Having been in the private practice of psychiatry for over 30 years, I am glad to say that I still very much enjoy providing direct care for my patients. With equal conviction, I can safely state that like most of us who work in health care I am not a big fan of all the paperwork that goes along with my practice. This is not to say that medical records don’t have a place in our work. But, the situation has mushroomed to the point that we are incredibly consumed by the avalanche of paperwork that can take up more time than what we provide for our patients. In recent years, the biggest and most increasing offender has been, in my opinion, the prior authorization process. [Read More]

I have certainly seen my share of changes in the field over that time. There is a distinct increase in the percentage of male patients I see in my practice now compared to when I started. The amount of ADHD I treat in both children and adults has also grown over the years for a variety of reasons. However, the biggest surprise to me has little to do with the type of patient I meet with or the actual diagnosis being treated. Instead, it has to do with the tremendous importance pets have on the lives of my patients. [Read More]

As thoughts turn from summer vacation to the return to school, I am struck by some interesting trends in my patient population being evaluated and treated for ADHD. Ages 6 and 7 have long been common ages when children are brought to my office because of possible ADHD symptoms. That's not surprising given the fact most of those diagnosed with ADHD had evidence of those symptoms during their early school days. I have also noticed many young people making the transition from elementary to middle school having a tough time going from class to class and keeping up their focus. [Read More]