The S.O.A.P Factory

Ebers Papyrus Clinical documentation has a deep pedigree that dates back more than 4000 years to the ancient Egyptians. Transcribed onto papyrus in a format surprisingly  similar to modern day case presentations, clinical documentation appeared to have served the dual purpose of teaching apprentices and guiding the management of future patients. Subsequently, Greek physicians continued… Continue reading The S.O.A.P Factory

The Swiss Army Knife

Are the best tools Swiss army knife-like - flexible, adaptable, multifunctional, and easy to use? Or is a knife-like tool - optimally sharpened, single-purposed for cutting - ideal? When framed as a simplistic dichotomy, it is obvious that tools do not have a universal or intrinsic “bestness,” but are context dependent and best viewed instrumentally… Continue reading The Swiss Army Knife

EHR as the Sun

The HITECH Act was passed in 2009 to promote and expand the adoption of health information technology with the objective to improve care processes, the quality of care, and overall health system productivity. Although the push to digitize medical records has mostly been accomplished, as Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become ubiquitous in healthcare, the… Continue reading EHR as the Sun

Fitness Functions

If the “burnt out” attrition of emergency physicians, the shortage of emergency nurses, the unfilled emergency medicine residency positions, the prevalence of errors (here and here), the persistence of misdiagnosis, or the news headlines (here, here, and here) are relevant indicators, then the emergency department (ED) could be considered a failed - or at least… Continue reading Fitness Functions