RSV vaccine, Quiet Time, and Osler-isms

Author

Ashley Chambers
October 20, 2023

Hello! Welcome back to The Friday Sign Out - a newsletter for primary care physicians and advanced practice providers.

Happy Medical Assistant week! I have the greatest team of MAs at my office. I am forever grateful for their hard work, compassion, and patience. I couldn’t do my job without them.

Here’s what I’m reading and thinking about this week.

In the News

Over the past month, I’ve been fielding questions about the new RSV vaccine. The CDC Advisory Committee recommends adults 60 years and older consider receiving a single dose of the RSV vaccine using shared clinical decision making. I’ve found the following resources helpful in these discussions. The first link is a general summary and this post by The Local Epidemiologist goes into more detail.

RSV vaccines new tool for physicians

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended in June that adults ages 60 years and older may receive a single dose of an RSV vaccine, using shared clinical decision making.

acpinternist.org/archives/2023/10/rsv-vaccines-new-tool-for-physicians.htm?utm_campaign=FY23-24_NEWS_ETOCINTERNIST_DOMESTIC_100623_EML&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

In Your Practice

This might be an obvious tip to some but I find it to be a good reminder:

Set blocks of time to work uninterrupted.

This can look different for each of us. I might set aside a block of 30 minutes over lunch to just work on my results. I make sure I’m in a place where I’m less likely to be interrupted. Staff often have questions for us (appropriately so!) but it can make actually getting work done difficult. I will even use use noise cancelling headphones if I’m feeling easily distractible. Having some quiet time and a deadline (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc) makes it much easier to stay committed to the task at hand. If you share an office or need more solo space, an empty exam room also works.

Sometimes I even make a list with check boxes to help me stay on task. Are there any other docs out there with a check box habit left over from residency? #IYKYK

In Your Heart

To study the phenomena of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea, while to study books without patients is not to go to sea at all.”

William Osler

I love the sailing reference. Starting a full day of clinic can feel like heading out to the vast ocean. You never know what you will find! On a more serious note, I agree with Osler. You can study the books all day long but when you are actually out there - talking with patients, asking questions, listening to their worries and fears alongside their hearts and lungs - this is when the learning really begins.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley