Patient Acuity

The Legacy of Dr. G. Duncan Finlay – Episode 6

The Rothman Index, developed by Dr. Michael Rothman and his brother Steven, is a pioneering patient acuity score designed to help clinicians recognize patient deterioration earlier and more clearly. Presented as an easily understood, color-coded graph that updates in real time, the Index displays upward and downward trends in patient condition at a glance—transforming…

The Origin Story of the Rothman Index – Episode 5

Hospitals collect enormous amounts of clinical data, yet preventable patient decline remains a persistent challenge. Over the past two decades, hospitals have invested heavily in early warning scores and rapid response infrastructure, but translating data into timely, meaningful action has proven difficult. As clinicians contend with alert fatigue and increasing documentation burden, a more…

My Mother and the Story of the Genesis of the Rothman Index – Episode 4

Healthcare generates enormous volumes of clinical data, yet making sense of that information in real time remains a challenge. Subtle changes in vitals, labs, and nursing assessments often precede serious events, but when that information is fragmented across the medical record, emerging risks can go unnoticed. The central challenge facing hospitals today is not…

The Answers You Wanted On Sepsis – Episode 3

In episode three of The Michael Rothman Podcast, Dr. Rothman continues his deep dive into sepsis—a condition often misunderstood yet responsible for a significant portion of hospital deaths. Through data from a major northeastern hospital, he challenges traditional thinking: labeling a patient as “septic” isn’t what determines survival—their overall sickness is. Using the…