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The Art of Patient Care Blog contains a listing of all the new and/or updated pages on this site. Also included are visitor comments, editorials, article reviews, case studies, pertinent news items and other miscellaneous information all related to enhancing our ability to provide high quality, competent and compassionate care to patients who are looking to us for our knowledge and support.
If you wish to add your own entry to this page, please fill out the form on the Comments Page.
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New Entries and Updates...
Aug 8, 2010, Contextual Medical Errors
Contextual medical errors are very common. We must explore the literacy and the social history of our patients to be sure that treatment we prescribe can be carried out properly.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Contextual Medical Errors"
Aug 7, 2010, How Doctors Cope with Death
I read a very nice article in Medical Economics today by Dr. Jalila Cunningham with which I think most health care professionals can identify.
Aug 4, 2010, Humility
I was happy to see an article appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine in this current issue (2010;153:200-201) written by Jack Coulehan entitled, "On Humility". This is a very well-written treatise on the art and virtue of humility in patient care, showing that it is not a sign of weakness as it is sometimes regarded, but rather an "unflinching self-awareness" that allows us to connect to patients, understand them and advocate for their welfare. Humility also wisely reminds us that despite all our knowledge, we still don't know everything and never will. We have to keep this always in the backs of our minds, so that we will never be so arrogant as to prevent us from learning from our patients, about life, death and humanity.
Jul 29, 2010, Unexpected Death
Dealing with an unexpected death is never easy for healthcare providers. How can we help families and ourselves cope with these situations?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Unexpected Death"
May 9, 2010, Medicine Library
My online medicine library contains my favorite resources for medical diagnosis and treatment. I keep these bookmarked for easy access on my office desktop computer.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medicine Library"
May 4, 2010, Continuity of Care A Personal Voyage
Carol Stickney and Opal Bristow published a book (let) entitled Discharge Planning and Continuity of Care. Carol had gotten sick later in life and needed
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Continuity of Care A Personal Voyage"
Apr 18, 2010, Politics and Patient Care
As much as I like to avoid the subject, I just can't ignore the importance of politics and discussions about health care in this country that directly effect the daily lives and livelihood of all healthcare providers and patients alike. One of my favorite blogs that helps provide insight and understanding among all the confusion is the ACP Advocacy Blog...
Apr 6, 2010, Concierge Medicine - The Myths and Misconceptions
The concept of concierge medicine has emerged as an alternative to traditional medical practice. Many generalizations have been made that may not be accurate. Here is my experience.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Concierge Medicine - The Myths and Misconceptions"
Mar 21, 2010, Altruism vs. Burnout
I have a concern about your statement that we should be concerned about the well being of the patients far more than our own (paraphrase).I beg to differ. There is a fine balance. If we do not look after our own well being we can not do a good job taking care of others. That is why we see the burn out,family discordance, drug abuse etc. and the stress to the point of distress. In this case charity must begin at home. - Lal Arora
{Point well-taken. You're right. Each of us has to find the right balance, which is sometimes difficult to discover these days when there is so much pressure to see more patients in less and less time. For more on this, see the page on Burnout. GJW}
Mar 5, 2010, New Resources on Medical Professionalism
I'd like to share the latest resources on many issues surrounding Medical Professionalism from the Institute on Medicine as a Profession at Columbia University.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "New Resources on Medical Professionalism"
Feb 24, 2010, Saying No to Patients
The art of saying no in patient care sometimes depends on how well the health care provider can explain to patients why some medications or treatments may be ineffective or even harmful.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Saying No to Patients"
Jan 14, 2010, Science and Patient Care
Here is a simple but eloquent story about making a connection between the science of medicine and caring for patients...
Nov 26, 2009, Burnout
Burnout is a syndrome that can bring even the most compassionate physician to his/her knees, resulting in poor bedside manner and, even worse, poor patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Burnout"
Oct 25, 2009, The Doctor Patient Relationship
The doctor patient relationship is a special bond like no other. It needs to be respected and treated carefully as a partnership emphasizing equality and trust.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Doctor Patient Relationship"
Oct 11, 2009, Hospice Care
Hospice care can provide peace and comfort for terminally ill patients and their families.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Hospice Care"
Sep 21, 2009, Palliative Care
Palliative care has become a specialty all its own, dealing with compassionate symptomatic control for suffering patients.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Palliative Care"
Sep 13, 2009, The Art of Patient Care in Clinical Medicine
Introduction to The Art of Patient Care - a website dedicated to improving the quality of medical care by studying and emphasizing basic humanitarian concepts.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Art of Patient Care in Clinical Medicine"
Sep 13, 2009, Patient Rights
Knowing and understanding patient rights are an integral part of patient care. Here's where to find a summary of these rights.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Patient Rights"
Aug 6, 2009, Narrative Medicine
The integration of Narrative Medicine into medical training appears to be an excellent method of teaching young professionals how to incorporate humanity and understanding into patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Narrative Medicine"
Jul 31, 2009, Continuity of Care
Talking about continuity of care isn't enough. We have to do something about it.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Continuity of Care"
Jul 19, 2009, Psychosomatic Disorders
Patients with psychosomatic disorders present special challenges to health care providers. How can we help from a primary care standpoint?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Psychosomatic Disorders"
Jul 17, 2009, Patient Centered Care
The healthcare industry in this country needs to refocus itself on patient centered care. What's good for the patient will also be good for the healthcare system.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Patient Centered Care"
Jul 10, 2009, Advance Directives
Discussing advance directives and code status with patients and families is an art unto itself.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Advance Directives"
Jun 15, 2009, Evidence Based Medicine
Evidence based medicine has been popularized as the goal to strive for in medicine; perhaps the goal should be good patient care first.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Evidence Based Medicine"
Jun 6, 2009, Patient Compliance
Poor patient compliance is a frequent and frustrating cause of poor outcomes in patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Patient Compliance"
Jun 1, 2009, Health Information on the Web
How do you know which websites displaying health information are reliable?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Health Information on the Web"
May 26, 2009, Medical Practice Models
There are different types of medical practice models from which to choose. How do they compare?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medical Practice Models"
May 24, 2009, Whole Patient Care
Whole patient care requires knowledge of the patient's background and emotional stresses blended with scientific medical knowledge for optimum care and treatment.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Whole Patient Care"
May 22, 2009, Health Care Technology and Patient Care
Health care technology is growing at a rapid rate and has great potential for improving patient care but not without cost.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Health Care Technology and Patient Care"
May 20, 2009, Phone Calls
Phone calls are sometimes a large part of private practice in medicine. How should these be handled?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Phone Calls"
May 20, 2009, Developing Good Communication Skills in Patient Care
How to develop good communication skills that will help immensely in taking care of patients in all kinds of situations.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Developing Good Communication Skills in Patient Care"
May 14, 2009, Medical References and Resources for The Art of Patient Care
A listing of medical references and resources relating to the art of healing and patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medical References and Resources for The Art of Patient Care"
Apr 29, 2009, Your Comments on Patient Care
This is the place where you can add your own comments on patient care - experiences, concerns and ways to improve on the art of caring for patients.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Your Comments on Patient Care"
Apr 29, 2009, Sitemap for The Art of Patient Care
This page contains The Art of Patient Care sitemap with links to all the pages on this site.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Sitemap for The Art of Patient Care"
Apr 29, 2009, Chronic Pain Patients
Taking care of chronic pain patients is one of the greatest challenges for physicians and nurses of all specialties. What are the problems and how do we manage them?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Chronic Pain Patients"
Apr 29, 2009, Search Page
This page will provide an easy way to access information on this site.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Search Page"
Apr 29, 2009, About the Author
This page contains a brief biography of the author of The Art of Patient Care website along with disclaimers, disclosures and certifications of confidentiality.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "About the Author"
Apr 21, 2009, Geriatrics and Patient Care - Extra Compassion and Understanding Required
Geriatrics is a large part of primary as well as specialty care; and many of our elderly patients have a special need for kindness, understanding and compassion.
Apr 19, 2009, It's All About the Money!
A good friend of mine and also my patient of many years had been struggling with inoperable lung cancer for about 15 months. He had gone through at least 2 courses of radiation therapy and many months of chemotherapy. Ultimately, his condition worsened. He developed severe bone pain from metastatic disease, increasing anorexia and generalized weakness to the point where he became bedridden and cared for by his devoted wife. As he lay in bed at home, my wife and I paid a social visit. At the same time, his priest had been visiting him as well. The priest said to him, "Wow, you must be special, having your doctor come to visit you at home! My patient and friend quipped with a smile, "It's because I still owe him money!"
He died a week later, but I'll never forget his humor and his great strength and courage at a time of tremendous suffering.
Apr 18, 2009, Medical Office Staff
Your medical office staff is extremely important in setting the tone of the office. Make sure their goals of patient care are in line with yours.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medical Office Staff"
Apr 12, 2009, Medical Ethics in Clinical Practice
A summary of basic medical ethics required for clinical practice and proper patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medical Ethics in Clinical Practice"
Apr 9, 2009, Communication with Medical Consultants
Communication with other medical consultants about your patient is necessary for proper coordination of care, patient safety and is a sign of your concern for the patient's welfare.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Communication with Medical Consultants"
Apr 6, 2009, Communication with Family Members
Communication with family members is extremely important and an integral part of patient care.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Communication with Family Members"
Apr 4, 2009, Health Care Issues
Current health care issues in America make it increasingly difficult for physicians to practice the kind of patient care they were trained to do.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Health Care Issues"
Mar 31, 2009, Giving Bad News
Giving bad news to a patient is never easy. What is the best way to do this?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Giving Bad News"
Mar 29, 2009, Giving Good News to Patients
How should you give good news to a patient? This isn't always as easy as it sounds.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Giving Good News to Patients"
Mar 29, 2009, Medical Errors
We all try to avoid medical errors, but a certain number of them are inevitable. What should you do if you make an error?
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Medical Errors"
Mar 28, 2009, Patient Teaching
Patient teaching is an excellent and important way to build your relationship with your patients.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Patient Teaching"
Mar 15, 2009, The Hippocratic Oath
For your review: The Hippocratic Oath - the original and the modern versions - upon which the principles of medicine and patient care are founded.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Hippocratic Oath"
