Jennifer Shaer

Nov 13, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Jennifer Shaer |Robert Pearl |Jennifer Reid |Joshua W. Elder

My practice is about to change to a new electronic health record, and I can’t help but feel dread. The last time we did this, it was so stressful. I really don’t want to go through it again. What do I do? How do I prepare? Here is what I’m doing to get ready. I think it’s a good strategy for managing change in general, and I hope it helps some of my colleagues as well. 1. Focus on the “why” of change. I keep reminding myself why I am doing this.

Oct 26, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Jennifer Shaer |Edwin Leap |Michele Luckenbaugh |Sophia Zilber

Real doctors see patients. For years, I have held this thought as a truth. But it’s not a fact; it’s a belief, and it is no longer serving me. I’ve been questioning this belief for a while, but this weekend at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, I gained some clarity. There, I met, heard from, and spoke with so many fascinating physicians—physicians who are doing all sorts of amazing things in support of children.

Sep 20, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Tasia Isbell |Edward Hoffer |Jennifer Shaer |Hussain Lalani

“My best friend was murdered while we were walking home from school.”The once lively thirteen-year-old boy now slumped in the chair across from me, his words spilling out with newfound heaviness. As I looked at him during what was supposed to be a routine well-child check, I couldn’t shake the air of depression that suddenly choked the room.

Aug 25, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Jennifer Shaer |Patricia McTiernan |Jim Sholler |Kristan Langdon

If you are a practicing physician, then you have definitely come across patients who want something that you feel is unnecessary. Sometimes those conversations escalate and become contentious, and sometimes you reluctantly give the patient what they request even though you know it’s not “best practice.” These demands and interactions can weigh on us and leave us emotionally drained. In the pediatrics office, that can look like this:A parent wants an antibiotic for what you know is a viral illness.

Jul 17, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Jennifer Shaer |Debra Shute |Manya Gupta |Sara Pastoor

The visit is winding down. You’re getting ready to go, hand on the doorknob, saying goodbye. And then you hear, “Doc, one more thing.” Or perhaps you’re more familiar with the patient who has a laundry list of issues all to be addressed in the fifteen-minute appointment slot. These visits have in common that they are both certain to back you up. Have multiple in the day, and you are most certainly working through lunch.