Weekend Posts…
I’ve written two new posts at the end of this week. The first is on the state of heart rhythm medicine, or as we call it, electrophysiology. The editor of the TheHeart.org asked me to look at a recent...
View ArticleJust say no to linking patient satisfaction with dollars
I hope my patients are satisfied. This is everything. Improving the lives of people is why doctors do what they do. How much we help our patients is the metric. It’s the peg we hang our self-esteem on....
View ArticleAn antidote for inflammation
Being mid-week, I had planned to tell you about the recent news concerning the role of fitness as a predictor of real outcomes. Important as this is, it will have to wait. I’ve got something much...
View ArticleNew post up at theHeart.org: My Take of the Bystander Effect in Medicine
Healthcare looks much different than it did just a few years ago. When you let your mind wander about where we were, it’s shocking really. There’s cultural changes, including an explosion of complexity...
View ArticleHealthcare reform — A colicky and disruptive child
Before I start, let’s do a disclaimer: I, myself, John Mandrola, having practiced for nearly 16 years, and having saved and lived frugally, am going to be okay. In the game of medical practice, I am in...
View ArticleGuest Post — Tips for survival in the new healthcare environment
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....
View ArticlePatient care is our oasis.
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...
View ArticleLittle progress in improving US overtreatment crisis…
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...
View ArticleA good idea gone bad…
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...
View ArticleAn important quality measure in hospitals
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...
View ArticleBetter healthcare reform starts with listening to the voices of real caregivers
When an employee leaves a position, management might conduct an exit interview. The idea is obvious: one can learn a lot from those who are free to speak candidly. This is why I think it’s worth...
View ArticleMonitors, patient safety and common sense
Patient safety and hospital quality is a scary topic. I’ll go easy. I’m just a doctor. I don’t know much. Entire departments, filled with cubicles, computers and well-meaning people, now exist to keep...
View ArticleWhy shouldn’t Cardiology lead the way in shared decsion-making?
Look at this sample question from the American College of Cardiology self-assessment. Tell me whether you see the problem. (It came in a mass advertisement-email, so I don’t think it is a secret.)...
View ArticleExhibit A on how hubris in medicine can be deadly…Let’s take a time out for...
Thanks for all the support on my last post. It’s striking how sometimes pointing out the obvious gets a lot of attention. I have a quick follow-up post. The purpose is to show you a real-life and...
View ArticleThe downside of racing around so fast…
Be sure: what follows are not complaints; these are just the facts. — Here’s a recent exchange from an enlightened physician leader, one who has yet to give up: “My colleagues are discouraged and...
View ArticleEight useful tips for caregivers in a new healthcare environment — Guest post
After reporting recently on how current healthcare reform efforts are extracting humanity from the patient-caregiver interaction, I decided to review other posts I have written on the matter. I found...
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How much sunshine is just the right amount?
This morning I awoke to a picture of myself in the Wall Street Journal. I was asked to comment on the effects of the coming Sunshine Act. Respected health care journalist Peter Loftus found me through...
View ArticleNew post up on theHeart.org: Fee-for-service, AF treatment and the untangling...
Earlier this year a famous group of researchers did a careful study on the relationship between surgical complications and hospital finances. Their findings should jolt you: The average hospital makes...
View ArticleThoughts on being a flexible doctor
Flexibility… -Bend easy without breaking. -The ability to be easily modified. -Willingness to change or compromise. Social media physician leader Dr. Bryan Vartabedian wrote a post last week in which...
View ArticleObamaCare will not make us sick…
On day 1 of ObamaCare, the headline in our paper said “SHUTDOWN.” It’s here; it’s really here. You might be wondering what’s been going on in the hospital or office–the contact points where healthcare...
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