August 21, 2018 | 1 min read

Talking With Young Adult Patients About Alcohol

By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians need to be vigilant to discuss alcohol use with patients and remember that the legal drug, alcohol, causes more morbidity and mortality than opioids.

May 11, 2020 | 3 min read

Redefining Rounds—Will The Circle be Unbroken?

By Chase Webber, DO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

A patient care team performs best when all voices harmonize and creative approaches are applauded.

February 17, 2021 | 1 min read

How to Talk to Patients About Unnecessary Antibiotics

By Benjamin Miller, Johns Hopkins University, Sara Keller, MD, MPH, MSPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When talking with patients about antibiotics that are not indicated, emphasize personal potential side effects such as yeast infections and diarrhea.

May 24, 2022 | 2 min read

The Reflexive Practitioner

By Corliss Wong, MS4, The University of Hong Kong

Our own biases and judgements inevitably affect our care of patients. Deep introspection can help us overcome our prejudices and improve clinical practice. 

August 17, 2023 | 3 min read

The Hospital Playlist 

By Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC (she/her), Johns Hopkins Medicine

Consider the hospital soundscape and how it may impact patients’ well-being. To create a more soothing stay, silence or turn down monitors if possible. 

May 27, 2025 | 2 min read

Whose knowledge counts?  

Listening closely builds patient trust, which is fundamental to effective care. Dismissing a patient's self-reported observations, even unintentionally, erodes this trust and can prevent you from truly understanding their concerns. 

July 21, 2021 | 2 min read

Talking With Patients About Safe Summer Swimming

By Jade Cobern, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Swimming is a summertime joy, but it is not without risk. Before patients take the plunge, they should be reminded to always swim with a buddy (never alone) and to apply sunscreen.

June 13, 2018 | 1 min read

Behavioral Change Bolstered By Human Touch

By Souvik Chatterjee, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A human doctor is a critical component of creating change in patient behavior and health.

August 21, 2025 | 2 min read

Academic medical departments can learn much from Department Q

Warning, if you begin the “Dept Q” series, you won’t be able to stop! By the time you finish reading these books, you’ll be a more compassionate person and a better healthcare professional. 

February 29, 2024 | 1 min read

“It could happen to you”

By Hayley Sparks, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When talking with vaccine-hesitant patients, I bring up the recent measles outbreaks. It can be effective to use current events to motivate better compliance with immunization guidelines. 

October 10, 2019 | 2 min read

Our Greatest Teachers

By Vivek Murthy, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

To find meaning in your clinical work, search for the words and moments that affirm your shared humanity with patients.

January 5, 2022 | 1 min read

Bringing my nursing pearls to my doctoring (archives, 2022)

By Nina Wagner-Johnston, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

From my experience as a nurse, I always remember the importance of engaging the whole team. Each team member provides unique insights that can optimize the care of the patient. 

November 19, 2018 | 2 min read

Learning from Learners

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Teaching is the best way to learn. In the end, I am not only a teacher and my residents are not only learners, but we are both a little of each.

September 17, 2024 | 1 min read

Navigating drug shortages

By Carmen Lopez-Arvizu, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In the face of drug shortages, clinicians must become proactive resource navigators. By staying informed, collaborating with patients, and exploring alternative solutions, clinicians can help mitigate the negative impact of shortages.

May 26, 2020 | 1 min read

Accelerating Adaptation in Healthcare

By Lia Logio, MD, Drexel University College of Medicine

Efficiency erodes our ability to respond to the uncertainty of life. The messy world of clinical care requires time, patience, and creative experimentation.

February 3, 2021 | 3 min read

How to Cultivate a “Friendtorship”

By Jared Rubenstein, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Liz Salmi, OpenNotes Communications, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

A “friendtorship” is an informal peer-mentor relationship between two people with shared interests but different careers. “Friendtorships” can help you develop new perspectives and ideas about your own field.

May 17, 2022 | 1 min read

Word Choice Related to Substance Use Disorders

By Beth McGinty, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Words matter; calling patients with a substance use disorder an “addict” defines them by their addiction. We need to ensure that our patients feel comfortable and supported so that they will engage in treatment.  

August 16, 2023 | 1 min read

The Other Medical History

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

Learning about the history of medicine can help put current health system challenges in perspective. I was especially struck by the enduring primacy of the patient-doctor relationship. 

March 28, 2019 | 6 min read

Integrating Psychology and Primary Care

By Benjamin Bensadon, PhD, University of Florida College of Medicine

Person-centeredness holds great potential to maximize healing in the way Osler envisioned more than a century ago. But to translate this concept clinically, psychology and medicine must come closer together. The closer we can come together, the closer we can come to Osler.  

May 13, 2025 | 2 min read

The unseen front line: lessons from my military deployment  

In a field hospital, one learns quickly about clear communication and thoughtful decision making. These behaviors and working collaboratively with others are just as critical across all clinical settings. 

July 20, 2021 | 2 min read

3 lessons on clinical excellence from the oncology clinic

By Sajya Singh, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

While shadowing clinicians in cancer care, I learned the importance of spending time to gather the family history, building trusting relationships, and balancing treatment plans with quality-of-life considerations.

July 14, 2022 | 2 min read

How to Talk to Children About Gun Violence

By Carol Vidal, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Give children time and space to talk about their worries and listen closely. Remember, it’s always best for children to first hear the news from a trusted adult.

August 14, 2025 | 2 min read

Rose, bud, and thorn 

Try starting your next team meeting with an icebreaker activity. Rituals like this can jumpstart connections with colleagues and build healthier care teams. 

February 19, 2024 | 2 min read

Mitigating colon cancer in young patients

By Ekta Gupta, MBBS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

There's and increasing risk of colon cancer in younger patients. Clinicians need to be diligent in considering the possibility of colon cancer.

October 31, 2019 | 1 min read

A Physician, a Zombie, and a Patient Walk into a Bar

By Michelle Gyenes, MS, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

We are more like zombies than you might think. This fact reminds us that we should be able to find commonalities with all of our patients and colleagues. Happy Halloween!

December 21, 2021 | 4 min read

How to Make New Habits Stick, Part 2 

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

We can build good habits in our own lives and help patients do the same by implementing the four laws of behavior change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. 

December 22, 2022 | 2 min read

Bittersweet holidays

By Taryn Schuelke, MS, CT, CCLS, Texas Childrens Hospital

Many experience grief during the holidays. Make sure to acknowledge your patients’ feelings and consider encouraging them to heal through ritual. 

November 1, 2018 | 2 min read

Lessons From ‘The Giving Body’

By Adam P. Stern, MD, Harvard Medical School

Little by little, chronic disease can eat away at a patient’s sense of self. The best antidote can be a doctor who empathizes with the patient’s subjective experience.

September 4, 2024 | 2 min read

Knowing when to step back 

Patients may need time to process their thoughts and reflect when making major decisions about their care. Having conversations in stages may help them arrive in the best place.  

May 12, 2020 | 1 min read

Jump-start End of Life Discussions With “Death Over Dinner”

By Katie Nelson, PhD(c), MSN, RN, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

The pandemic has created a sense of urgency around advance care planning and end of life preparations. Resources like "Death Over Dinner" can help broach conversations about death, dying, and the end of life in a non-threatening (and even entertaining) manner.

February 1, 2021 | 2 min read

The Emperor’s New Curtains

By Charlotte Squires, MBChB, Borders General Hospital, Scotland

Clinically excellent physicians consider the setting of private conversations with patients and families. Quiet rooms with a door that closes are ideal for sensitive discussions.

May 9, 2022 | 2 min read

Talking With Patients About Their Online Research

By Rebekah Fenton, MD, Northwestern University

Patients’ online research may leave them wondering if they have a particular disease. Listen to their concerns, normalize their fears, and provide reputable resources. And remember, sometimes they’re right.  

July 10, 2018 | 1 min read

Pause Before Hospitalizing the Elderly

By Samuel Durso, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Confusion among hospitalized older adults is common and dangerous. The hospital environment should be avoided if at all possible, with a goal of managing acutely ill older adults at home.

March 7, 2019 | 5 min read

On Looking: February Museum Visit

By Flora Smyth Zahra, MA Clin Ed, DRestDent RCS, FHEA, Kings College London, Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The more lessons on clinical excellence we look for in art, the more we find.

May 6, 2025 | 2 min read

Healing from the emotional toll of a medical error  

Mistakes in patient care are not uncommon. Clinicians can lean on their support systems to recover from stressful events at work. Taking care of yourself enables you to continue giving compassionate care. 

July 22, 2021 | <1 min read

Responding Instead of Reacting

By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When confronted publicly by a colleague, I learned that it is helpful to respond calmly instead of reacting defensively. This strategy will allow us to move forward.

July 7, 2022 | 1 min read

Filial Affection

By Corliss Wong, MS4, The University of Hong Kong

We must listen closely to patients with dementia’s thoughts and feelings, even though their sense of reality may be different than our own.

August 12, 2025 | 2 min read

Safe and sound care   

Now more than ever, create an affirming healthcare environment for LGBTQIA+ patients by using respectful language and addressing unique care needs.  

July 25, 2018 | 2 min read

The Joy of Realizing You Were Wrong and the Importance of Believing in Recovery for All

By Angela Guarda, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Helping patients change unhealthy behaviors can feel challenging, but what feels like today’s failure can be tomorrow’s story of recovery.

October 2, 2019 | 2 min read

Partnering With Patients to Prevent Diabetes

By Eva Tseng, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinically excellent clinicians effectively counsel and motivate patients to prevent diabetes. Setting specific goals for lifestyle changes, referring to evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Programs, and scheduling timely follow-up visits are among the tips outlined.

December 20, 2021 | 1 min read

What Patients With Serious Illness Want to Know Most

By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

After receiving a terminal diagnosis, many patients especially want to know how long they have to live, what symptoms to expect, and how to cope with impending decline.  

December 19, 2022 | 2 min read

Dismantling ableism in medicine

By Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC (she/her), Johns Hopkins Medicine

What does it mean to co-construct a plan of care with disabled patients? Their desires may not be what you expect.

October 23, 2018 | 2 min read

Master Clinicians – The Early Years

By Vivek Murthy, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

It’s no surprise that it takes hard work to become a great clinician. This is a glimpse of what the first steps on that road might look like.

September 4, 2024 | 1 min read

Validating a patient’s experience of pain

To effectively treat opioid use disorder, clinicians must consider a patient's both physical and psychological experiences.  

June 29, 2020 | 2 min read

Lessons From the AIDS Epidemic

By Melinda Kantsiper, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In times of crisis, it can be helpful to listen and learn from the stories of those who have come before us.

January 27, 2021 | 2 min read

Gin And Tonic—Cultural Footprints of Disease

By Kittane "Vishnu" Vishnupriya, MBBS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To mitigate incorrect assumptions about patients who have been infected with COVID-19, we must work to spread truths and to minimize inaccuracies—particularly those that may be shameful or demeaning.

May 5, 2022 | 1 min read

Lessons From Choosing a Specialty

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Deciding on an area of practice during medical school reminded me to ask for help when needed and to be comfortable with uncertainty. These skills will help me when I care for patients in the future.    

August 15, 2023 | 2 min read

The Importance of Humanities in Medicine

By Mike McCarthy, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Engaging with and studying the humanities can help us give better patient care. Literature, art, and history remind us that patients are whole persons with lives that exist beyond medical problems. 

March 5, 2019 | 3 min read

From Film School to Medical School (Part 3 of 3)

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Using both words and images, John Berger and Jean Mohr's photo-essay, "A Fortunate Man," provides an intimate glimpse into the role of the doctor: "To cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always."

April 30, 2025 | 2 min read

Aging and autonomy 

Many older patients struggle with losing independence. Healthcare professionals can partner with them and their loved ones to ease challenging transitions.