September 25, 2025 | 2 min read Healing words By using respectful, person-first language and recognizing the complex realities behind type 2 diabetes, clinicians can avoid stigma. This may also foster trust, empower patients, and improve outcomes.
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 6, 2023 | 1 min read Reality bites By Carolina Saldanha, MD, Massachusetts General Brigham Salem Hospital I constructed what I thought was a great care plan for my patient with diabetes. I later learned that he wasn’t allowed lunch breaks and had nowhere to store his insulin. I now ask the patient about their daily routine to create a realistic plan.
Can I have some? March 28, 2023 | 2 min read A Prevention Partnership By Eliana Perrin, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine Obesity is a complex disease that can be hard to treat. Promoting healthy lifestyles while preserving and honoring cultural and family traditions can start with newborns.
September 6, 2018 | 2 min read The Power of Finding Common Journeys Between You and Your Patients By Sherita Golden, MD, MHS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Our patients are deeply impacted by their community experiences outside of the healthcare setting. As physicians it is imperative that we lead by example in understanding our patients’ social challenges so that we can more comprehensively address their medical issues by treating the “whole person” and not just the disease.
March 29, 2023 | 1 min read Remarkable Human Spirit By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine In the aftermath of my patient’s devastating consequences of illness, his reaction was anything but what I expected.
September 18, 2024 | 2 min read “My cotton-wool-spotted coat” By Victoria Holm, medical student, California University of Science and Medicine Along with disease-knowledge, effective care for patients always requires empathy and compassion. In patients with diabetes, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges they face and the impact the disease has on their lives.
January 30, 2025 | 3 min read If bias is unconscious, what can I do about it? By Som Saha, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine We all have biases that are mostly unresectable. By practicing mindfulness, being self-aware, and building connections with patients, we can reduce the harm they might otherwise cause.
December 28, 2018 | 3 min read How do you measure a year? By Dawn Harris Sherling, MD, Florida Atlantic University How do we measure a year in medicine? I’d like to measure mine in patient laughter, hugs, and lives that were made just a little bit better.
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.
December 10, 2019 | 2 min read No Patience for Patient Violence By Che Harris, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The clinically excellent clinician prepares before intervening to de-escalate patients who may be behaving aggressively.
"In the real world of practicing medicine today, we probably need to land somewhere between Occam’s razor and Hickam’s dictum." November 19, 2025 | 4 min read Occam’s razor and Hickam’s dictum When the working diagnosis doesn’t fit, think again—recheck the facts, consult a colleague, and consider concurrent disease processes.
September 23, 2019 | 3 min read How to Manage Chronic Pain and Opioids By Ryan Graddy, MD, AbsoluteCARE Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia Safe opioid stewardship is a key objective when managing chronic pain. Combining evidence-based strategies and compassionate care can help you to realize these goals.
April 4, 2019 | 2 min read Top tips for talking with patients about food You are what you eat! Making the time to talk to your patients about food and nutrition can help them achieve lasting health.
The author discusses patient sleep with a colleague. June 18, 2018 | 2 min read How To Help Your Patients Get Better Sleep, Part I A sleep specialist reminds us of the importance of asking patients about their sleep.
April 14, 2022 | 1 min read Supporting Young Adults Who Use E-Cigarettes When talking with young patients about tobacco dependence, first create a judgment-free zone and ask open-ended questions to understand why they use the product.
November 11, 2025 | 1 min read Purpose shapes practice I found more meaning in my work when I stopped treating “cases” and started seeing people. Compassionate attention became my most effective clinical tool.
December 1, 2021 | 1 min read Building Bridges Between Visits By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine Telling patients how to contact me with questions or concerns between visits improves communication and can positively impact health outcomes.
July 2, 2025 | 2 min read Lead with listening When a patient’s fears and misinformation create barriers to care, start with listening and validating concerns rather than beginning with facts. Shifting the conversation to what matters to them builds trust and can open the door to effective treatment.
May 10, 2018 | 3 min read Truly Listen: Clinical Excellence in Nephrology By Edward Kraus, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Listen to your patient, try to understand what they're saying, and think beyond policies and protocols to be the best advocate possible.
May 5, 2025 | 3 min read Pause. Process. Proceed. To navigate the emotional aftermath of traumatic patient encounters, clinicians can utilize the ALL-CLEAR framework: Accept the event, Label emotions, Learn from it, take a moment to pause for breath, and CLEAR your mind. This may enable you to bring your whole self to the next patient while honoring your emotions.
"While Ms. R's body seemed to work fine, her mind just didn’t cooperate. She felt like she was in a fog sitting at her desk staring at the computer screen." February 10, 2021 | 2 min read Supporting Patients Through Small Strokes By Elisabeth Breese Marsh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Cognitive dysfunction is common after small strokes. Reassure your patient that symptoms will improve over time and that recovery may take several months.
March 20, 2019 | 4 min read Social History as Story By Colleen Farrell, MD, New York University We cannot understand our patients’ bodies if we do not understand something about who they are as human beings,
"Chrysantheme und Biene." Hokusai, K. (ca. 1832). Public domain, Wikimedia. September 22, 2021 | 8 min read The Role of Visual Thinking Strategies Coaching in Clinical Excellence By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Take an appreciative approach when giving feedback to learners. It will not only build clinical skills, but will also foster a healthy community of learning and practice.
If a patient doesn’t appear to understand what you’re saying despite repeated efforts, ask how they learn best. Perhaps draw a diagram and/or use an analogy. March 20, 2025 | 3 min read Falling up By Emily Ma, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine The transition from pediatric to adult care poses significant challenges for patients with disabilities. Healthcare professionals can help by seeking to improve access and continuity of care.
December 18, 2019 | 3 min read Top 5 Coffee-Drinking Tips By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania Many clinicians have a love affair with coffee. Moderation is the way to go.
June 12, 2024 | 3 min read Getting serious about citrus By Maureen Flood, NP, Johns Hopkins Medicine In patients with chronic conditions and socially determined health risks, remember to consider vitamin C deficiency.
White Mountains, New Hampshire. July 6, 2023 | 3 min read Peaks And Patients By Rishab Ramapriyan, medical student, Harvard Medical School In medicine, as in hiking, learning to be comfortable with uncertainty is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my medical training.
November 21, 2025 | 2 min read The promise and pitfalls of GLP-1s This new class of weight loss drugs is not a magic fix. Work with patients to set realistic goals, start low and titrate slowly, and counsel on GI risks.
August 12, 2020 | 2 min read Chief Complaint: Racism By Syeachia Dennis, MD, University of Oklahoma Patients are increasingly recognizing the impact of racism on their health. We should be prepared to help patients confront this and consider this core to our work to systemically address this public health crisis.
November 4, 2020 | 3 min read It’s All Relative By Elisabeth Marsh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine It's essential that we approach each patient with a fresh outlook. Bringing emotions, positive or negative, from a previous clinical interaction can adversely affect the next patient.
July 23, 2020 | 3 min read Stepping Back Before Moving Forward By Moises Auron, MD, Cleveland Clinic Considering multiple diagnostic possibilities and not anchoring on the incoming diagnosis may increase the chance of getting it right.
One way to fight ableism it to ensure that all conferences and events are wheelchair accessible. October 14, 2020 | 2 min read How Language Can Fight Ableism By Harry Paul (he/him), MD/PhD student, Johns Hopkins Medicine The first step to being an ally for the disabled community is to educate yourself about the meaning of your word choice.
The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, Tennessee. Copyright by the author. 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.
July 11, 2024 | 2 min read Protecting the most vulnerable from heat-related illnesses (archives, 2024) By Joanna Cohen, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine When caring for patients during heat waves, healthcare professionals should be aware of social determinants of health—like no air conditioning at home. Clinicians should know the available resources to recommend, such as cooling centers within the communities they serve.
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.
July 9, 2024 | 3 min read Takeaways from the book “Progress Notes” By Abraham Nussbaum, MD, Denver Health Excellent clinicians understand patients not just as bodies, but also as individuals within a community. Healthcare professionals should be trained in both for a more holistic approach to patient care.
April 30, 2020 | 4 min read Letting go of Your Agenda By Allison Chrestensen, MPH, OTR/L Compassionate care requires that we trust our patients to guide us.
June 27, 2024 | 2 min read Lessons from earlier in life: from public school teaching to doctoring By Tyler Mains, MD, University of California, San Francisco I apply the principles I learned as a public school teacher to patient care: asking insightful questions, seeing the whole person, and fostering motivation for positive change.
February 18, 2020 | 3 min read 4 negotiating tips from “Never Split the Difference” By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine We regularly negotiate with patients en route to shared decision making. Tips from Voss' book "Never Split the Difference" can improve your communications with patients.
June 17, 2024 | 2 min read Beyond superficiality By Eric Last, DO, Northwell Health, Wantagh, New York A few minutes genuinely listening to a patient's story can make a world of difference. It can foster authentic connections and translate into enhanced trust.
March 4, 2024 | 2 min read Getting the diagnosis right By Colleen Christmas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine After arriving at what you think is the diagnosis, pause and consider alternative explanations. For patient populations at high risk for misdiagnosis (women and historically marginalized groups), examine how biases might be influencing your conclusions.
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.
November 18, 2019 | 1 min read What Characterizes the 21st Century Clinically Excellent Clinician? By David E. Kern, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine The truly clinically excellent clinician of tomorrow cannot only give excellent care one-on-one to each patient they encounter. They also need to have the knowledge and skills that enable them to work collaboratively and effectively to improve the healthcare systems in which they work.
October 17, 2023 | 1 min read Partnering With Pharmacists in Ambulatory Care By Heather Folz, PharmD, Notre Dame of Maryland University Clinicians and pharmacists can work together to give holistic and comprehensive patient care. This requires understanding each other’s expertise.
June 1, 2023 | 3 min read Meditations For Pride Month By Hailey Haffey, PhD, University of Utah LGBTQ2S+ Pride Month can provide us with a time not only to celebrate but also to reflect on questions related to shame and alliances in medicine.
May 3, 2023 | 1 min read Love And Loss By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine When a patient is unresponsive, loved ones may have differing ideas about the patient’s condition. We can hold these contradictions with compassion and see them as expressions of love.
July 1, 2019 | 1 min read Looking Under the Hood By Daniel Minter, MD, University of California, San Francisco Promoting a culture of thinking out loud can demystify the process of clinical reasoning and make it accessible to all learners.
April 18, 2023 | 2 min read Caring for patients who are Muslim during Ramadan (archived 2023) By Zaina Siraj, medical student, Albany Medical College Learn the basics about this important holiday. Ask your patients if they are fasting and how you can support their practice if medically possible.
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.
