ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 4/29/2013
How to manage hospital patient flow
Surgeons get grumpy when they have their scheduled surgery cancelled, as do patients and their families. It seems unfair that when the volume of hospital patients inevitably backs up into the ER and surgical beds, that one way of coping is to cancel elective procedures. The trick to avoid this is to manage every patient in the hospital every day. - 4/19/2013
The worst ways to jump the queue in the emergency department
It was 3:14 a.m., years ago when I was an emergency room physician. The department was empty and I, for some reason long forgotten, was sitting at the clerk's intake desk reading the newspaper when blood started dripping on it. I looked up and there stood a 16-year-old boy with his throat slashed wide open. - 4/12/2013
How to write a medical-legal letter
I have been an expert participant in more than 200 malpractice and physician complaint cases. Here are some tips if you have to write a medical-legal opinion letter. - 3/28/2013
Geriatric pearls from someone who learned the hard way
Just like children are not little adults, seniors are different than middle-age and younger patients. Geriatrics is its own specialty. Here are some tips on dealing with senior patients from an old doc learned the hard way, so you don't have to. - 3/20/2013
Why you should take on a medical student, and how to do it
Having a medical student work with you in your practice is fun and fulfilling. You learn as much from them as they do from you. Their enthusiasm is contagious and they really get you to think about your job and your philosophy of medicine as you see it through their eyes. You learn what is new in medicine and they help sharpen your computer, iPhone and iPad skills. - 3/5/2013
From rotary phones to the Internet, and other big changes I've seen in medicine
During my career of 40 years, I would say the biggest changes in medicine have been increasing specialization, the Internet and new technology. - 2/22/2013
‘Young doctors are lazy’
That's what I heard an old GP say about my generation 40 years ago. And in his own myopic view, he was right. - 2/15/2013
Cruise your way to medical knowledge
I recently conducted a phone interview with Dr. Martin Gerretsen, founder of Sea Courses Cruises. I have taught two of his courses on Caribbean trips and loved them, especially the fun days at sea. - 2/8/2013
The doctor-patient email exchange: insight from someone who does it
I interviewed Dr. Naveen Tandon, a new family doctor in Cambridge, Ont., by email. He is my 94-year-old mom's physician and communicates by email. I love it.