3/22/2012 The cottage season will be coming soon and I will have lots of people on my doorstep looking for advice or treatment, and wanting to avoid the long drive into town and the even longer wait in our northern Ontario emergency department.
3/6/2012 Over my 38 years doctoring I have heard and read about many diseases and conditions given amusing malapropisms by patients.
2/13/2012 We have tried to get all orphan patients in hospital hooked up with GPs to help prevent re-admission. A new nurse practitioner clinic just opened so we are using it for followup.
1/24/2012 I was hired by the Cambridge Memorial Hospital 18 months ago for eight hours per week to help cut wait times in our ER. Like the rest of Canada, we suffer from too few beds and a crush of patients using the ER for primary care. I thought it would be a piece of cake.
1/11/2012 Busy family members can feel guilty if they don’t see their loved ones as much as they would like. So, when a senior gets sick, the family often wants “everything done.”
12/12/2011 I just finished 19 years of family practice and before that, 19 years of emergency medicine. They both have their challenges and rewards, and over the years there have been game-changers on both sides. Here is a look at some of the areas of work for both family physicians and ER physicians, and how they compare.
12/5/2011 Doctors have one of the most stressful jobs anywhere. We deal with life-and-death situations under the microscope of the media, our provincial colleges, patients and their families, as well as other healthcare workers. We work long, unsociable hours and deal with people often at their worst: in pain or frightened and often impaired by disease or external factors. It’s almost impossible to change ourselves—but we can change the process.
11/24/2011 A lot of doctors are isolated in their offices so I recommend you go to the doctor’s lounge and grumble about the government as a group. Talk about non-medical topics as well. Share difficult cases and ask your colleagues for help.
11/17/2011 Here are actual memos I have sent out over the years to make my practice more efficient, and to improve patient care and my life. Edit, add the date, hit the print button, sign and give to the appropriate people listed. Do one each week. Sit back and enjoy.
11/9/2011 I have been in a capitated payment system for six years and before that, did fee for service for 32 years. Here are the pros and cons of a working in a Family Health Organization.
10/27/2011 High cholesterol and hypertension are two very common problems in family practice. If you can manage them efficiently you will get good compliance. Here are some tips to help manage these office visits
10/18/2011 How do you start and stop an interview and use your time wisely with the patient in the examining room? Here are some tips on conversation starters, body language, and effective use of your computer.
