December 24th:

• The etiquette of telecommunications | Getting the message, at last | Economist.com - The economist describes the first incident of spam, via telegraph.
• Are Suggestion ?Boxes? the Best Way to Go? | Lean Six Sigma Academy - Also interested in employee empowerment as much as patient empowerment. I should have installed one of these in my office before I went on sabbatical.
• Training Within Industry: Lean Jargon - Part III, Gemba (Genba), Genbutsu, Genjitsu - Catching up on my LEAN studies. Helpful guide to common LEAN terms. These are my favorites.
• Out of the shadow — Calman 19 (1): 170 — Health Affairs - Bearing witness to inequities for those we are trying to serve. I am having similar experiences in my work, and it has impact. Great article by Neil Calman, MD.
• Rising Popularity of Medical Blogs Raises Questions About Anonymity, Reliability - iHealthBeat - This is an important topic to me as a physician blogger. I do not blog about patient experiences except in the most general terms. At the same time, I think patients want to improve the system they get care in and we should (or I am) develop best practice
• Cultural Tourism DC - U Street Heritage Trail - Great map and walking tour of African American History. Perfect for the nation’s most walkable city