May 11th, 2011 by PhilBaumannRN in Opinion
Tags: Books, iPad, kids, Kindle, Nursing, Obsolete, paper books, Pediatrics, Reading, Technology
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My son has always loved books. They were among his first objects his eyes fascinated and focused on. He’s learning to read right now and his love of books remains as strong as it was in his infancy.
It’s clear that books – the traditional kind: made of paper and ink and labor – are being replaced by digital media. The Kindle and the iPad and other tablets are making it easier to acquire and consume material once only available on books.
For children today, the iPad is very intuitive. In fact, some parents have reported that their children have become so used to the iPad screen, that they “pinch” pages in books – expecting them to zoom-out.
Perhaps some parents believe we can let books go and just let our kids skip them in favor of digital media without any cost. They *may* be right. Or they may not.
As for me, books are still a critical foundation for civilization.
Neurons are amazing things: the more they’re used, the better they get (generally). So as a child grows, the more exposure they get to different kinds of learning and feeling and experiences, the healthier their brains grow. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Phil Baumann*
May 9th, 2011 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Ambulance, Car Accident, Emergency Medicine, EMS, Motor Vehicle Crash, MVC, Public Health, Trauma Center, When The Hospital Is Far Away
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Years ago I had a conversation with a surgeon at our facility. He was unhappy that a seriously injured trauma patient came to our facility after a MVC. ‘These patients shouldn’t come here Ed, they should go to a trauma center!’
Fair enough; we aren’t a trauma center. Not a Level I, not a Level II or III; not even a level 0.5! But we are the only hospital in a large rural county, and the closest, largest facility for portions of a few other counties nearby. The nearest hospital with neurosurgery and thoracic surgery is at least 30 minutes further away.
The problem is, torn blood vessels, crushed spleens, collapsed lungs, swollen brains don’t look at the clock, and cars aren’t designed to wreck only near trauma centers, any more than assailants shoot and stab people only within proximity of appropriate care. (It rather defeats the purpose of attempted murder, you know. )
Recently, my partner had the same conversation with the same surgeon. The patient had been shot twice and was hypotensive. ‘These patients shouldn’t come here!’ We understand, the conditions may not be ideal and trauma is, to be quite honest, fraught with medical and legal peril. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
May 8th, 2011 by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. in Opinion
Tags: Being Proactive, Doctors, Physicians, Ratings, Reputation Management, Social Media, Yelp
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Doctors are preoccupied with consumer review sites and the potential for bad press. Often the first impulse is to put the law on your side. Consider, for example, Dr. Kimberly Henry, cosmetic surgeon who last year initiated legal action against at least 12 reviewers from sites such as Yelp.com and DoctorScorecard.com.
While she may feel some sense of satisfaction in her quest for justice, I’m guessing many read the reviews to see what the fuss is all about.
Actions like these reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of modern reputation management. Physicians who react against patient dialog should understand the Streisand Effect. The Streisand Effect is an online phenomenon in which the attempt to remove or hide information is met with the unintended consequence of greater attention.
Instead of a prohibitive, reactive position against patient comments, doctors should consider a preemptive, proactive approach to dialog. Andy Sernovitz had it right when he suggested, ‘the solution to pollution is dilution.’ Work for good ink. It’s hard to get worked up about 10 poor reviews when you have 350 great reviews.
When physicians take action against patient reviews or even work to prevent reviews they raise a glaring red flag. We’re unlikely to win the battle against public dialog.
*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*
May 7th, 2011 by Happy Hospitalist in Opinion
Tags: Expenses, Flashlight, Healthcare Costs, ICU, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Palliative Care, Pupil Measurement, Pupillometer, Technology, Waste
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So I’m rounding in the ICU the other day when I came upon this new hospital medical device. It’s called a pupillometer. What does this pupillometer do? It measures subtle changes in the light reflex of the pupil to help take the physical exam to the next level of precision.
Or eliminate it, depending on how you look at it. What used to be a basic physical exam skill is now being replaced by a $6000 piece of medical technology that can distinguish tiny changes in pupil size. Now the real questions remain. Has this pupillometer device gone through the rigors of randomized trials in the ICU to define whether a $6000 flashlight changes outcomes or mortality? And if not, how do we allow medications to require such testing but not the technology that often changes nothing and simply makes health care more expensive.
The way I see things, if I’m trying to decide whether someone’s pupils constrict 1% vs 3% vs 10%, I’m getting a palliative care consult instead and putting the pupillometer back in my holster.
First the vein light. Now the pupillomter. And I thought the super bright LED pen light was all the rage.
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist*
May 7th, 2011 by DavedeBronkart in Health Tips, Opinion
Tags: Booklets, Brochures, Cardiology, CHF, Empowerment, ePatients, Excellence, Griffin Hospital, Patient Education, Writing
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A vital aspect of participatory medicine is helping patients learn how to participate. This week I saw a great example of someone who’s doing it right. Here’s the story, including the patient aid for download.
We hear a lot about “patient-centered”: patient-centered care, patient-centered thinking, everything. Frankly, a lot of it strikes me as patient-centered paternalism: people mean well, but patients sense that the thinking didn’t happen while standing in patients’ shoes, because the advice, policies, and publications just don’t hit home. It’s like somebody guessed what you want, instead of knowing (because they’re like you).
A couple of years ago I learned about Planetree, a terrific, small organization in Connecticut that’s been thinking from the patient’s point of view for thirty three years. (Yes, since 1978. Why are they not better known??)
This week I attended a live webcast at a “Planetree designated” hospital, Griffin Hospital, in Derby CT, produced by HealthLeaders Media. When somebody’s truly patient centered, you rarely hear a puzzled “Do people really need that?” or “Isn’t this good enough?”, because they start with what patients want. (See founders’ story at bottom.)
A great example is this booklet about CHF (congestive heart failure), which Griffin Hospital was kind enough to share. (Click the image to download the entire PDF, (1.7MB).) In my day job I did a bit of instructional development, so I can appreciate how well this was done: the “to-do” items are clearly presented, with NO extraneous explanation, and top-class use of icons and images. It’s all essential information, clearly presented, and nothing else. It’s what you need to do to succeed as a patient. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net*
