Ups and Downs of Improving Physical Examination Access for Patients and Physicians
Authors: Lisa I. Iezzoni
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

Editorials19 March 2013Ups and Downs of Improving Physical Examination Access for Patients and PhysiciansLisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MScLisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MScFrom Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-6-201303190-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail First haircuts in barber chairs are a common childhood rite of passage. We remember being lifted into the chair, its seat worn satiny smooth by past patrons. We recall the scissor-wielding hairdresser raising it to a suitable height using foot- or hand-operated pumps. As we grow, our heads rise closer to the scissors' reach—1 or 2 upward pumps will suffice. Efficiently meeting both clients' and hairdressers' needs, height-adjustable barber chairs are ubiquitous and remarkably similar from small barber shops to high-end salons. Barber chairs with mechanical pumps like today's appeared in the late 19th century. Hydraulic pump barber chairs, invented ...References1. Hoskins AB. Occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides, 1995-2004. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor; 2006. Accessed at www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/sh20060628ar01p1.htm on 16 January 2013. Google Scholar2. Lagu T, Hannon NS, Rothberg MB, Wells AS, Green KL, Windom MO, et al. Access to subspecialty care for patients with mobility impairment. A survey. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:441-6. LinkGoogle Scholar3. U.S. Access Board. Proposed accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment. Washington, DC: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; 8 February 2012. Accessed at www.access-board.gov/mde/nprm.pdf on 16 January 2013. Google Scholar4. Schiller JS, Lucas JW, Ward BW, Peregoy JA. Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010. Vital Health Stat 10. 2012;:1-207. [PMID: 22834228] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. Institute of Medicine, Committee on Disability in America Board on Health Sciences Policy. The Future of Disability in America. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2007. Google Scholar6. ABIM Foundation. ACP–ASIM Foundation. European Federation of Internal Medicine. Medical professionalism in the new millennium: a physician charter. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:243-6. [PMID: 11827500] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Disclaimer: Dr. Iezzoni is the chair of the Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee, which is providing advice to the U.S. Access Board. This editorial represents Dr. Iezzoni's views and not those of the Committee or the Access Board.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M13-0165.Corresponding Author: Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Director, Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Room 901B, Boston, MA 02114; e-mail, [email protected]org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAccess to Subspecialty Care for Patients With Mobility Impairment Tara Lagu , Nicholas S. Hannon , Michael B. Rothberg , Annalee S. Wells , K. Laurie Green , McAllister O. Windom , Katherine R. Dempsey , Penelope S. Pekow , Jill S. Avrunin , Aaron Chen , and Peter K. Lindenauer Metrics Cited ByPhysical Accessibility of Routine Prenatal Care for Women with Mobility Disability 19 March 2013Volume 158, Issue 6Page: 491-492KeywordsHealth careHealth care providersPatient advocacyPrevention, policy, and public healthSafetySafety studiesSub-specialty care ePublished: 19 March 2013 Issue Published: 19 March 2013 CopyrightCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...