More equitable health care starts with you

I am a hospitalist at a safety-net hospital. Through my work, I have come to understand how our daily decisions — filtered through our own biases — influence how health care is implemented, and I had a personal teacher in my first year as an attending. Soon after starting my job, I met Mr. K. He was in his 40s, well-kempt, soft-spoken and had the good habit of looking people in the eyes when talking to them. Originally from New York, he had been living comfortably as a middle manager in restaurant supply sales until an unexpected mixture of midlife crisis and wanderlust struck. He traveled the country looking for a new home and new opportunities. Once settled, a series of financial and family misfortunes found this thoughtful man on the streets for the first time in his life. Mr. K had osteomyelitis — a bone infection — of one of his toes. The overlying ulcer made the diagnosis obvious, and the outcome of his hospitalization was apparent from the very beginning: amputation. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Policy Hospitalist Public Health & Washington Watch Source Type: blogs