The collapse of rural health care: Why small-town hospitals are closing

Uncategorized
June 24, 2024

Half a dozen brick steps from the side road led directly to the emergency room (ER). The hospital building resembled a thin strip of warehouse in the middle of a remote small town. A couple of ill patients occupied the beds in the tiny ER. A room beyond the ER served as the intensive care unit (ICU), where the ER doctors frequently checked on patients. The ICU’s location was a …

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The collapse of rural health care: Why small-town hospitals are closing

Getting caught in the crossfire of the hearing aid wars

Health Policy
June 24, 2024

My hearing precipitously declined four years ago. As a patient and practicing physician, I became dependent upon hearing aids. Thus, I was introduced to the off-putting business of hearing aids in America.

The American hearing aid market is estimated to generate between $3 to 4 billion per year annually. It is expected to grow six to eight percent annually as our population ages. Assistive listening devices can be a vast mystery …

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Getting caught in the crossfire of the hearing aid wars

Migrant health in crisis: How we can lead the way in inclusive care

Health Policy
June 24, 2024

“I’m sorry, but we’re unable to accept this patient into the program right now due to a shortage of Spanish-speaking workers.”

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had to say this statement to the various referral sources that call me daily, requesting services for immigrant patients.

Jane is a single parent from Guyana. She traveled to New York to visit family with her daughter, who was …

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Migrant health in crisis: How we can lead the way in inclusive care

Fighting nurse burnout: insights and solutions [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 23, 2024
YouTube video

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We delve into the critical issue of burnout in nursing with Andrea Coyle, a nurse practitioner. We explore the distinct symptoms of burnout, how they manifest differently across genders and generations, and the …

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Fighting nurse burnout: insights and solutions [PODCAST]

How mislabeling patients affects health care outcomes

Physician
June 23, 2024

When we call out to deem a patient difficult regarding access-airway-anesthesia, we do not consider the procedure, provider, proceduralist, place, phase, payer, or player as difficult. Does this mean that only patient conditions make it difficult, with conditions surrounding the procedure, provider, proceduralist, place, phase, payer, or player never coming into play? Aren’t we putting the onus solely on the patient when we document all such experiences of difficulty only …

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How mislabeling patients affects health care outcomes

How the time-honored tradition of a baseball catch became a “test” for a brain injury

Physician
June 23, 2024

I find myself becoming more passionate with age, swept into a sea of emotions during certain movie scenes, and even crying during my favorite rock songs as the lyrics and melody crescendo and become one.

The brain’s ability to adapt and change over time, known as neuroplasticity, means that our emotional responses can evolve based on the kinds of experiences and stimuli we are exposed to over the years. It is …

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How the time-honored tradition of a baseball catch became a “test” for a brain injury

Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy to make a big impact

Health Policy
June 23, 2024

Labor shortages have become a pressing concern across the health care sector, with the nurse staffing crisis looming large over hospitals and health systems nationwide.

A report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission illuminated the severity of the workforce challenges, revealing a doubling of vacancy rates for registered nurses in the state’s hospitals from 2019 to 2022. Despite concerted efforts, the problem persists, with health systems still resorting to costly pandemic …

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Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy to make a big impact

Unlocking hidden leadership: the powerful skillset of parenthood

Physician
June 23, 2024

I came back from ACOG feeling invigorated. This year’s theme was “Leading from where you are,” and let’s just say the leader in me was re-activated. I identified with so many qualities of the speakers; I felt inspired and ready to make an impact. Specifically, I felt ready to serve on committees and lead. Once home, I was ready to pull out my laptop and write down my goals. But, …

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Unlocking hidden leadership: the powerful skillset of parenthood

From ER to wallet: Understanding medical expenses [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 22, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us as we welcome Neill Slater, an emergency physician, to discuss the critical issue of patient compliance and the hidden costs of health care. We will explore why patients often don’t take …

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From ER to wallet: Understanding medical expenses [PODCAST]

Building the future of African plastic surgery: Igniting passion in medical students

Conditions and Diseases
June 22, 2024

Recently, I completed a rotation at the plastic surgery department of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Reflecting on this experience, I realized a few things. My perception of plastic surgery practice was naive and uninformed. This experience has been an eye-opener as it has challenged preconceived notions and revealed the multifaceted nature of this wonderful specialty. However, I recognize that most African students do not have the same opportunity. Only a …

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Building the future of African plastic surgery: Igniting passion in medical students

The doctor’s struggle: How prescription opioids can lead to addiction

Physician
June 22, 2024

In the heart of America, the opioid epidemic continues to surge, claiming lives and livelihoods with an unrelenting grip. While many believe that addiction stems from illicit drug use, a significant portion of opioid addictions actually begin with a prescription from a doctor. This troubling reality is exemplified by the experiences of Dr. Jeffrey Fraser, a family practice physician from Lincoln, Nebraska, who found himself ensnared in the very crisis …

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The doctor’s struggle: How prescription opioids can lead to addiction

The tiniest ray of hope for reasonable physician compensation?

Physician Finance
June 22, 2024

When you have been reviewing physician employment agreements for nearly four decades, you tend to get a little jaded about the possibility of ever seeing reasonable compensation for physicians. Although I am continually preaching to the choir about the need for reasonable physician compensation, I rarely see something that gives me encouragement that physicians may someday be paid appropriately for everything they do.

However, recently I have reviewed several agreements titled …

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The tiniest ray of hope for reasonable physician compensation?

Women in medicine: Balancing career and family [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 21, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We welcome Christine J. Ko, a dermatopathologist, to discuss the evolving landscape of women in medicine. Inspired by America Ferrera’s powerful monologue in Barbie and Jennifer Lycette’s insightful essay on the challenges faced …

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Women in medicine: Balancing career and family [PODCAST]

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A consulting firm under fire: Examining a new criminal probe in opioid crisis

Physician
June 21, 2024

Roughly a month ago, a prestigious consulting firm found itself, once again, in hot water for its involvement in allegedly contributing to the opioid crisis. We saw many of the same headlines competing for the top spot in our inbox.

“Justice Department is investing in an elite consulting firm.”

“Top management firm under criminal investigation.”

Beneath that, we saw a second layer of headlines, with a more scandalous tinge of corporate gossip.

“Former partner …

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A consulting firm under fire: Examining a new criminal probe in opioid crisis

Why resilience training alone won’t fix physician burnout

Physician
June 21, 2024

In my work with thousands of overstressed physicians and over 175 health care organizations, I have repeatedly learned one lesson: resilience training alone is not sufficient to rein in the epidemic of physician burnout.

If you believe, as I do, that physicians are the canary in the coal mine of medicine, then it is clear the epidemic of physician burnout is an indictment of the conditions of the mine, not the …

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Why resilience training alone won’t fix physician burnout

The secret to clear EMR notes

Health Technology
June 21, 2024

Are you tired of spending hours deciphering your colleagues’ EMR notes or struggling to understand your own? Excessive details in documentation can lead to confusion and decreased productivity. Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It’s time to declutter your documentation and unlock the benefits of clear, structured clinical notes.

Why you should write clearer notes

Bloated notes clutter up space on your screen and in your thought process, …

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The secret to clear EMR notes

How oncologists and patients build lifelong connections

Physician
June 21, 2024

Oncology is a kind of specialty in medicine that involves seeing the same patients for many years. This can be beneficial when your patient is cured in cases of limited-stage disease or if the disease is stable on treatment for a long period of time in cases of advanced disease. In both scenarios, you follow the patient closely regularly and form a strong bond with them, even if you don’t …

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How oncologists and patients build lifelong connections

Lewy body dementia: a journey through hallucinations and imagination

Conditions and Diseases
June 20, 2024

An excerpt from The Sea Glass Epidemic.

… It was at this time the mouse asked Beth if he could bring over some friends. Naturally, Beth assumed the mouse was talking about other mice. Much to her surprise, the mouse ran into the kitchen, walked under the doorway into the laundry room, and disappeared behind the water heater.

“Be right back,” he called over his shoulder. A few minutes later, the …

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Lewy body dementia: a journey through hallucinations and imagination

My fear of pharmaceuticals stole a decade from me

Conditions and Diseases
June 20, 2024

I have a cat.

That’s my go-to answer when people ask me if I have children. It’s just easier than saying my refusal to take FDA-approved medications for severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) stole a decade of what could have been normal life from me.

Studies show it takes an average of 17 years for patients with OCD to receive adequate therapy. Thankfully, in the past ten years, this duration is starting …

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My fear of pharmaceuticals stole a decade from me

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