Steven Ringel's thoughtful Narrative Matters essay (Jun 2011) captures the challenge we in academic clinical practice face. How do we retain humanistic values and deliver high-quality care to severely ill patients and their overwhelmed families in a climate where economics and technology dominate the conversation? Ringel describes the paperwork, documentation requirements, and advocacy for insurance coverage that can consume clinicians' time. The academic hallmarks of professionalism-time for interdisciplinary research, keeping abreast of literature, and publishing-can take a back seat. He suggests practical strategies: brief, focused updates; streamlined forms; and a better division of labor to preserve clinicians' time.
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