The central theme of the workshop, “Evidence-based decision-making in the public sector,” guided four days of engaging sessions, interactive discussions, and collaborative exchanges. Building on the momentum of previous workshops, participants shared recent progress from SELINA’s public Demonstration Projects, refined project outputs, and explored practical approaches to enhance the usability and policy relevance of SELINA’s findings.

Today’s doctor visits look and feel a lot different than they did even just a couple decades ago. 

Rushed physicians and medical trainees are spending less time with patients, leading to diagnostic errors, poor patient outcomes and increased costs in health care. The influx of AI and other new technology has led to a decline in modern medical trainees’ fundamental bedside skills and a weakening of the doctor-patient relationship. There is a lack of empathy and an increase in physician stress and burnout. The list goes on.

To help reverse these trends, a new report from Northwestern University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham provides six practical strategies to reinvigorate a waning culture of bedside medicine in this new health care environment. The suggestions give clinicians and medical educators guidance on how to better teach and practice important bedside clinical skills, such as the physical exam.