7 TED Talks to revive your medical practice

When John Principe, MD, got fed up with his standard primary care operations in Palos Heights, Illinois, he made a radical change to his practice. Three years ago, he decided to add a kitchen and an educational center to help patients meet nutrition, weight and other wellness goals, renaming it WellBeingMD. A business associate encouraged him to apply for TEDx Naperville, and now Principe’s November 2012 TED Talk has more than 2,000 views on YouTube.

“The TEDx talk has not only been integral both in telling my personal and professional journey, but sharing the crucial message that medicine can be delivered in a healthier and more sustainable way,” Principe says. “[It] has been integral in re-vitalizing my practice.”

Principe’s TED Talk is one of hundreds uplifting and problem-solving lectures; many made for and by healthcare professionals. Below are seven TED Talks that might help you revitalize your practice:

Dr. John Principe: Recipe for a healthier America

Dr. Principe talks about how his 20-plus year career as a primary care physician led him to radically change his practice and open a wellness center.

Dr. Atul Gawande: How do we heal medicine?

Dr. Gawande encourages a team-based approach to patient care to fix the rising costs of healthcare and the dissatisfaction with the current system.

Dr. Abraham Verghese: A doctor's touch

With a growing emphasis on technology in medicine, Dr. Verghese reminds physicians of the power of human connection.

Dr. Peter Attia: Is the obesity crisis hiding a bigger problem?

After a misunderstanding with a patient with diabetes, Dr. Attia started to think differently about the cause and effect relationship between obesity and diabetes.

Eli Beer: The fastest ambulance? A motorcycle

At 17-years-old, Eli Beer was a volunteer emergency medical technician who had an idea that eventually reduced emergency response time to less than three minutes in war-torn Israel. Could a league of motorcycling first responders work in your city?

Rebecca Onie: What if our healthcare system kept us healthy?

As an intern for an attorney, Rebecca Onie realized the connection between social and healthcare disparities. She started an organization that connected patients in poverty with social advocates that aims to help them sidestep emergency departments.

Dr. Daniel Kraft: Medicine's future? There's an app for that

Dr. Kraft gives an overview of the technologies in the works that will make practicing medicine more effective and simple in the near future.