Last week I shared a post, Understanding and Instilling Trust in Our Patients, today’s post takes a deeper look at how to build that trust between patient and clinician. As we continue to focus on building patient trust, it’s necessary to recognize that one’s own characteristics play a critical role. For those times that we are dealing with… Read More »
FROM THE ARCHIVES! I will be re-posting some previous posts from this year that I think are appropriate to share once again. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some previous posts that are relevant to the uncertain healthcare climate we are navigating right now… Read More »
When in conversations with others on complex topics, I am frequently perplexed when what they say seems so illogical to me and incongruent with scientific data. For instance, currently, in this pandemic, this occurrence could not be more befuddling. Throughout COVID, the amount of “anti-vaxxers,” “anti-maskers,” and those who genuinely believe this is a hoax, is frankly astounding.… Read More »
These are unprecedented times. For the first time since the pandemic began, COVID deaths per week have surpassed those of cardiac disease. Daily, the news bombards us, spouting opinions about everything from everyone, and many face economic uncertainty. Also, many of us are struggling to decide whether or not to visit family over the holidays, and we live… Read More »
As we age, cognitive impairment becomes more likely. Simultaneously, our natural living conditions increase isolation and distance from support networks, including mitigating treatments that can negatively impact mental stability. Unless we deliberately and diligently assess those we serve, we have no awareness of such needs. Although cognitive decline tends to occur insidiously, repetitive assessments are still necessary. With… Read More »
Unequivocally, on the subject of racism and brutality, silence is a form of consent. Let us not be silent. Let us stand with our communities, and categorically state that brutality of any sort, overt and covert racism, and racial discrimination hurts us as a community and is wrong on every level. From a health equity perspective, we have… Read More »
It has been a while since I have written about a personal event. As many of you know, my present role has placed me at the forefront of our COVID-19 response. First and foremost, I could not be more blessed than I am for our team and how we, as an organization, have risen to the occasion. Months… Read More »
A commonly held premise of shared decision-making is that the healthcare profession neither adequately gives specific treatment options nor discusses the trade-offs of surgical intervention. Predominantly, the thought is that if more in-depth conversations were to occur concerning the trade-offs, and there is more appropriate management of expectations, the chosen solution would be the more conservative approach. With… Read More »
During this pandemic, I am blessed to have a son finishing his senior year of college from our home. Candidly, it was fascinating to observe the dynamics of the educational process through a digital platform. It became apparent, rather quickly, that some, but not all professors excelled utilizing the online platforms; and some struggled to hold their student’s… Read More »
United States purchasers of healthcare pay higher prices for a unit of service relative to other countries. In fact, these prices are primarily opaque, and the consumer rarely knows what it will owe for payment before they make a purchase. Market-based economics argue that price transparency of products leads to greater competition, thus leading to lower costs over… Read More »