People ask me why I blog. It’s definitely time consuming, and I am forced to come up with interesting and useful information on a regular basis. Not many doctors blog, for these and other reasons. However, I have always resisted running with the traditional “medical pack”. After some soul searching, I’ve come up with a few thoughts.
Medical care should be patient-centered. Too often, traditional medicine is otherwise. Blogging is an extension of how I try to practice medicine; specifically, providing competent, reasonably-priced medical care for common problems in a way that is easy to understand. Patient empowerment is key, and this comes about through education. My desire has always been to have patients take an active role in their health care, not become passive and dependent on the doctor’s decisions. Blogging helps in this education process, enabling a patient to practice self care and to promote healthy living. I’m not saying that traditional medical care is obsolete…there are many conditions and symptoms that require physician evaluation and treatment. I am saying, however, that patients can competently prevent and self manage many of the problems that they see a physician for. This is especially important in a day and age with dwindling health care dollars and with more working people paying a higher percentage of their medical costs.
I see medical blogging as a win-win for both me and the public in general; it helps keep me medically up to date, and it gives patients a reliable, common sense, practical body of medical knowledge that can help them take better charge of their health…Richard R Samuel, MD Family Practice and Urgent Care
Your path to feeling, functioning, and aging better starts with a single visit. Our physician‑led team is ready to design a personalized plan that supports your everyday health now—and your long‑term wellness for years to come.
