Matthew's Blog
The Physician Shortage: Winter is Coming
Healthcare executives and physicians should start preparing now for the impending physician shortage over the next decade. The estimate varies, ranging from a physician deficit of 47,000 to 122,000 by 2032. Roughly, this could translate into a 1000-2000...
Taking Back the Word “Diet”
Nowadays the word diet has a bad wrap. There are diets for Cavemen, diets for people in Miami Beach, and diets for people that Watch their Weight. There are Ethical Diets, and Restriction Diets, and both High-Carb and Low-Carb Diets. Heck, sometimes I think there are...
The First Western Mind-Body Neuroscientist
It's pretty clear from this quote who the first Western Mind-Body Neuroscientist is: "And men ought to know that from nothing else but thence [from the brain] come joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, griefs, despondency, and lamentations. And by this,...
What is a Leap Idea?
(What follows is something I wrote years ago I found in my digital trash. It's actually not too bad!) What is a Leap Idea? It's an idea which speaks so powerfully to your inner core you can work on it 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 years. It's a...
When Physicians Retire, Do Their Brains Melt?
Primary Care Physicians retire at the average age of 64.9 years old, and this retirement age has remained stable for the past several years. This stability is important, because even a one year shift would have a dramatic impact on the upcoming physician shortage....
EHRs and The Infinite Chief Complaint
Having seen about 50,000 patients with hand-written charts, and 50,000 patients with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), I am deeply aware of some of the benefits of EHRs. For example, having immediate access to an old EKG has helped prevent unnecessary admissions....
Has the EHR Displaced the Patient?
Most healthcare organizations claim to be patient-centric. I do believe this is their intent. However, as the EHR becomes ever-more central for patient care—from documenting the patients’ presenting concern, to prior medical history, physical evaluation, labs, tests,...
Social Media Companies are AI Companies
My personal mission—and how I hope to spend the next decade or so—is to understand the confluence of health, healthcare, and artificial intelligence in the context of ethics. So why do I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about social media, such as Twitter,...
What would Hippocrates Say About EHR De-Identification?
I often wonder about the ethics of EHR de-identification. Assuming we can make de-identification perfect, with no risk of undoing this de-identification, should we be doing it? Well, as a starting point, and just for fun, let's see what the Hippocratic Oath would say...