David Lubin, MD

Dr. Lubin provides more examples that show why the title of his blog, "Code E876.9: Unspecified Misadventures During Medical Care" is so appropriate.

Most asthma patients don%u2019t know how to properly use an inhaler, according to Dr. Lubin, who describes a rather unique technique one patient had.

What goes on in the mind of a physician when he's not in the office seeing patients? Welcome to the weekend world of David Lubin, MD.

Dr. Lubin on physicians' acceptance of death as a part of medical practice and a habit shared by many of his colleagues: reading the obituaries.

Practicing medicine can be frustrating enough without having to deal with all of the other challenges, large and small, that life throws at you.

In an LA Times column, Stella Fitzgibbons, MD, blamed the rising cost of healthcare on expensive in-hospital workups. I can't really argue with that.

When it comes to obesity, patients want a quick fix. But there's no easy way to lose weight; it takes willpower, sensible food choices, and exercise.

I don't consider myself a "green" fanatic, but I do recycle. So when I see someone wasting paper it drives me crazy; there go more trees.

I'm sure I could get most of my colleagues in primary care to agree with me that there are many types of patients. Some are basically healthy and some are seriously ill; the others fall somewhere in between.

More than 1,000 pain clinics have opened in Florida in the last few years, leading to a thriving trade in illegal pill distribution.

When physicians spend the entire office visit typing data into the EMR, they may be hearing what the patient is saying, but they sure aren't listening.

Dr. Lubin got some much-needed rest and relaxation Memorial Day weekend after another long week of dealing with nonadherent patients and haggling with insurance companies to obtain prior approvals.

Many physicians report lost productivity, decreased efficiency, and poor communication when using EMRs in practice. Are all of these shortcomings worth it? Do EMRs lead to better patient care? I'm on the side that says "no."

Thoughts and musings on the day-to-day reality of practicing medicine.

People have their favorite phrases… Paris Hilton thinks she owns "That's Hot." I wouldn't doubt that Homer Simpson's "D'OH!" is copyrighted. And how many people do you know use "Sweet"? I sometimes utter, "My bad." Elke hates that one. Some flight attendant should have copyrighted "B'bye." I like that one; it's simple.

I often wonder what might happen if a patient of mine has a condition that would necessitate me contacting the spouse/partner. What if the patient doesn't have the spouse/partner listed as someone I CAN contact? Do I break HIPAA regulations and talk with them anyway? I wonder.

Well, I really do know why I bother with all of the hassle and red tape that is the hallmark of modern medicine – I do it for my patients.

A few weeks ago I blogged how great it was to sleep in on a Saturday. Well, this past Saturday was different.

I thought I lost a patient a few weeks ago. No, he didn't die, but after his office visit, I had the distinct impression that he might not come back. My job is to take care of my patients' health. But sometimes I'm just the messenger.

I made another neat diagnosis this week, one of the quickest I've made in my career.

While we Floridians slept last week, our esteemed Florida legislature was passing a bill, SB 6, which effected a major change in how teachers in the state would be paid. Florida physicians were watching the situation very closely.

Today is a special day for me, a commemoration (I love that word) of sorts; it marks a third of a century that I've been in practice.

I opened my eyes and for a moment I panicked -- I thought I had slept through my usual 6:00AM alarm. I looked over my shoulder and was relieved that it was only 6:04AM. I was even more relieved that it was a "sleep-in-Saturday," one of the two Saturdays each month I don't have morning office hours.

Hey, if anyone has any connections with, or fewer than six degrees of separation from, President Obama, would you PLEASE ask him to take a look at my blogs and see if there's a chance he'd invite me up to Washington, maybe when it's a bit warmer, to discuss my ideas on healthcare reform?

We're three days into healthcare reform, but I still haven't seen any changes in my practice. Guess I have to be patient, as opposed to the Feds who mailed me my 2010 census form that I received about a week ago.

The President signed the healthcare reform bill yesterday and the AMA immediately sent out a release supporting most of the provisions of the new legislation. One of them struck me as a bit perplexing: "coverage and market reforms that will strengthen the patient-physician relationship." Exactly what are they doing to improve the relationship between my patients and me?

If you've read my first three blogs you've gleaned that I complain a lot, and I think I do it fairly well... LOL. But this last week was a pretty good one, from my perspective anyway.

Over-testing is one of the big stories in healthcare right now. David Lubin, MD, wonders when the screenings and over-testing became "the standard of care."

I'm elated to have been chosen to add my comments to the HCPLive.com blogs. I hope to contribute frequently, be of interest, and create dialogue amongst readers.