Cardiology Contributors
An Open Letter About Electronic Medical Records
Last year I wrote a critique of the electronic medical record (EMR) my organization has adopted. I came down pretty hard on its user unfriendliness and overall clunkiness, and expressed dissatisfaction with the office note that served as the final product. In the ensuing months since I published my opinion I’ve come to be even more bothered by the weaknesses of not just our EMR, but the EMR landscape as a whole. In doing a little psychoanalysis on myself I’ve come to the conclusion that my strong feelings about the … Continue reading
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Starving Children in China
A few decades ago children all over this country were expected to polish off platefuls of brussel sprouts and broccoli when reminded of the starving children in China. My own mother didn’t employ this guilt trip very often, but even I remember being told how lucky I was to have a pile of droopy string beans when kids in Beijing were at that very moment scrounging the streets for scraps of food. Boy, how times have changed. A recent National Public Radio report highlighted a new problem faced by the … Continue reading
Is My Stent Open?
Here’s a scenario that we cardiologists occasionally see. A patient comes into the hospital with chest pain. He goes to the cath lab where he’s seen to have 90% narrowing of one of his critical vessels, which his cardiologist opens with a small metal coil called a stent (see previous post for more information on how this is done). Several months later, the man begins having discomfort that is similar to his previous episode. He immediately wonders about his stent and heads straight to the ER. Another angiogram follows and … Continue reading
Posted in Cardiology
Tagged angioplasty, coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention, stents, stress testing
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2011 Year End Summary
This week marks the 3rd year in a row that I’ve published a new post every week without missing as much as a single deadline. All together this represents over 150 separate articles on a wide range of subjects which, if compiled in book form, would result in a thick, stately tome perfect for serving as a sturdy doorstop or to level out an uneven kitchen table. But, since I’ve never been tempted to shop my work around to prospective publishing houses, and since the only place you can find … Continue reading
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Genetically Tailored Therapy
I recently heard an ad for Vanderbilt University on a national radio program. The ten-second spot was marketing a new feature available only at their medical center: “This program brought to you by Vanderbilt Medical Center, where doctors use genetic testing to tailor your treatment of cholesterol” (or something like that—as you age your memory starts to fade a bit). Immediately my imagination was off to the races, envisioning what a consult with one of their doctors must be like. Good afternoon, Mr. Smith. Welcome to our clinic. Before we … Continue reading
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