My patients, Mr. and Mrs. Gupta, are sitting in the waiting lounge of my in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic, waiting for their appointment. The usual array of consumer magazines is in front of them. But could the time they are spending reading about the most recent Bollywood movie or holiday…
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One of the easiest ways to make medicine more patient-centered is to routinely ensure that patients have access to the information in their own medical records, including their medical history, laboratory results, diagnoses, and treatment plans. Going a step further, patients also can be encouraged to add to the record—including…
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Judgments about when and whether to add a new physician to your medical practice are among the most difficult and important business decisions that you are likely to confront. A new physician can provide a clinic with increased revenue opportunities, a fresh perspective on clinical care and business operations, plus…
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Doctors are often criticized for not spending enough time with patients or for not giving them enough time to talk. A widely quoted study claims that doctors interrupt patients within 7 seconds of the start of the consultation. While doctors can learn a lot by listening to our patients, all…
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As the healthcare market becomes increasingly competitive, community-based medical clinics are following the lead of major hospitals and health systems by seeking advantages to separate themselves from their competitors. One area that is receiving more and more attention is that of patient experience. At its core, healthcare is a service…
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Social media Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook are popular worldwide. Thanks to mobile phone applications, or “apps,” users access these sites throughout the day to share updates about their lives with their friends, family, and other contacts. “These are great new channels that allow doctors to communicate with…
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The benefits of referring patients to other patients
When doctors are stumped by challenging clinical cases, they often refer patients to specialists to assist with the diagnosis and management of the patients’ conditions. “Doctors can learn a lot from expert patients.” -Aniruddha Malpani, MD, medical director of Malpani Infertility Clinic in Mumbai, India While specialists can be very…
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