I trained as a Family Doctor so that I would be ready to help patients with any challenge. The old school family doc used to take that skill set out into the community on house calls, sports sidelines, and town hall meetings. At some point the job description was boiled down into a job that started and ended with a 7 minute office visit. That setup is not good for patients, and it's not good for doctors. In this column I hope to start to push the boundary of where the doctor patient interaction takes place - onto the page, into the community, and beyond 7 minutes.
Maine is a great place to get outside. No matter what your activity inclination there is something for everyone. Beautiful walking trails, mountain hikes, water activities and bicycling are all within easy reach. Of course, with all that activity comes the risk of injury, overuse, and environmental exposures. So, a little pre-planning can maximize enjoyment of the warm weather.
Read Moredoctor's oath is first, to do no harm. That has traditionally been interpreted to apply to in the office, to the prescription pad, and under the knife. Yet everyday patients are leaving appointments only to face astronomical medical bills, high insurance prices, and crazy prescription drug prices that are harming them financially.
Read MoreThis year in Maine there have already been 3,931 documented cases of flu (Maine DHHS surveillance reports through 2/16/19). As a primary care doctor I deal with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Although I do recommend flu shots for my patients, if the conversation simply begins and ends with a flu shot important information has been lost.
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