Computers in Medicine & The Patient Care Experience

Imagine you sit, eyes closed, at the opening bars of Mozart’s Lacrimosa.

You’ve waited so long to hear the Vienna Philharmonic.

The music stops.

Musicians type on computers attached to their music stands.

You catch your breath. What just happened?

Never mind. The music starts again. You drift into the second stanza. Finally, you get what you’ve been waiting for…and the music stops again. More typing.

Computers play a vital role in the music industry. And some musicians find ways to type and play, splitting attention between music and keyboard, like a one-man band. Apologists for musical computerization argue that computers are music.

Computers do play a big role in music, but no one sees them. Putting computers in front of the audience is garish. It ruins the experience.

Computers in Medicine

Computers play a vital role in modern clinical care. And everyone sees them. Continue reading “Computers in Medicine & The Patient Care Experience”

Tribalism and Outrage

Once upon a time, might made right. One angry mob would holler at another angry mob until one backed down or got pounded.

Tribalism hurt everyone. Thankfully, those days passed, and tribes learned that debate works better.

Once upon a time, doctors learned to debate and wrestle with paradoxical facts. A contest of ideas drove progress.

We learned to disagree violently without violence. Unfortunately, those days have almost passed. Small groups of doctors have resurrected tribes as a way to drive change. Continue reading “Tribalism and Outrage”

Intimidation vs Straight Talk

We have an outbreak of bullying and intimidation.

It’s rampant.  At least that’s how it looks on social media.

Business grinds to a halt over one accusation.

Alleged oppressors are guilty until proven innocent. Due process means nothing.

We see it everywhere. Everyone feels intimidated about something. Once it takes hold, false claims of intimidation create a toxic culture of victimhood that becomes a bigger problem than the claims themselves.

It has  seeped into medicine and is causing a mess.

True intimidation is serious business. It implies concern for one’s safety or wellbeing. Leaders must take immediate action to investigate and resolve any claim of intimidation.

Lectures and papers on bullying and intimidation fill conferences in every industry. But amid all that’s written and discussed, few people ask, Can we go too far? Continue reading “Intimidation vs Straight Talk”