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February 2024

The Podcast by KevinMD

High-deductible plans and chronic conditions [PODCAST]

In this episode, we sit down with Shirin Hund, an internal medicine physician, to explore the impact of high-deductible health plans on individuals with chronic medical conditions like diabetes. Shirin discusses the financial barriers these patients face, the consequences for…

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In this episode, we sit down with Shirin Hund, an internal medicine physician, to explore the impact of high-deductible health plans on individuals with chronic medical conditions like diabetes. Shirin discusses the financial barriers these patients face, the consequences for medication adherence and health outcomes, and the need for legislative changes to improve access to essential care.

Shirin Hund is an internal medicine physician.

She …

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High-deductible plans and chronic conditions [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Psychodermatology: A skin-brain axis exists, so what are you doing about it?

Skin and mental health are intertwined. This is evident embryologically, as we know that the skin and brain are derived from ectoderm, forming a skin-brain axis. Furthermore, scientific pathophysiology has shown that conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis…

Skin and mental health are intertwined. This is evident embryologically, as we know that the skin and brain are derived from ectoderm, forming a skin-brain axis. Furthermore, scientific pathophysiology has shown that conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis are directly influenced by mood.

Whether you are a patient, a provider, or an aesthetics professional, be aware that treating skin should also include treating mental health when needed. Ignoring that …

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Psychodermatology: A skin-brain axis exists, so what are you doing about it?

Physician finance

The top 3 factors influencing how patients choose your health care practice

When building your practice, knowing what factors influence how patients find you and ultimately choose to be treated by you is critical. As a health care provider, you focus on treating patients and providing the best care possible. The business…

When building your practice, knowing what factors influence how patients find you and ultimately choose to be treated by you is critical. As a health care provider, you focus on treating patients and providing the best care possible. The business side of health care may be of less interest to you. However, to effectively grow your practice, it’s essential to know how new patients find you and why they chose …

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The top 3 factors influencing how patients choose your health care practice

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The Podcast by KevinMD

From popcorn to peril: a C. difficile survivor’s tale [PODCAST]

We sit down with Carol Raye, a patient advocate who shares her personal journey with a life-threatening C. difficile infection. Join us as Carol sheds light on the challenges she faced, the importance of responsible antibiotic use, and her mission…

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We sit down with Carol Raye, a patient advocate who shares her personal journey with a life-threatening C. difficile infection. Join us as Carol sheds light on the challenges she faced, the importance of responsible antibiotic use, and her mission to raise awareness about this growing health care issue. Discover how …

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From popcorn to peril: a C. difficile survivor’s tale [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

The power of nutrition in cancer prevention

In its annual cancer statistics report released this week, the American Cancer Society (ACS) predicted over 2 million new cancer cases and over 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States in 2024. The ACS cites decreased smoking rates, earlier detection,…

In its annual cancer statistics report released this week, the American Cancer Society (ACS) predicted over 2 million new cancer cases and over 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States in 2024. The ACS cites decreased smoking rates, earlier detection, and improved treatments as the primary reasons for decreased death rates from cancer in recent decades. Missing from the report, however, is the fundamental recommendation to shift from the traditional …

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The power of nutrition in cancer prevention

Drugs and prescribing

Can we finally say goodbye to opioids? There may be new pain relief on the horizon.

7

In an article I recently wrote about a new calcium channel-blocking medication that could be effective in treating central chronic pain, I mentioned that medications like lidocaine block sodium channels to prevent the transmission of pain through the peripheral nervous…

In an article I recently wrote about a new calcium channel-blocking medication that could be effective in treating central chronic pain, I mentioned that medications like lidocaine block sodium channels to prevent the transmission of pain through the peripheral nervous system. I also said that these medications have limited use, usually just in the ER, because they are short-acting and injected, though there is a lidocaine patch that some …

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Can we finally say goodbye to opioids? There may be new pain relief on the horizon.

Physician voices

The secret superstitions of surgeons: How rituals impact surgical success

"Man is a dupeable animal. Quacks in medicine, quacks in religion, and quacks in politics know this, and act upon that knowledge. There is scarcely anyone who may not, like a trout, be taken by tickling…there is scarcely a disease…

“Man is a dupeable animal. Quacks in medicine, quacks in religion, and quacks in politics know this, and act upon that knowledge. There is scarcely anyone who may not, like a trout, be taken by tickling…there is scarcely a disease for which a charm has not been given.”
– Thomas J. Pettigrew

As a surgeon, when I routinely went to the OR, I had a ritual. I would

…

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The secret superstitions of surgeons: How rituals impact surgical success

The Podcast by KevinMD

Patient engagement: the missing piece in health care [PODCAST]

Join health care executives Susan Montminy and Marlene Icenhower as they discuss the critical topic of patient engagement in health care. In episode, Susan and Marlene explore the impact of patient engagement on provider satisfaction and health care outcomes. They…

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Join health care executives Susan Montminy and Marlene Icenhower as they discuss the critical topic of patient engagement in health care. In episode, Susan and Marlene explore the impact of patient engagement on provider satisfaction and health care outcomes. They share their expertise on communication strategies, understanding patients’ goals, and managing …

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Patient engagement: the missing piece in health care [PODCAST]

Health technology

How do we get a critical mass of women physician innovators?

Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson is UnitedHealth Group (UHG)'s chief medical officer, and she recently told Fortune magazine that UHG's acquisition of physician practices and surgery centers through its subsidiary Optum has allowed UnitedHealth Group to gather "a critical mass" of doctors,…

Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson is UnitedHealth Group (UHG)’s chief medical officer, and she recently told Fortune magazine that UHG’s acquisition of physician practices and surgery centers through its subsidiary Optum has allowed UnitedHealth Group to gather “a critical mass” of doctors, which helps the company improve care. She said that the practices that they’ve acquired are not a bunch of “flashy acquisitions” but rather each one “brings the pieces together to …

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How do we get a critical mass of women physician innovators?

Conditions and diseases

Exploring neurodivergence: a specialist psychiatrist’s journey

I read about a psychiatrist whose interests are in medical ethics and the improvement of medical care for youth coping with the complexities related to neurodivergence and significant mental health conditions. Additionally, she specializes in work with twice-exceptional (2e) individuals…

I read about a psychiatrist whose interests are in medical ethics and the improvement of medical care for youth coping with the complexities related to neurodivergence and significant mental health conditions. Additionally, she specializes in work with twice-exceptional (2e) individuals – those with exceptional talents and abilities who also navigate challenges related to disabilities or psychiatric illness.

Neurodivergence and 2e individuals are fairly new concepts for me. Back in the day, …

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Exploring neurodivergence: a specialist psychiatrist’s journey

Drugs and prescribing

Now is a good time to reassess your medications with your clinician

Now that we are embarking on a new year, many of us take on annual resolutions with a focus on diet and exercise. Overlooked is another important way to improve our health: increasing awareness of our medications. Nearly 4 in…

Now that we are embarking on a new year, many of us take on annual resolutions with a focus on diet and exercise.  Overlooked is another important way to improve our health: increasing awareness of our medications.

Nearly 4 in 10 adults over the age of 65 living in the United States are prescribed five or more medications. Sometimes these medications are necessary.  But sometimes, they may need adjusting or …

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Now is a good time to reassess your medications with your clinician

The Podcast by KevinMD

Nursing in crisis: How administrative tasks are taking a toll [PODCAST]

Join Karlene Kerfoot, a nurse executive, as we delve into the nurse and clinician workforce crisis in the United States. Discover the factors contributing to this crisis, the impact of administrative tasks on health care professionals, and innovative solutions that…

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Join Karlene Kerfoot, a nurse executive, as we delve into the nurse and clinician workforce crisis in the United States. Discover the factors contributing to this crisis, the impact of administrative tasks on health care professionals, and innovative solutions that can enhance patient care while alleviating the burden on nurses. …

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Nursing in crisis: How administrative tasks are taking a toll [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Not all patients are on disability

2

A recent conversation with a relative inspired me to write this post. She is a physical therapist who often rants about how patients with chronic pain or chronic illness don't work and are just on disability. I know she's far…

A recent conversation with a relative inspired me to write this post. She is a physical therapist who often rants about how patients with chronic pain or chronic illness don’t work and are just on disability. I know she’s far from the only health care provider with the same belief. She and her coworkers spend time ranting and complaining about their patients who don’t work and use the therapy sessions …

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Not all patients are on disability

Conditions and diseases

Shared decision-making in health care: promise vs. reality

3

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a statement on the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) between physicians and patients. This concept, though at least 50 years old, has become popular in the last decade or so, with expectations of…

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a statement on the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) between physicians and patients. This concept, though at least 50 years old, has become popular in the last decade or so, with expectations of improving patient care, satisfaction, safety, care efficiency, and cost reduction. Though some preliminary research appears to support these promises, other researchers have found that it can increase costs and decrease …

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Shared decision-making in health care: promise vs. reality

The Podcast by KevinMD

Korean Americans and mental health [PODCAST]

Join Dae Sun Hwang, a first-generation Korean American, and Joo-Young Lee, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. We'll explore the multifaceted intersection of Korean culture and mental health within the Korean American community. From cultural nuances to familial expectations and societal…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

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Join Dae Sun Hwang, a first-generation Korean American, and Joo-Young Lee, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. We’ll explore the multifaceted intersection of Korean culture and mental health within the Korean American community. From cultural nuances to familial expectations and societal stigma, we’ll delve into the challenges and opportunities for fostering a …

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Korean Americans and mental health [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Why lab-grown meat matters: USDA approval and environmental impact

2

In June of 2023, a release was buried in the cacophony of news stories that the USDA had approved two companies for selling lab-grown meat. This news followed the FDA's conclusion that lab-grown meat was safe for human consumption. The…

In June of 2023, a release was buried in the cacophony of news stories that the USDA had approved two companies for selling lab-grown meat. This news followed the FDA’s conclusion that lab-grown meat was safe for human consumption. The two companies, GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods, have been working on various lab-grown types of meat, including steak, seafood, and pork, but have been given the regulatory go-ahead for Chicken.

The …

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Why lab-grown meat matters: USDA approval and environmental impact

Physician voices

How doctors can have successful crucial conversations

One thing that all those years of education, medical training, and textbook studying can never quite fully prepare us for as physicians is crucial conversations with our patients. There's an element to mastering these conversations that comes with being an…

One thing that all those years of education, medical training, and textbook studying can never quite fully prepare us for as physicians is crucial conversations with our patients. There’s an element to mastering these conversations that comes with being an attending physician, bearing sole provider responsibility, and having them ourselves. They may start off clunky at first in early practice, but we hope to continually improve with time.

In my practice …

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How doctors can have successful crucial conversations

The Podcast by KevinMD

From fee-for-service to value-based care [PODCAST]

Join Michael Poku, a physician executive, as we delve into the challenges and solutions for transforming the U.S. health care system. Explore how the fee-for-service model perpetuates health inequities, the importance of value-based care, and the impact on patient outcomes.…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

Join Michael Poku, a physician executive, as we delve into the challenges and solutions for transforming the U.S. health care system. Explore how the fee-for-service model perpetuates health inequities, the importance of value-based care, and the impact on patient outcomes. Discover how prioritizing patients and making strategic investments can lead to …

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From fee-for-service to value-based care [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

There’s no place like home when it comes to health care, except for those who fall through the cracks

Maria (name changed to protect patient privacy) is a brilliant woman with a troubled health history. After a mental health diagnosis cut short her career as a high-level government official, Maria has struggled with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, depression, and advanced…

Maria (name changed to protect patient privacy) is a brilliant woman with a troubled health history. After a mental health diagnosis cut short her career as a high-level government official, Maria has struggled with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, depression, and advanced kidney disease, leading to a series of toe amputations and a decade of disability.

She lives alone, about a half-hour from the nearest hospital, where she has been in and out …

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There’s no place like home when it comes to health care, except for those who fall through the cracks

Health technology

How this country doctor embraced artificial intelligence

I guess you could call me a country doctor. In addition to serving as a chief medical officer and practicing in an office in a small New Jersey town, I co-own an independent family care practice with my wife Kerri…

I guess you could call me a country doctor. In addition to serving as a chief medical officer and practicing in an office in a small New Jersey town, I co-own an independent family care practice with my wife Kerri in a converted barn situated in the rolling hills and fields of NJ’s “horse country.”

Artificial intelligence may be dominating conversations in Silicon Valley and college campuses, but you might be …

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How this country doctor embraced artificial intelligence

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