As physicians, we’re in a profession that’s experiencing groundbreaking work almost every day. The catch-22 is that we’re so busy caring for patients, running our practices and keeping up with paperwork that we struggle to make time to read up on the latest innovations.
That’s why TEDMED 2014—the annual health and medicine edition of the world-renowned TED Talks—is such a great opportunity. Starting today, physicians can watch transformative thinkers in science, health and medicine, from the comfort of their offices or homes, thanks to the AMA’s sponsorship of this year’s event. The talks are short, less than 15 minutes each, and offer inspirational perspectives on a tremendous variety of topics. All I have to do is choose a few I’m interested in, turn up my computer’s volume and take it in.
Some of the topics to be covered include:
- Ending the global physician shortage
- Revolutionizing medical education
- Identifying childhood factors that impact serious adult-onset diseases, such as heart disease and cancer
- Understanding the obesity epidemic and addiction
- Advancing high-tech diagnostics
These talks are a quick way to share learnings and ideas that we can then discuss with our colleagues, implement in our own practices or build upon to develop even greater innovations.
I was fortunate to participate recently in a TED-style talk at the Brookings Institute, where I spoke on how my practice is enhancing patient-centered care. It was valuable experience, and I found much inspiration in my fellow speakers’ stories. I look forward to even more ingenuity and innovation to be shared at TEDMED 2014.
