Medical disclaimer

The one sentence that matters most: this column is general education, not medical advice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed by reading it or writing in. Everything else here explains that sentence and where the real help lives.

What this site is, and is not

It is a physician explaining island health in plain language, so you understand what is happening and what generally helps. It is not a diagnosis, not a treatment plan, and not a substitute for being examined by someone who can see, touch, and test the actual problem. General education answers what usually; only a clinician who examines you can answer what about you.

No doctor-patient relationship

Reading a column, following a link, or submitting a question does not make me your doctor. I cannot and do not form a doctor-patient relationship through this website, and nothing here should be read as personal medical advice for your specific situation.

Emergencies

An emergency is not a web problem. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department, which in Key West is Lower Keys Medical Center, for anything urgent: trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, a serious injury, or any of the red flags flagged throughout this site.

The reviewer process

Columns are medically reviewed, carry a dated byline and a reviewed date, and are corrected in place with a dated note when something needs fixing. The editorial standards are laid out on the about page, including the single practice relationship disclosed there.

Why I will not answer personal medical questions

Because doing it badly is worse than not doing it at all. Diagnosing through a form, without an exam, is how mistakes happen, and I would rather send you to someone who can do it right. General questions are welcome at Ask Doctor Key West; anything personal or urgent belongs with your own doctor or 911.