Student Shadowing in the Medical Office Going Extinct

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Back when I was a high school and college student, shadowing a doctor in the medical office was common and fairly easy to accomplish. Make a few phone calls and set a few days and than you just showed up to get a glimpse into the world of medicine. Fast forward to the present... Over the years as a practicing doctor, I routinely get student requests to shadow me in my practice, though such requests mainly come by email rather…

3/26/2016 0

Continue Reading

New Physician Directory Smartphone App

I don't know about you, but one of the most frustrating things about online doctor info sites is that they bury key information like phone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, etc. As such, I've developed a new online physician directory called NovaDr. com that has all this information within 3 clicks, whether online or thru the smartphone app. Currently this directory contains doctor information for only 5 hospital systems in Northern Virginia including Fauquier Health , Haymarket M…

9/23/2015 0

Continue Reading

Ear Tube Placement in Kids WITHOUT Sedation (Starting at 12 Months of Age)

A recent report describes how using a relatively old technology, ear tube placement can now be performed in children starting at 12 months of age with chronic ear infections or hearing loss due to fluid buildup without the need for sedation of any kind nor aggressive restraints (ie papoose). Historically,  ear tube placement in the office without sedation is typically performed starting at around 12 years of age using standard local anesthesia techniques. Any younger, a child could not …

10/05/2013 0

Continue Reading

Just How Contagious is the Flu (and Other Viral Infections)?

Everybody knows the flu and other viral infections are contagious, but did you wonder just how contagious??? Well, here are some facts gleaned from a few studies: • In just 4 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 50% of surfaces in a typical office • After 8 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 70%+ of surfaces • Non-sick workers have a 40-90% chance of getting infected after spending one day with a sick worker • A sneeze or cough can hurl virus 6 feet away from the mouth • A si…

2/02/2013 0

Continue Reading

Healthcare Mobile Web Presence

It is pretty much a given that healthcare organizations, medical offices, and physicians maintain a web presence given how frequently consumers turn to the internet and google especially for health information. Given that... I would like to point out that more and more of this web traffic occurs on a smartphone rather than a computer and in an effort to retain consumers who seek healthcare, it behooves that any web presence be also mobile friendly. According to my own personal web statist…

9/24/2012 0

Continue Reading

How to "Grow" Clean Air

The New York Times published a story  regarding how common houseplants can purify the air of chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde. This claim is based on NASA research performed in the 1980s when the agency was trying to figure out ways to keep the air quality as clean as possible within enclosed habitats (like a space station). Of course, you can read the 27 page report ... or read a mom-friendly book that summarizes the findings in an easy-to-understand language from Amazon.com. &…

9/06/2012 0

Continue Reading