September 27, 2018 | <1 min read Knowing the Patient as a Person in Precision Medicine By Roy Ziegelstein, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine We must consider each person’s life experiences – so-called Personomics – alongside the many “-omics” that are essential components of Precision Medicine. Personomonics contributes to how illness is expressed, and ideally how it should be diagnosed and treated.
April 5, 2018 | 5 min read Remaking Medicine Whole By Gregory Frichionne, MD, Harvard Medical School A review of "Whole Person Care: Transforming Healthcare" by Tom Hutchinson, MB, McGill University.
May 18, 2020 | 2 min read Remembering Our Call to Medicine By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania Remembering why we chose a career in medicine can perhaps bolster our sense of well-being and mitigate burnout.
March 13, 2024 | 1 min read How writing helps me as a clinician By Jason Han, MD, Penn Medicine Writing helps me reflect on the surgical decisions I make each day.
April 22, 2025 | 5 min read Let the language live Daily clinical interactions, marked by honest communication and empathy, hold unique power for healing and justice.
September 26, 2022 | 3 min read Concerning Hobbits: On Middle-earth and Medicine By Tina Zhang, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Zach Lorenz, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine J.R.R. Tolkein’s beloved trilogy offers lessons for life and medicine, including journeying with our patients through dark times and effectively engaging in teamwork.
Parting gift for every customer—homemade pistachio granola. August 7, 2023 | 3 min read Insights from the book “Unreasonable Hospitality” By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Healthcare delivery is complex, and hospitality may not be prioritized. As individuals and teams, small changes in behavior may improve patient experience.
February 7, 2023 | 2 min read “Now-right And Future-wrong” By Drea Burbank, MD, Putumayo, Colombia Clear communication about uncertainty can help clinicians and patients better cope with unexpected or undesirable outcomes.
January 5, 2023 | 1 min read Quiet Quitting in Healthcare By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine The past three years have been difficult in healthcare and some are now doing less than we used to. Because this may be a temporary strategy, patience and understanding may be the most considerate approach.
April 2, 2019 | 5 min read Connecting to Historical Roots By Lee Akst, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine There are a number of important physicians in history, and an appreciation of our past can further our quest for clinical excellence in the present.
April 6, 2023 | 1 min read Finding Parallels By Mattea Miller, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine When deciding on a specialty in medical school, I looked for similarities between my passion for pottery and an area of expertise. I hope this helps me to connect more deeply with my work and find fulfillment in medicine.
April 21, 2023 | 2 min read There’s No AI in Touch By Drea Burbank, MD, Putumayo, Colombia Sometimes innovations can make our jobs easier. Rather than competing with AI, embracing it thoughtfully can allow us to spend more time connecting with patients.
May 9, 2018 | 2 min read Applying the Coaching Model to Medical Education By Ryan Graddy, MD, AbsoluteCARE Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia Coaching—direct observation of learners with feedback geared toward skills development—is an important way to teach individualized medical education. Outstanding coaches across disciplines share characteristics that can be applied in clinical coaching encounters.
March 13, 2023 | 2 min read Hands By Drea Burbank, MD, Putumayo, Colombia Before entering medical school, paramedic school taught me how to comfort patients with a calm and reassuring touch.
July 30, 2024 | 3 min read Unplug to recharge By Jennifer Katzenstein, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine When I engaged in a personal digital detox, I noticed my ability to focus on patients improved. Two ideas to try are setting screen-time limits and establishing tech-free zones.
March 16, 2022 | 1 min read How to Support Patients With Autism Post-Pandemic By Ayman Mukerji Houseman, MS, MSW, New York City When caring for patients with autism who are moving back to in-person interactions, suggest changes that are gradual with input from patients and their caregivers.
"Granulation," by Dr. Megan Gerber. Copyright with the artist. February 1, 2021 | 4 min read Processing Emotions Through Art By Megan Gerber, MD, MPH, Albany Medical College Writing or drawing after a challenging patient encounter may help you work through your feelings and mitigate burnout.
August 25, 2020 | 4 min read A Real Hero and a Real Human Being By Andrew Philip, PhD, Primary Care Development Corporation The pandemic has created more stress for everyone, including healthcare professionals. Finding a relaxing activity to practice regularly can help you persevere.
November 15, 2018 | 3 min read You’re Always a Provider, Even in the Coffee Line By Ishwaria Subbiah, MD, MS, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Opportunities to ease distress extend beyond the bedside and outside of the clinic to every interaction with our patients and also their caregivers.
March 18, 2021 | 5 min read The 24 Notes of Taps By William Wright, DO, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine Let us honor the bravery of clinicians who have sacrificed everything in this pandemic to serve others.
March 1, 2018 | 2 min read Most Physicians Sit Down at the Bedside When Entering a Patient’s Room By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Choice architecture, framing, herd behavior, and feedback—how to nudge your patient towards healthier choices.
March 30, 2018 | 4 min read An EPIC Tale By Wilma Ferthler, MD, Rural Country Doctor, Northeast Kingdom, Vermont A warm welcome to our new regular contributor, Dr. Wilma Ferthler, a rural country doc from the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont.
April 4, 2024 | 2 min read A plug for the EHR By Amy Knight, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinicians can make EHRs work better by keeping patient records up-to-date and utilizing features like customization and search. Impressive new features are coming—hang in there!
August 26, 2020 | 6 min read How to Discuss Minority Stress With Patients By Chase Anderson, MD, University of California San Francisco If your patient identifies as part of a minority group, it could be helpful to ask if they’ve experienced stress because of this. Doing so may allow you to better understand your patient’s story.
January 10, 2019 | 3 min read How to Improve Your Physical Diagnostic Skills With a Digital Database By Samuel Durso, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine To sharpen diagnostic skill, take a minute to cross check the physical exam against images and lab results in the electronic record - if not congruent, then why?
July 17, 2023 | 3 min read Choreographing Clinical Care By Hanghang Wang, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Exceptional patient care is akin to a ballet performance. Synergistic team interactions, thoughtful decisions, and deliberate actions are all critical steps in the dance of patient care.
November 25, 2024 | 2 min read Minimizing the risks of teen social media use By Sarah Radtke, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Prioritize open dialogue with patients about social media use, focusing on its impact on mental and emotional well-being.
November 27, 2019 | 3 min read Clouds and Codes Aren’t Care By Gisele Waters, PhD, Founder and President of Symbiotica Consulting The promise of artificial intelligence is that it gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to improve the quality of care by allowing humans to focus on humans.
December 4, 2018 | 3 min read Just the Facts: A Book Review of “Factfulness” By Sam Kant, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine This book is full of examples showing that we are actually doing well as a species, despite constant pronouncements to the contrary. It also reminds us that we need to be mindful of our own instincts and the biases that can influence our decisions.
February 23, 2018 | 2 min read Mindfulness and Diagnostic Acumen: Inversely Related? By Sharon Solomon, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Far from being inversely related, physician mindfulness provides the foundation upon which diagnostic acumen is built.
October 30, 2019 | 13 min read Partnering With Parents—An Appraisal of Familial Feelings By Monique Webber The clinically excellent clinician understands that each family responds to and copes with chronic illness or disability differently. Being open-minded when partnering with families, and especially parents, is critical for ensuring a trusting relationship and providing support.
April 14, 2022 | 1 min read “Don’t Worry” By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine General reassurances are often ineffective when they don’t address patients’ true concerns.
April 8, 2022 | 1 min read “Better” By Ben Roberts, CRNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, Johns Hopkins Medicine Using precise language can help us partner with patients in hoping for the best, without causing confusion.
