Recently I tried to log onto my hospital system’s electronic health record to check on the status of a patient. This patient is elderly, severely mentally incapacitated, and being cared for by physicians on the neurology service. Her son, a practicing physician at the same facility, had not received a return phone call from any of the inpatient physicians and wanted to know why his mom needed a lumbar puncture …
As the health care industry continues to evolve, many practices and hospitals have turned to electronic portals to communicate between patients and their providers. However, some practices have begun charging patients a fee for responding to messages sent through these portals. While this may seem like a viable solution for increasing revenue, it could ultimately have negative implications for the care of patients.
One major issue with charging patients for portal …
Artificial intelligence (AI) can transform many industries, including health care. AI can improve the accuracy and efficacy of medical diagnoses and treatments due to its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and make predictions. However, there are many reasons why AI cannot replace human clinicians. Despite its impressive capabilities, AI still lacks critical qualities essential for providing quality medical care. This article will explore ten reasons AI cannot replace …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!
In this episode, we are joined by Harvey Castro, a physician, health care consultant, and serial entrepreneur, to discuss the exciting potential of the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) in the field of medicine and health care. ChatGPT …
It is clear to most of us who practice medicine that the medical system is at a crossroads unlike any other in recent history, between competing crises of uncontrolled medical costs, escalating administrative burdens, consolidation and employment of physician practices, burnout, and the rapid development and entrance of new, largely untested technologies. I am sure that I am not alone as a physician who wonders what will the medical system …
New technologies are introduced to enhance the quality of care and make the work of health care professionals more efficient. ChatGPT is one such technology; it is a robust language model that can comprehend and respond to input in natural language. ChatGPT has the potential to significantly enhance the work of health care professionals and improve patient care, even though some may be concerned that the use of such technology …
Speech recognition software is an important part of my clinic workflow. I use the industry-leading application, which has saved me at least 1,000 hours of documentation time over the last decade. My typing is much slower than my speaking, and since my goal is to leave the office at a reasonable hour every day, using it is the obvious choice for …
GPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a type of artificial intelligence that has the unremarkable ability to generate human-like text. The program is free to use during the “research preview” time. GPT gained 1 million users in under a week of being released. Keep in mind that this technology is currently in the beta testing phase.
It is important to note the limitations. The quality of the responses depends on the …
The high cost, low quality, and systemic inequities of the U.S. health care system have prompted its redesign. The current health care system is now controlled by consolidated health care institutions, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and health information technology companies (CHIPHIT complex). The CHIPHIT complex, along with the federal government, will shape the future health care system. However, independent health care policy experts, independent health care providers, and members of …
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes!
“In many ways, internet of things (IoT) is a double-edged sword: connected devices are capturing huge volumes and varieties of data that can be mined for everything from potentially life-saving health care information to guidance toward peak …
It has finally happened, I have transitioned to viewing myself as a widget, a depersonalized interface between the EMR and the patient. I am the unnamed device that collects the patient data and subsequently transcribes it into prose for billing purposes and maybe the occasional colleague review. There is a bit of curious comfort in identifying myself as a mere cog. I’m imagining I will now fly below the radar, …
I’ve always been curious about the top 0.1 percent.
Their mindsets, backgrounds, upbringing, perceptions, skills, and behavioral traits that got them there.
After living through the Dot-com bubble, 9/11, Enron-WorldCom, the 2008 financial crisis, the meteoric rise of technology (search, e-commerce, social media, sharing economy), and the rise of a new class of billionaires, I intuitively sensed that there was a disconnect between what was going on in the real world, and …
ADVERTISEMENT
There has never been a better time to be a woman entrepreneur. With ever-growing numbers of venture funds specifically for women and nonprofits dedicated to advancing women in tech, the next Apple is ripe for the picking. However, there remains a wide chasm to cross. Currently, startups led by women command less than 3 percent of venture capital investment dollars.
Upon diving deeper into this disparity, a 2020 paper published by …
Compared to the Silicon Valley world of moving fast and breaking things, health care change often happens slowly. Some of the reasons for the inertia of our industry make sense. Change impacting patients requires a vetting process to ensure we are creating net benefit.
But this inertia also exists partly because many believe our field is so uniquely complicated that it cannot be improved using lessons from other industries. But the …
“If it ain’t written down, it didn’t happen.”
We’ve heard that before. And it’s so true. Good medical documentation is essential because it reflects your clinical thought process. Your notes are crucial for continuing care, ensuring you are compliant with billing, and protecting you in case of a lawsuit. Your notes are the expression of your digital identity as a physician.
When I started using templates many years ago, the most obvious …
Here are tips you can borrow to write concise notes. While keeping them clear and thorough. And spending less time on EMR documentation.
Don’t write paragraphs. You’re not writing a novel. Think bullet lists. They are easier to read.
Cut on pronouns. This is useful when using templates and dot phrases: You don’t need to replace all pronouns.
Use abbreviations. Medical …
Health care has changed dramatically in the last decades, from the introduction of electronic medical records to the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for telehealth and virtual care options to the increased familiarity with digital therapeutics, etc. Just as the industry has transformed over time, the physician’s role has similarly evolved.
Traditionally, those of us who attended medical school have had just a handful of career options to choose from …
In many ways, internet of things (IoT) is a double-edged sword: connected devices are capturing huge volumes and varieties of data that can be mined for everything from potentially life-saving health care information to guidance toward peak athletic performance, but it is incredibly difficult to convert that raw data into truly meaningful and actionable insights.
IDC projects that, by 2025, IoT devices will generate more than 73 zettabytes of data globally …
This article is satire.
Physicians today are confronting yet another epidemic, one that affects doctors directly and is not caused by a virus. It is the result of the “patient portal” through which patients send typed messages directly to their physicians. Though the portal has benefits, anecdotal experience suggests that high message volume is having a deleterious effect on doctors’ blood pressure.
I have dubbed this phenomenon “portal hypertension,” despite the objections …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
