March 1st, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Opinion
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It’s out there. It makes a cool picture, but I wonder how many medical students realize how unimportant apps like this have become to today’s cardiovascular care. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to hear the difference between a systolic and diastolic murmur, or for the really talented, a diastolic rumble on physical exam. Recognizing the difference between mild and severe aortic stenosis is also very helpful. After all, the physical exam remains the most cost-effective instrument in medicine. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
February 21st, 2010 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion
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Paging Dr. Mortis, Dr. Rigor Mortis!
This is a sample section from a new book I’m writing on the transition from residency to practice.
When you die:
A) The house of medicine will collapse, and only recover by remembering your compassion and sacrifice.
B) Patients and staff will wail in sack-cloth and ashes
C) Someone may name a procedure or drug in your honor
D) People will walk over your dead body, take your vacant day-shifts and go through your pockets for change.
The answer is D. Although I’m using some hyperbole, the point is that when you die, some people will be sad; your loved ones will miss you. But life will go on. The hospital will not close, and the sick will not stop being sick. So conduct your life with this in mind. Medicine, for all it’s wonder and value, must not be a rock on which you wreck yourself. Let it enhance, not overwhelm, your life. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
December 11th, 2009 by PhilBaumannRN in Better Health Network, Interviews, Patient Interviews
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Dave deBronkart is a Freedom Fighter. In 2007, Dave battled metastatic cancer and emerged a passionate advocate for leveraging the Web to connect patients with the content and support and inspiration they need to cope with the human consequences of disease.
The Web has brought forth new ways of connecting the world and brings with it questions and answers about how to safely and effectively extend the power of health care from face-to-face meetings to remote but important regions of human experience. It’s important for us to understand the integrative nature of health care: no single perspective will yield approaches that work. Rather, we will need the perspective of all participants. Read more »
October 30th, 2009 by MotherJonesRN in Better Health Network, Opinion
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I never knew that newspapers use to hire nurses. This nurse is working in a big city at the news desk. I wonder if she had to have a journalism degree as well as a nursing license in order to write copy for a media outlet back when nurses wore their cap. There was a time when only journalists wrote the news. Now anyone with a computer, a video camera, and a website can out scoop CNN. Kim from Emergiblog told me that some bloggers and a member of the press got into a debate at BlogWorld09. I wasn’t surprised to hear this because mainstream media thinks that its the only legitimate source for news. Come on mainstream media, we both know what’s really going on here. You have blogger envy.
I’m sorry if I sound cranky, mainstream media, but I’m really tired of all your whining. I know you don’t think that citizen journalists check their facts and that we lack reliable news sources. Some of you have even said that our stories aren’t fair and balanced. Do you really want to go there, mainstream media? I’m talking to you Fox News and MSNBC. You’ve got your nerve to criticize anyone about their scruples. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Nurse Ratched's Place*
October 17th, 2009 by DrRob in Announcements, True Stories
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I am sitting now in the medical blogger track at the Blogworld Expo.
As is generally the case, I got here too late to bum around with the med bloggers last night. It happened when I went the the “Putting Patients First” summit in DC as well. I just seem to have that kind of luck.
Anyway, the medical bloggers are forgiving and did not think I was being snooty. They also didn’t mind it when I missed breakfast with them. Why did I miss breakfast? I was being interviewed by Ira Glass from NPR. For some reason, this little ol’ blog got the attention of the producer from This American Life, the show that Ira hosts. They are doing a series on health care costs being out of control, and read the post I did in January about the insanity of medical codes. She felt that I would be a good person to discuss the reality of medical codes in the daily life of a doctor. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
