In the May issue of JAAPA, Salibian and colleagues present an independent research study that examines the use of PAs and NPs in outpatient surgical subspecialty settings. more»
Readers can now access my latest musing — PAs and NPs in outpatient surgical offices — 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.
A basic tenet of right care is doing what is best for the patient. more»
Interested readers can now peruse my latest Musings blog — Advocating for right care — at the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAAPA) website.
JAAPA is the official publication of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Nearly all clinicians recognize that providing medical care which prolongs human suffering is anguishing, both to themselves and to the dying patient. more»
Interested readers can now peruse my latest Musings blog at the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAAPA) website.
JAAPA is the official publication of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
As I search for a word to describe the workings of our contemporary healthcare system, “devolution” comes to mind. Yes, the system has evolved dramatically. We now enjoy instant communication at our fingertips in real time. We can peer into the human body with modern imaging technology at much higher resolution than ever before. Our surgical techniques are state-of-the-art. But somehow we have lost something of our humanity in the process. more»
Interested readers can peruse my latest JAAPA Musings blog post, newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Ours is a gilded digital age and a visual culture; we twitter and tap the screens of our smartphones to locate the nearest theater to view the latest blockbuster thriller. As a society, we tend to engage in quantitative rather than qualitative thinking: no matter how poor the quality, more is always better. We opt to pursue economic goals rather than existential longings. more»
Interested readers can peruse my latest JAAPA Musings blog post, newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Back in the 1970s, responding to what he saw as the depersonalization of medical care, psychiatrist and cross-cultural researcher Arthur Kleinman began to examine the difference between illness as experienced by the patient and disease as diagnosed by the clinician. Such was the beginning of a hopeful attempt to reverse the trend of depersonalization in medical practice. more»
Interested readers can peruse my latest JAAPA Musings blog post, newly published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
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»
