Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC is a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist (doctor specializing in heart rhythm disorders) practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, USA and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He entered the blog-o-sphere in November, 2005. He writes regularly at Dr. Wes. DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly the those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the opinion(s) or policy(ies) of NorthShore University HealthSystem, nor recommendations for your care or anyone else's. Please seek professional guidance instead.
An important read from The Atlantic explains why doctors should fight to avoid the changes to their profession that lawyers are currently enduring. With each passing year, Big Med is following Big Law. Physicians, medical schools, and hospitals all proudly trumpet their standing in national rankings. Efforts to preserve and augment revenue streams produce ...
It was a very brief 15 minutes but I had arrived early. There they were, sitting in our conference room, waiting to be interviewed for a residency position at our institution. They had come from far and wide: California, New York, Michigan, for instance – all dressed in their nicest suits or business attire – […]
Closing cancer health equity gaps require medical breakthroughs made possible by new funding approaches.
Andrew Schlafly, attorney for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the group who sued the American Board of Medical Specialties over the Maintenance of Certification process, recently described (video – scroll ahead to 5min, 30 sec) the scene in court: “When I sued the ABMS and six attorneys showed up on the other […]
As I surf the internet these days, I wonder. It seems to me that there are a few new blogs from time to time, and even some old, fun, stalwart ones, but the adoption of medical blogging by many has fallen on hard times, despite the best efforts of blogging enthusiasts. The reality is this: […]
As we enter the New Year, I like to reflect on where we've been and where we're heading in medicine. By far and away, this is the most tumultuous time I have ever experienced in health care. Doctors and nurses appear stressed and downtrodden, administrators are running scared, desperate to seem "value-added," and patients are scrambling to get seen in these last two days of 2013. It's strange
To all of the first responders Laboring in the icy night in an hour of unexpected need While their children get tucked into bed In the blanket sleepers… You are Christmas. To all the caregivers Who make Christmas happen Even when their hearts are heavy and Moments of rest too few… You are Christmas. To […]
Hear executives from Quantum Health, Surescripts, EY, Clinical Architecture and Personify Health share their views on digital transformation in healthcare.
… is when patients start telling their real life stories: “Before the Affordable Care Act, health-insurance policies could not be sold across state lines; now policies sold on the Affordable Care Act exchanges may not be offered across county lines. What happened to the president’s promise, “You can keep your health plan”? Or to the promise […]
Soon, doctors won't be handing patients drug samples from time to time, pharmacists will. Doctors were told that makes a difference.
It was a comment posted by “Cat, MD” on my prior post regarding my assessment of where the nation stood “week two” following the launch of the government’s health insurance exchange website that caught my eye. To me, she(?) asked what might be the one of the more important questions posed on this blog that […]
From Marilyn M. Singleton, M.D., J.D.: “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying all the wrong remedies.” -Groucho Marx The politics of selling the Affordable Care Act (ACA) focuses on promising health and wellness. Somehow, having “coverage” is supposed to get you to a primary care […]
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
Another seemingly harmless bureaucratic initiative aimed at physicians sunk its taproot deep in the daily workings of medicine this month. The Physician Payment Sunshine Act promises transparency in all industry dealings with physicians by shedding “light” on the issue of payments to physicians from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. In turn, it will save […]
As health care reform kicks in to high gear, a new innovation in health care delivery is being touted at Cleveland Clinic: shared patient appointments. On the surface, this idea seems so efficient and social as patients with similar medical problems sit around in a group therapy session that masquerades as health care. After all, […]
He was a slender-framed man, mid- to late-sixties, with a kind of ridden-hard-put-away-wet complexion. It was clear the years had not always been good to him...
“It looks like you’ve done very well, Mr. Smith…” “Thank you, doctor.” He left the patient’s room and ambled back to the nurses station, legs tired and ankles somewhat swollen. It had been a long case and now he just had to type his note, send an email message, and review his schedule for the […]
With the rapid dissemination of medical information, global reach of the internet, and realization that more print journals doesn't mean better print journals, today's researchers use a variety of techniques to connect but most, sadly, have not kept pace with the times. Yesterday, watching the nightly news, I saw something that caught my eye. It came during a story about yet another shooting