I’ve known this mother for a long time. Far from wet behind the ears, she’s raised four other children, mostly on her own after her divorce several years ago. She’s never been one to run to the office for every sneeze and sniffle. If she brings one of her children in to be evaluated, it’s usually for a good reason. more»
Interested readers can peruse my latest JAAPA Musings blog post, newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
At some point in my formative years, having been brought up on traditional Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, I was introduced to pudding. As I recall, I didn’t care much for the texture or the taste.
I quickly learned that to ingest pudding, you had to add a generous coating of pungent mustard and a saltine cracker to make it semi-palatable. To this day I do not seek it out, preferring ring bologna or souse instead.
These days I am fully grown. Far from being force fed, I can comfortably pick and choose those substances that I care to ingest — for the most part.
Which brings me to the electronic medical record, a concoction which I am forced to swallow and digest daily. more»
Interested readers can examine my thoughts on this issue in my latest Musings blog post newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
The era of digital medicine has largely passed us by, leaving us firmly entrenched in the era of digital medicine.
Yes, I composed that sentence properly; I meant what I wrote.
In the first instance, I used the word digital in reference to its radical or root meaning, “of or pertaining to the digits”—in other words, the phalanges or fingers. In the second instance—well, more about that in a moment. more»
Interested readers can examine my thoughts on this issue in my latest Musings blog post newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Where does our job satisfaction come from? Money has been put forth as a likely determinant.
Over the course of my clinical career I’ve felt most satisfied when I’ve been able to focus on the needs of the patients entrusted to my care.
Money is a great motivator, but in my book only compassion carries the day. more»
When it comes to charting in the medical record, nobody writes SOAP notes anymore. In fact, faced with the EHR format, very few clinicians take the time to type a short narrative. Instead, the available boxes are checked, the Next buttons are hit, the ICD codes are entered, and voila! — the health record is virtually complete!
The only thing missing is a precise description of the condition of the suffering patient. more»
In our rush to practice sound scientific medicine, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we are treating human beings, who are most likely vulnerable, apprehensive and in need of moral support in their darkest hours. more»
In the United States we are faced with a shortage of primary care physicians, but fewer medical school graduates elect a career in primary care. Have the members of any Washington think tank seriously considered the role of generically trained physician assistants in this equation? more»
Interested readers can examine my thoughts on this issue in my latest Musings blog post newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
One advantage of having grownup children is that you can reap the benefits of their curiosity. Even though they carry 50% of your DNA, they don’t necessarily subscribe to the same political party or publications that you do. They also don’t necessarily read the same books; but then, when they find a keeper, they’re more than willing to pass it along. more»
Readers can now access my latest musing — The food we eat — at the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants Editorial Board blog.
JAAPA is the official publication of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
The numbers of maneuvers associated with the art of the physical exam are legion. Most are referred to by specific name—except for this one. Just this morning I was thinking that you might call it “donning the yoke.” more»
Readers can now access my latest musing — Donning the yoke — at the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants Editorial Board blog.
JAAPA is the official publication of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Last month our editor initiated a rotating blog on the website of our national publication, the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Editorial board members were invited to send in pieces for posting to allow regular readers and subscribers a chance to glimpse the musings of a cross-section of those representing the Physician Assistant profession.
Today my contribution — Front Porch Reflections — has been posted. Interested readers can access it here.
Over the years it’s been good discipline for me as a writer to generate weekly postings for my WordPress blog: challenging, stimulating and educational too. One of the beauties of the internet is the ability to link information and ideas across the web. Articles serving to clarify concepts become instantaneously accessible. Blog entries can be linked as well.
Here I would like to put forward the concept of the polyblog. Polyblogs — any number of blogs composed by a single author, or one particular blog with multiple contributors — are becoming ubiquitous across the web.
Like pollywogs in a vernal pool, polyblogs proliferate abundantly. Some might grow into mature blogs, while others may fall by the wayside and perish — natural selection at work.
