reviews »

Commented - Most Popular Articles