The question of physicians and renumeration for social participation makes great cocktail party, or Twitter, conversation. If you cornered me around a plate of hors d’ouvres, here’s what I might say: I think we have a responsibility to be part of the conversation. All of us should be participating in some way. Optimally we should be making the stuff that starts conversation. At a minimum we should be contributing to the dialog. But bandwidth is limited. The translation of great thinking and experience into digital media requires time, energy and rest. Caring for the sick…
Selected by bryanvartabedian
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Most Topular Stories
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Should Doctors be Paid to Use Social Media?
33 Charts18 May 2013 | 6:40 am -
It's Thomas Midgeley day
Seth's Blog18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgeley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases… -
How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts
@ProBlogger17 May 2013 | 8:22 amThis is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip. After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below… -
Apple and Sony 'iRadio' Negotiations Stalling Over Skipped Songs
MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page17 May 2013 | 1:58 pmEarlier today a report suggested that the launch of Apple's upcoming streaming music service deemed "iRadio" may be delayed due to difficult negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. CNET is offering some additional information on Apple's trouble with Sony Music, explaining that the fees to be paid for skipped songs have become a point of contention between the companies.Apple and Sony Music, the world's second largest music label, are still trying to hammer out details over how much Apple would pay for songs that people listen to a fraction of and then skip, according to people… -
Giant Stop Sign Is Laser-Projected Onto a Sheet of Water
Mashable18 May 2013 | 2:37 pmImagine you're a truck driver. You're coming up to a tunnel that might be too low for your truck to fit under, but you're not sure. Suddenly, a gigantic red stop sign appears to obstruct the road in front of the tunnel entrance, giving you no doubt. Stop! You're not going to overlook that explicit warning What is this sorcery? See the video above to find out more about how this remarkable sign is created with a instantaneously produced sheet of water and — you guessed it — frickin' lasers SEE ALSO: Laser System Paints Information on the Road Ahead These pop-up stop signs made by…
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33 Charts
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Should Doctors be Paid to Use Social Media?
18 May 2013 | 6:40 amThe question of physicians and renumeration for social participation makes great cocktail party, or Twitter, conversation. If you cornered me around a plate of hors d’ouvres, here’s what I might say: I think we have a responsibility to be part of the conversation. All of us should be participating in some way. Optimally we should be making the stuff that starts conversation. At a minimum we should be contributing to the dialog. But bandwidth is limited. The translation of great thinking and experience into digital media requires time, energy and rest. Caring for the sick… -
Creating Content Beyond Patients
9 May 2013 | 8:20 amWhen we think about doctors using tools of communication, we assume that the only thing they are capable of is creating for patients. When people look at my blog they say, ‘why would a mother of a child with intestinal problems care about that?‘ I never said that they would. And who said that a physician’s only use of public media is to translate health info? It’s a great service but its not all we can do. Our capacity to publish can be used in all kinds of ways. Advocacy, policy, political action, business development, health awareness, personal reflection,… -
Doctors, Social Media and Shiny Objects
7 May 2013 | 6:35 amMost presentations to physicians on social media don’t do the job that they should be doing. They focus on the medium rather than what the medium can bring. They focus on tools rather than the value offered by tools. The audience only sees the shiny object. Presentations that tell doctors about social media rarely motivate. Few of us care about computer processors. But everyone cares about what computers allow us to do. Our focus should be on what a networked public presence can deliver to make our lives as professionals or the lives of our patients better. Emphasize the… -
Medical Microcelebrity
1 May 2013 | 9:25 pmI like to look beyond the confines of medicine in order to understand medicine. And I happen to follow a handful of sociologists who bring me things that get me there. Today I stumbled upon “Not This One”: Social Movements, the Attention Economy, and Microcelebrity Networked Activism by Zeynep Turfekci The paper explores a new dynamic borne of the networked age: the microcelebrity. (Unless you have masochistic tendencies or an advanced degree in sociology, I would not try to muscle through this one.) The microcelebrity uses “affordances of social media to engage in… -
Permanence and the Public Physician
16 Apr 2013 | 3:07 pmThe idea of permanence is an important concept for the public physician. It’s important because it’s a new concept. Since the dawn of civilization medical students and doctors have had opinions, ideas, beliefs and complaints. Anger and frustration were around long before the digital medium for sharing. Traditionally remarks went no further than earshot of the nurse’s station or surgeon’s lounge. Now the news is full of stories of doctors and their offhand remarks caught on Facebook. So the question isn’t can you be frustrated and upset. The question is what do we do with…
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Seth's Blog
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It's Thomas Midgeley day
18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgeley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases… -
Every day is an investment
17 May 2013 | 2:07 amYou're not lucky to have this job, they're lucky to have you. Every day, you invest a little bit of yourself into your work, and one of the biggest choices available to you is where you'll be making that investment. That project that you're working on, or that boss you report to... worth it? Investing in the wrong place for a week or a month won't kill you. But spending ten years contributing to something that you don't care about, or working with someone who doesn't care about you... you can do better. -
The river guide and the rapids
16 May 2013 | 2:11 amIt's probably not an accident that rapid (as in rapid change) shares a root with rapids (as in Lava Falls in the Grand Canyon). The river guide, piloting his wooden dory, has but one strategy. Get the boat to the end of the river, safely. And he has countless tactics, an understanding of how water and rocks work, and, if you're lucky, experience on this particular river. The thing is, the captain changes his tactics constantly. He never whines. He doesn't stop the boat and say, "wait, no fair, yesterday this rock wasn't like this!" No, the practice of being great at shooting the rapids is a… -
Applications open for a short summer internship
15 May 2013 | 10:53 amI'm offering a short-term paid internship this summer. You'll be in my office, working with me and a tightly knit group to develop a brand new idea. Here are some details, the links to apply are at the end. Please feel free to forward to those that might be interested. The first intern project happened more than eight years ago, and we built changethis.com, which, in the capable hands of 800ceoread, just published its 100th issue. This project has lauched and amplified dozens of bestsellers and even more important, truly valuable ideas to millions of people. Team members included Amit Gupta… -
Appropriate cheating in the nine-dot problem
15 May 2013 | 2:34 amAll geeks, nerds and puzzle folks are aware of the nine-dot problem, along with the lesson it is frequently used to present. Here's a pencil. Here's a piece of copy paper with nine dots on it. Without lifting the pencil or folding the paper, connect the nine dots using four straight lines. The narrator smiles as you try as hard as you can, unable to do it. Then he ends your frustration and points out you've been tricked by your own limits, because, of course, there's nothing in the rules that says you can't have the lines go beyond the edges of the nine dots. The thing is, this isn't the end.
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@ProBlogger
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How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts
17 May 2013 | 8:22 amThis is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip. After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below… -
How Much Content Should I Have Ready to Go When I Launch a Blog?
16 May 2013 | 8:23 amI recently had the opportunity to sit with a small group of Pre-Bloggers – people about to start their first blogs. One of the questions I was about how much content should be written before launching a new blog. My answer came in two parts: The Ideal Scenario What I actually have done The reality is that what I ‘preach’ isn’t always what I ‘do’ – so let me tell you about both! Note: we give a lot of teaching and some great exercises on this topic in ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. The Ideal Scenario OK – here’s… -
Blog This! Sometimes Going Back to Basics Leads to the Best Posts
15 May 2013 | 8:47 amToday, I’m preparing some slides for a keynote I’m doing tomorrow. I included this diagram – something that Chris Garrett came up with years ago as a way to show new bloggers what they should blog about. The idea – obviously – is to find the connecting point between what YOU know (lessons you’ve learned, problems you’ve overcome, experiences that you’ve had etc) and what your readers (or potential readers) want (or need) to know. The intersecting point is GOLD! The problem with this diagram is when I show it to people they sometimes respond… -
Why Interlinking Your Blogs Posts is a Must (and Not Just For SEO)
14 May 2013 | 8:15 amThis is a guest contribution by Daniel Vassiliou of Endurance SEO. Everybody loves (LOVES) to talk about link building and find the latest and greatest technique for building backlinks to your blog. While this gets you more traffic and better rankings in the search engines, it can draw away from an equally important aspect of your blog – internal (or onsite) SEO. Not only does a good internal SEO practice help boost your rankings by making it easier for Google’s crawlers to access your pages, but it also allows real people (yeah, they’re still on the internet) to navigate your site… -
How Many Posts Should a Blogger Post? [Pros and Cons of Daily Posting]
13 May 2013 | 8:46 amAlmost every time I do a Q&A at a conference I’m asked this question – How many posts should I post? The frequency of blog posts is something that gets talked about a lot and there is no perfect answer for all blogs – but here are a few thoughts on the topic. The Pros of Daily Posting I’ve heard many people answer the ‘how many posts’ question with the suggestion that you should aim for a daily post. While I will name some reasons why this may not be ideal below there are certainly some benefits of posting on a daily level including: Daily Posts Can…
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page
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Apple and Sony 'iRadio' Negotiations Stalling Over Skipped Songs
17 May 2013 | 1:58 pmEarlier today a report suggested that the launch of Apple's upcoming streaming music service deemed "iRadio" may be delayed due to difficult negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. CNET is offering some additional information on Apple's trouble with Sony Music, explaining that the fees to be paid for skipped songs have become a point of contention between the companies.Apple and Sony Music, the world's second largest music label, are still trying to hammer out details over how much Apple would pay for songs that people listen to a fraction of and then skip, according to people… -
Tightening MacBook Air Supplies at Resellers Hint at Upcoming Refresh
17 May 2013 | 10:31 amAs noted by AppleInsider, MacBook Air supplies are beginning to dry up as Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference approaches. Currently, the 13.3-inch 256GB 1.8Ghz MacBook Air is out of stock at Amazon.com, with a listed one to two month waiting period. While the low end 13.3-inch MacBook Air is in stock, the 11.6-inch MacBook Air is in short supply. Amazon lists an inventory of just ten 1.7Ghz 128GB 11.6-inch MacBook Airs and just one lower end 64GB 11.6-inch MacBook Air available through a third party. Several other authorized Apple resellers, such as MacConnection, MacMall, and… -
Difficult Negotiations May Prevent 'iRadio' Launch at WWDC
17 May 2013 | 9:05 amLast week, we noted that Apple was still struggling to convince the major music labels to sign on to its planned streaming service, informally dubbed "iRadio", with Sony and Warner reportedly holding out even after market leader Universal had agreed to Apple's revised terms. In a new article highlighting how Google was able to announce its own music service ahead of Apple, The Verge notes that Apple's desire to provide a hybrid listener experience has meant more work at the negotiating table.For starters, Google chose to offer a standard subscription music service very similar to those built… -
U.S. Department of Defense Approves iOS 6 Devices for Military Networks
17 May 2013 | 7:56 amFollowing a report from earlier this month indicating that the U.S. Department of Defense was preparing to approve Apple devices running iOS 6 for use on military networks, Bloomberg now reports that the department has officially issued the authorization, opening the door for greater use of Apple's products.The Defense Department said in a statement today that it has approved the use of Cupertino, California-based Apple’s products running a version of the iOS 6 mobile platform. The decision eventually may spur a three-way fight for a market long dominated by Waterloo, Ontario-based… -
Corning Announces 'Lotus XT' Substrate Glass for Brighter, Cheaper Mobile Displays
17 May 2013 | 7:18 amCorning yesterday announced (via Engadget) the launch of its latest glass substrate for LCD and OLED displays, Lotus XT Glass. While Corning is famous for its Gorilla Glass used by Apple and other device manufacturers to provide durable covers for their displays, substrate glass like Lotus Glass is used within the displays themselves to support the transistors and other components necessary for the displays to function. The Corning Lotus Glass platform enables organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays and liquid crystal displays (LCD) that use either low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) or…
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Mashable
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Giant Stop Sign Is Laser-Projected Onto a Sheet of Water
18 May 2013 | 2:37 pmImagine you're a truck driver. You're coming up to a tunnel that might be too low for your truck to fit under, but you're not sure. Suddenly, a gigantic red stop sign appears to obstruct the road in front of the tunnel entrance, giving you no doubt. Stop! You're not going to overlook that explicit warning What is this sorcery? See the video above to find out more about how this remarkable sign is created with a instantaneously produced sheet of water and — you guessed it — frickin' lasers SEE ALSO: Laser System Paints Information on the Road Ahead These pop-up stop signs made by… -
Top 10 Tech This Week
18 May 2013 | 2:27 pmIt was a big week in tech, the week of Google I/O. But apart from the annual Google geekfest that its developers conference is, there was much more. We were in San Francisco to cover Google I/O, but we also kept an eye on the rest of the world of tech for Top 10 Tech This Week The biggest story of the week — which in turn contained countless big stories — was Google I/O, the company's developers conference. Even though this time nobody parachuted onto the conference building wearing Google Glass, the conference was still full of juicy announcements: new Hangouts, new Google Maps,… -
AOL, Yahoo Were Better Investments This Year Than Facebook Stock
18 May 2013 | 2:07 pmAh, the benefit of hindsight. Those who rushed to buy Facebook stock at its initial public offering price of $38 per share on May 18, 2012, are likely a little disappointed with their investment one year later. Though the stock has recovered from its $17.55 September 4 low, the price of the stock today, at a little more than $26 per share, is still closer to its all-time low than its opening price. What if investors had put their money into other technology or Internet companies? Statistics database Statista looked at how a $1,000 investment made on the day of Facebook's IPO would have… -
6 Apps You Don't Want To Miss
18 May 2013 | 1:51 pmIt can be tough to keep up with all the new apps released every week. But you're in luck — Mashable takes care of that for you, creating a roundup each weekend of our favorite new and updated apps. This week Google launched its own streaming music service, and another music service got a new mode designed specifically to be used while driving. Airbnb's Android app was updated with some new tools for hosts, and Highlight got a little more personal. Check out the gallery above for a look at this week's highlights. Still looking for more? See last week's Apps You Don't Want to Miss for… -
Controversial Video Campaign Sparks Conversation and Other Top Comments
18 May 2013 | 1:30 pmThere are two sides to every story, even a viral video. In the top comments above, we've highlighted our readers' reactions to the contentious campaign against Abercrombie and Fitch. After the company's CEO Mike Jeffries publicly stated that he "doesn't want larger people shopping in his store," Greg Karber created a video in which he gives the company's branded clothing to homeless people for free. Karber's intention was to publicly condemn Jeffries' statement, but some of our commenters had an adverse reaction to the video. We've highlighted the debate in the gallery above. Which side of…
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Copyblogger
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5 Writing and Productivity Links You Can Use
18 May 2013 | 5:00 amThis week on The Lede … How A Copywriter Evaluates A Great Website The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination The Daily Rituals of the World’s Most Creative People 4 Things That Lead to Success (or Failure) with Email Signup Forms How to Do More By Planning Less: The Power of the Anti-Plan Want to grab even more useful links (beyond those that make The Lede)? Follow @copyblogger on Twitter. // The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination Procrastination: that merciless thief of our time, creative output, and potential reward. Mr. Bergman delivers a unique — but convincing… -
How to Become a Content Marketing Expert
17 May 2013 | 9:00 amYou hear everyone talking about online content marketing, because with today’s Internet-empowered prospect, content marketing is what works. And yet, you may be struggling with creating content that works for your business or your clients. Or maybe you’re just trying to take your game to the next level. There’s a lot to learn, and even then you’re left asking potentially expensive and time-consuming questions: How do I apply this particular strategy for my business? Is this a solid idea, and how should I execute it? Has anyone taken this approach before, and what were the… -
Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared
17 May 2013 | 8:00 amWriting is scary. Sometimes when we publish something, it makes us feel like our insides are hanging out, for all the world to see. We feel vulnerable. We feel naked. We feel … terrified. But here’s the thing — we have to keep writing, in spite of the fear. If we let fear stop us, our content will have no spark, no life. And everything we write will be completely unremarkable. Right now, I’m working on a blog post (on a different topic) that scares the living heck out of me. I am afraid of the strong opinions and passion that are rising from some long-buried place inside me. -
5 Ways to Bond with Your Blog’s Audience
16 May 2013 | 5:00 amYou’re smart. You know you need to be helpful on your blog in order to grow your audience. You share useful tips. You give away free tutorials. But somehow you’re not connecting with your readers. Your blog seems a little quiet. Sure, you’re getting some traffic. But a certain spark is missing. It’s not the enjoyable party you’d imagined it to be. Is it getting you down? Today I’m sharing five tips to engage with your readers, make them feel at home, and to turn your blog into a nice and warm get-together. Sound good? 1. Write conversationally Nobody… -
Could Mobile Responsive Website Design Hurt Your SEO?
15 May 2013 | 4:00 amAllow your jaw to become unhinged at this statistic: There are over 1 million more mobile devices activated every day across the world than there are babies born. Yeah, mind = blown. Indeed, designing with a mobile-first mindset becomes more important — quite literally — by the day. As does answering burning questions related to mobile design best practices. For example: Is mobile responsive web design good for SEO or not? This has become a hotly debated topic, even right here in the Copyblogger comment sections, with reasonable minds making reasonable arguments on both sides.
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Being Peter Kim
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Guest post: @jackiehuba on Monster Loyalty
24 Apr 2013 | 6:24 amThe post below is from my friend Jackie Huba. Her third book, "Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics" publishes on May 2nd and is available now for pre-order. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was born near Pittsburgh and watched them win 4 four Super Bowls as I was growing up in the '70's. I run the Steelers fan club here in Austin. I own six Terrible Towels and went to the Super Bowl in 2011 to see the Steelers play. When I was considering getting a tattoo -- almost all Austin, Texas residents have one --…
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Daniel Pink
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The 6 essential lessons of a satisfying, productive career
16 May 2013 | 5:49 amJust in time for graduation season, Johnny Bunko is here to remind you of the 6 essential lessons of any satisfying, productive career: 1. There is no plan. Make decisions for fundamental, not instrumental, reasons. 2. Think strengths, not weaknesses. What do you consistently do well? What gives you energy rather than drains it? 3. It’s not about you. The most successful people improve their own lives by improving others’ lives. 4. Persistence trumps talent. There are massive returns to doggedness. 5. Make excellent mistakes. Commit errors from which the benefits of what… -
Dan Ariely’s revised model of labor
9 May 2013 | 5:37 amBelow is a fantastic TED Talk from Dan Ariely on why people work hard, when they’re willing to make extreme efforts, and how easy it is to crush their motivation. Among the insights and provocations: “Ignoring the performance of people is almost as bad as shredding their effort in front of their eyes.” “Is efficiency still more important than meaning? I think the answer is no.” “By getting people to work harder, they actually got them to love what they’re doing to a higher degree.” Watch and ponder. -
Are you inside the circle or outside?
8 May 2013 | 6:03 amThe annotated map below has been lighting up the the social mediasphere in the last couple days — and for good reason. It forces those of us outside the circle (I’m looking at you, America) to ponder what the next century will really be like. -
Is your focus prevention or promotion? 5 questions for Halvorson & Higgins
18 Apr 2013 | 5:59 amOn the cover of Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence are a red light and a green light. The symbols nicely capture the central idea in this fascinating book (Buy it on Amazon, BN, 800CeoRead, or IndieBound), which debuts today. Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins, who together run the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School, argue that human beings have two broad approaches to the world. Some of us are red lights. We’re prevention-focused. Our overriding goals are to minimize losses, to feel secure, and to elude the looming… -
Office Hours is back — and it’s sticky!
11 Apr 2013 | 6:38 amOffice Hours — our super-cool, call-in, radio-ish program — has been on hiatus for a few months. But we’re coming back with a great show to kick off our 2013 season. On Friday April 12, 2013 at 2:30pm EDT, I’ll be talking with Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of blockbuster books, Made to Stick, Switch, and their newest bestseller, Decisive, which is all about how to make better decisions. You can listen live — and ask the Heath brothers anything you want — by dialing this number (206-402-0100) and entering this passcode (203373#). If you’re new to…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Be Open to Inspiration
10 May 2013 | 8:41 amI’ve been in a bit of a fog the last week or so. Nothing worth talking about, really. Depression stuff. But then it lifted. What’s interesting to me is how I found my footing and how I got back on track, and so there are two items I want to share with you from this: the actual learning, and more importantly, the realization of what got me there. Be Open to Inspiration Humans have this way they deal with too much information. They discard tons of inputs and keep what they feel is important. This is necessary, by the way. Can you imagine how busy your brain would be if you thought… -
Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?
7 May 2013 | 1:38 pmI sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there. And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.) Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and… -
Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?
30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pmWhy should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like? That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that? Here’s the video she meant: Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy. On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough. Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools? First, it’s your… -
Can You Work at Being Fearless?
29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 amFear is at the heart of most of our worst choices. I read this facebook post by James Altucher and it really punched me in the stomach. But that’s just one punch in a series, because every time I question how I ended up somewhere, the real answer (underneath all the bull answers) is fear. It’s why most stupid things happen, why all bad things happen (when humans are involved), and is even worse than you think. I’m afraid of a weird collection of things. I’m afraid of sharks (ever since seeing Jaws at a very young age – because I pestered my parents tirelessly til… -
Sponsored Post – Mobile Productivity and the Future
24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 amCan you be productive while on the road? I say yes. In fact, I’m writing this from a hotel room before heading off to a meeting with a client. The following is sponsored by Cloud Powered Work, which is a project with IDG, LinkedIn, and Microsoft’s Office365. Everything in this post is mine, and my opinions are my own. I just produced an episode of my radio show from my hotel room, because I realized that an episode was due and I hadn’t done the work before I took off for the day. Last night, while I waited for my slightly delayed airplane, I cracked open SkyDrive pulled down…
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Not Running a Hospital
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Why it is called the Affordable Care Act?
18 May 2013 | 6:48 amSometimes when something is right in front of you, you don't see it.A friend who serves on a Boston hospital board writes:Great cover story in the New York Times today on how the new private owners of Bayonne Hospital made it for-profit and canceled their insurance contracts. By becoming out-of-network they were able to jack up their prices and make a lot of money. Talk about gaming the system!The writers of the story, "New Jersey Hospital has the Highest Billing Rates in the Country," missed the major point. My friend did, too, but less so.This is not about the relative prices in the… -
"I Remember Better When I Paint"
17 May 2013 | 3:07 pmThis event on May 29 (3:30-5:30) at the Metropolitan Museum in NY is worthwhile for any health care provider who encounters people with dementia and for family members of persons with any form of dementia.Description: Please join us for a screening of I Remember Better When I Paint, a film by Eric Ellena and Berna Huebner. I Remember Better When I Paint is the first international documentary about the positive impact of art and other creative therapies on people with Alzheimer’s and how these approaches can change the way we look at the disease. Among those who are… -
Waterfalls>cowbells
16 May 2013 | 6:48 pmWe go back to infrastructure for a break from health care (although the two are intimately related in many ways.) Some of you will remember my story about the use of cowbells to forestall too-low trucks from hitting underpasses along the Boston river roads. Now comes this story from Australia, where waterfalls do the trick! -
A continuing display of weak leadership
15 May 2013 | 4:57 pmI admire President Obama in many ways, but I think he does not understand one important element of leadership. He has repeated the following behavior: Something goes wrong in his administration. He expresses anger about it, and says such behavior is inexcusable, as though it is someone else's responsibility. Then, someone falls on his sword and resigns, or someone is blamed and is fired.A strong leader would take personal responsibility, say what he is going to do to fix the problem, and then permit himself to be held accountable for the required changes. The… -
Delete email. Not email messages. Email altogether.
15 May 2013 | 3:00 pmOn February 11, @lucienengelen (Lucien Engelen) announced to his world that he would stop reading and replying to email as of April 2. As he later noted:After I previously attempted to make my work more focussed in other ways it turned out to a large extent that 250 to 300 emails a day made this impossible.An analysis of my incoming emails taught me that some 70 percent of the information sent to me also was also on our intranet. It was clear that email was increasingly used as a some kind of chat — some up to 10 other messages cc'd to easily 10 people each. For that, I think, we have…
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Dr. Jay Parkinson
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I just received this in my inbox from one of my most talented...
17 May 2013 | 1:43 pmI just received this in my inbox from one of my most talented friends: “My oldest brother was diagnosed with severe ADD in his early teens. He took Ritalin, Adderal, and a few other drugs through high school. He struggled through much of it. I have two other brothers, and both of them, myself, and my Dad all exhibit behaviors that resemble what doctors would consider symptoms of a disorder. We think we’re all a bit ADD. That oldest brother eventually found art school, went off medication, and has had an amazing life as an artist and educator. Another brother and myself ended up in… -
"ADHD is a fictitious disease"
17 May 2013 | 9:16 am“ADHD is a fictitious disease” - Remember, there are two ways drug companies can make money: Invent new drugs Invent new diseases already invented drugs can treat In the past decade or so, Big Pharma has created less than 10 new novel drugs per year. As an example of Big Pharma inventing diseases is “short, normal” children. We can treat “short, normal” kids with human growth hormone and make them “normal.” For parents who want tall or “normal-sized” children, they can inject their kids with growth hormone on a regular basis. When I worked with Nader at his… -
plannedparenthood: It’s National Women’s Health Week. Make your...
14 May 2013 | 12:48 pmplannedparenthood: It’s National Women’s Health Week. Make your health a priority and schedule a well-woman checkup today. -
Back in 2007, I had a patient who was uninsured with a strong...
14 May 2013 | 12:33 pmBack in 2007, I had a patient who was uninsured with a strong family history of breast cancer. At the time, the only place you could get tested for the gene mutations strongly associated with breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, was this company called Myriad. They had a monopoly on the test. I thought the patient really needed to know her risk (which could be as high as 87% likelihood of getting breast or ovarian cancer). I called up Myriad and asked how much their test would cost a cash-paying patient. They said $4000. I asked if they had some sort of financial assistance programs. They said… -
I got myself a vintage Omega watch from the 40’s....
8 May 2013 | 3:07 pmI got myself a vintage Omega watch from the 40’s. I’ve got to wind it every morning. It’s becoming a nice little ritual for me. Sit on the bed and wind a gorgeous watch and think about just slowing down.
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Dr. Wes
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Heart Rhythm Society 2013 Scientific Session Wrapup
12 May 2013 | 7:52 amOpening Day HRS2013 As the Heart Rhythm Society's 2013 Scientific Sessions are a thing of the past, it is interesting to reflect on what constituted the main thrusts occurring our field. Summarizing thousands of abstracts and hundreds of sessions from scientists (literally) all over the world is impossible, of course. But it did appear a few sea changes in our field are in the works, at -
Happy Mother's Day
12 May 2013 | 3:00 amFrom Tom's Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island, WI -Wes -
Former President Bill Clinton Kicks off Heart Rhythm Society Meeting
9 May 2013 | 4:59 amWhile the above title is true, I admit that it was used more for garnering readership than suggesting that former U.S. President Bill Clinton had any real news to share with the world's pool of heart rhythm specialists. Oh how we hoped he would tell us about his pacemaker or implantable defibrillator that he had installed but, alas, it was not to be. But the man can still draw a crowd. The -
HRS2013 Pre-meeting Reflections
8 May 2013 | 6:50 amThis morning I sit quietly in my hotel room, contemplating the day ahead at the 2013 Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions in Denver. Emotions clash. On one hand, it will be great to see old friends an colleagues, to be spoon-fed information, and to relax. On the other hand, I find myself in an electrophysiologic angst: how I can spend the time upbeat knowing that the relative value of -
Physician Blogger Insights On Social Media
5 May 2013 | 5:02 pmA recent e-mail exchange between myself (WGF) and fellow-physician bloggers John M. Mandrola MD (JMM), Edward J Schloss MD (EJS) and Ves Dimov MD (VDMD) resulted in some interesting insights about how physicians are using social media tools today. The following is a lightly edited version of the thread (used with permission). It began with an e-mail from Dr. Mandrola: JMM: "In prep for our
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J&J CEO Gorsky: Chicken Dinners and Personal Wellness
17 May 2013 | 10:49 amJ&J CEO Gorsky: Chicken Dinners and Personal Wellness Alex Gorsky delivers the keynote address at the graduation ceremony for the 2013 University of Pennsylvania Wharton Executive MBA program. From: JNJhealth Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 01:01 More in Education -
J&J CEO Gorsky: Leadership with a Purpose
17 May 2013 | 10:25 amJ&J CEO Gorsky: Leadership with a Purpose Alex Gorsky delivers the keynote address at the graduation ceremony for the 2013 University of Pennsylvania Wharton Executive MBA program. From: JNJhealth Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 00:56 More in Education -
J&J CEO Gorsky: Career advice
17 May 2013 | 10:21 amJ&J CEO Gorsky: Career advice Alex Gorsky delivers the keynote address at the graduation ceremony for the 2013 University of Pennsylvania Wharton Executive MBA program. From: JNJhealth Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 01:01 More in Education -
The Voice Finalist Jamar Rogers Talks about Health and Second Chances
7 May 2013 | 10:28 amThe Voice Finalist Jamar Rogers Talks about Health and Second Chances Celebrating National Minority Health Month in April was an opportunity to shine a light on the health disparities affecting our country. Ortho Clinical Diagn... From: JNJhealth Views: 420 9 ratings Time: 04:50 More in Education -
J&J CEO Alex Gorsky discusses healthcare challenges
29 Apr 2013 | 9:53 amJ&J CEO Alex Gorsky discusses healthcare challenges 2013 J&J Annual Shareholders Meeting. From: JNJhealth Views: 250 3 ratings Time: 01:02 More in Education
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KevinMD.com
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Health reform needs a healthy respect for civil discourse
18 May 2013 | 12:00 pmI recently took part in a “civil discourse,” an unusual occurrence in this era of media pundit-orchestrated shouting matches. Unlike a debate with winners and losers, a civil discourse begins with the premise that, when there are different points of view on a topic, it is better to understand those with whom we disagree than to turn off the sound. By listening and asking probing questions, we come to understand how such a smart person could possibly disagree with us. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social… -
Medical mistakes occurred at all levels of my care
18 May 2013 | 10:00 amMedical and surgical errors are very common in the hospital setting. They increase malpractice lawsuits, the cost of medical care, patients’ hospital stays, and morbidity and mortality. As an infectious diseases specialist for over forty years, I was not aware how common these errors are until I became a patient myself after being diagnosed with hypopharyngeal carcinoma. My initial cancer was successfully removed, but a local recurrence occurred twenty months later. I underwent pharyngo-laryngectomy with flap reconstruction after attempts to remove the cancer by laser failed. Continue… -
Obesity bias needs to end
18 May 2013 | 8:00 amI have witnessed a lot of obesity bias in my career, and I have railed against it on more than one occasion. But it’s not the focus of my career, as it is for some of my colleagues. I have long thought those colleagues who do devote themselves to the topic may tend to overlook a very fundamental question, namely: Why would obesity bias even exist? What rational basis is there for people — any people — to be biased against other people because of adipose tissue? Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social… -
A hidden way to measure quality when finding a doctor
18 May 2013 | 6:00 amChoosing a new doctor is never easy. You need to know about convenience factors, such as office location, available appointment times, and accepted insurance plans. You will probably also consider background information, such as education, board certifications, and licenses. But the most important question you likely have involves results: Is this doctor any good? Unfortunately, there just isn’t a single, perfect way to measure the quality of individual doctors. No matter how we approach the issue, we will always be looking at just one slice of overall physician performance. To see what I… -
MKSAP: 45-year-old man with fever and abdominal pain
18 May 2013 | 4:00 amTest your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 45-year-old man is admitted to the hospital for a 2-day history of fever and abdominal pain. His medical history is notable for cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis C, esophageal varices, ascites, and minimal hepatic encephalopathy. His medications are furosemide, spironolactone, nadolol, lactulose, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin D. On physical examination, temperature is 36.5 °C (97.7 °F), blood pressure is 100/50 mm Hg, pulse rate is 84/min, and respiration rate is 20/min. BMI is…
