November 2, 2022 | 2 min read Psychedelics to Quit Smoking? By Matthew Johnson, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Patients may ask about using psilocybin to stop smoking. While being actively studied, please remind them that it’s still illegal and not necessarily risk-free.
November 19, 2020 | <1 min read Quitting Smoking During The Pandemic By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Remind patients that quitting smoking is hard and takes time. This will help them take a first step toward better health.
May 28, 2019 | 3 min read Supporting my Patients who Smoke By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine It's important to make sure that the responsibility for addressing tobacco dependence is placed on the shoulders of clinicians, and off of the shoulders of the afflicted.
January 29, 2025 | 2 min read Addiction in older adults By Bethea (Annie) Kleykamp, PhD, MA, University of Maryland Deaths in the U.S. due to tobacco and opioid-related overdose are more common among older adults from historically marginalized groups. Treatments tailored to their unique needs can help reverse this trend.
December 10, 2024 | 1 min read A breath of fresh air By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Healthcare professionals can prioritize ongoing conversations about the risks of smoking and vaping with young patients, tailoring their approach to address specific concerns and misconceptions.
June 16, 2021 | 1 min read Why we Must Talk About E-cigarettes with Teen Patients By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Proactively counseling adolescents about the risks of e-cigarette use is essential. The message should acknowledge both the health implications and the pressures that they may feel from their peers.
June 14, 2023 | 1 min read Is it safe to breathe? By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Wildfires are worsening in intensity and frequency due to global warming. When the air quality is poor, encourage those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions to stay inside if possible, and to wear a well-fitted mask outdoors.
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.
January 4, 2022 | 2 min read Welcome to The No-Judgment Zone By Rebekah Fenton, MD, Northwestern University After lying to my own doctor because I feared her judgment, I learned to invite all patients to be open and honest. Earning the patient’s trust will allow us to give the best care.
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,
September 24, 2019 | 1 min read Counseling Patients on the Dangers of E-cigarettes By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine E-cigarettes pose unique health risks. Screening and informing our patients of these concerns is imperative.
December 16, 2021 | 3 min read How to Make New Habits Stick, Part 1 By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” teaches us that the best way to start good habits is to implement small changes. This framework can help clinicians and patients meaningfully improve their daily routine.
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.
April 30, 2019 | 5 min read A Response to “The 5A’s of Firearm Safety Counseling” By David Madder, DO, Johns Hopkins Medicine I counsel ALL patients about gun safety, instead of ASKING every patient if they have guns in their home.
June 22, 2022 | 1 min read Explaining The Risks of Vaping By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Prioritize discussions about the long-term consequences of smoking. Be aware that just because someone has quit doesn’t mean that they won’t relapse.
Encourage parents to support their teens in connecting with friends in physically-distanced ways. March 3, 2020 | 3 min read The Power of the “Ordinary” By Gaye Cunnane, MD, PhD, Trinity College Dublin Excellent clinicians recognize that sometimes the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients comes in the most unexpected moments.
Maintain eye contact with your patient if and when you're typing in the electronic medical record (EMR). December 15, 2020 | 1 min read Embracing the EMR By Alice Rothchild, MD, Seattle, WA The best gift we can give our patients is our undivided attention. Maintain eye contact with your patient if and when you’re typing in the electronic medical record during the encounter.
The author having fun ice skating with colleagues at Patterson Park, Baltimore, Maryland. February 25, 2019 | 5 min read General Internal Medicine: An Opportunity to Engage Holistically By Paul O'Rourke, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine General internal medicine focuses on the importance of knowing and treating the whole patient. The entire patient, in their biopsychosocial context, must always be considered to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
January 22, 2019 | 4 min read The 5A’s of Firearm Safety Counseling By Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, MPH, Katherine Hoops, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinicians must counsel their patients about the dangers of firearms. If they decide to be gun owners, advise how to store them safely.
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.
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.
August 14, 2018 | 3 min read Seeing Your Patients Through New Perspectives By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University We can enhance our patient care if we incorporate the perspectives of life story and behavior.
January 8, 2025 | 2 min read Beyond the inhaler By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Effective and equitable asthma management requires a holistic approach that addresses the social determinants of health, including air quality, housing conditions, and environmental factors.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness 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.
May 22, 2023 | 5 min read “Death is Never Neat” By Rachel Coghlan, PhD, MPH, Center for Humanitarian Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health There are many ways we support those journeying through illness and death. Our authentic caring often finds itself in this sometimes-messy space.
February 28, 2023 | 1 min read Mitigating social isolation By Mfon Umoh, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine All medical specialties need to screen for isolation. Asking patients who their social supports are and who they feel close to is a good starting point.
September 27, 2022 | 2 min read When? By Shreya Srivastava, medical student, Albany Medical College When my friend was struggling with her mother’s new diagnosis, she listened to the popular French song about cancer entitled, “Quand c’est?” It gave her a sense of support, empathy, and solidarity with others.
December 7, 2021 | 3 min read A Window Into a Patient’s World By Deirdre Johnston, MBBCh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Visiting a patient’s home environment, either virtually or in person, may shed light on the source of their distress.
August 4, 2020 | 2 min read 3 Tips for Talking With Patients About Advance Directives By Ambereen Mehta, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine ALL clinicians can and should encourage patients to document their wishes regarding medical decisions in case they’re unable to make these decisions for themselves.
October 7, 2021 | 1 min read Wildfires and public health By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Healthcare professionals must work with the community they serve, focusing on open dialogues and communication. This will help citizens deal with unforeseen challenges.
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.
September 14, 2021 | 3 min read The Healing Power of Music By Brian Garibaldi, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Connecting with a patient around a shared interest can be mutually fulfilling. For me, my guitar helps me to be present and give excellent care to patients.
March 11, 2020 | 3 min read Saturdays With Mr. Hargett By Yolonda Wilson, PhD, 2019-2020 Fellow at the National Humanities Center and 2019-2020 Encore Public Voices Fellow Loneliness is an epidemic. Being aware of this, asking about it, and empathizing can make a world of difference.
August 11, 2021 | 8 min read Reclaiming Joy By Ekene Ojukwu, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine When experiencing severe burnout during my intern year, I decided to take a year away from medicine. Upon my return, I was able to bring my authentic self into the work and to partner more effectively with patients.
February 6, 2020 | 2 min read Navigating Masculinity in Medicine By Kultaj Kaleka, MD, RN, Central Michigan University The clinically excellent physician understands that male patients may need support sharing their perspectives.
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.
October 3, 2019 | 4 min read The Fault in our EHRs By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine The clinically excellent clinician makes an effort to know each patient’s unique story, moving beyond the confines of the content within the EHR.
September 3, 2019 | 2 min read “Hand-holding” By Colleen Leavitt, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Personalized care softens the edges of a one-size-fits-all medical system that perpetuates inequities. For some, clinicians and the healthcare system need to be able to step-up and take actions that support their patients' health.
July 22, 2019 | 5 min read 5 Lessons From Visible Ink By Anoushka Sinha, MD, Columbia University It is humbling to remember we are merely characters in our patients' stories. We are neither the author nor the narrator, and certainly not the lead.
