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Providing clean water to remote villages: the dialyzer filtration system

Conditions

February 12, 2023

Those of us who live in developed nations generally take for granted that we have ready access to clean water. Yet, the World Health Organization estimates that over two billion people worldwide must drink unsafe water. This problem is often greatest in remote areas of developing countries. Ingestion of water from rivers, wells, and other sources that feces have contaminated induces diarrheal …

Opioid addiction: Understanding the risk factors with a predictive model [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 11, 2023

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In this episode, we’re discussing the opioid epidemic and its impact on our society. Our guest is Gary Call, a family physician, who shares the emotional and financial cost on individuals and families caused by opioid addiction …

Patients lose when states block independent doctors

Jaimie Cavanaugh, JD and Daryl James

Policy

February 11, 2023

Patients win when independent doctors open shop. More choice means improved service and lower costs for everyone. Yet states often intervene to shut down health care competition.

Virginia regulators blocked Maryland-based radiologist Mark Monteferrante when he tried to expand his independent practice across state lines. Alabama regulators stopped family physician Nancy White when she tried to offer residential drug treatment at a 16-bed facility. And Iowa regulators stalled ophthalmologist Lee Birchansky …

The ICU nurse shortage: How cost-cutting is endangering patient care

Anonymous

Conditions

February 11, 2023

Recently, I read an article by an ICU nurse that discussed the disturbing trend of replacing seasoned nurses with inexperienced ones in the name of cost-cutting. This issue is not limited to the ICU but is rampant in every area of nursing.

As a psychiatric nurse with 45 years of experience, 35 of which were as a board-certified psychiatric nurse, and a former mentor and preceptor, I have witnessed the …

Surviving and thriving: the new reality for chronically ill children

Christine Marie Deeths, MD

Conditions

February 11, 2023

My daughter was born with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF has been a catastrophic disease, historically fatal in childhood. CF is not pretty; it affects nearly every organ system, slowly and systematically damaging them. People with CF have thick, sticky mucous, which clogs their airways, pancreatic ducts, sinuses, and intestines. This mucous causes numerous health issues.

CF has been around for a long time. In the Middle Ages, a poem warns parents, …

Why reaching your goals won’t bring lasting happiness

Victoria Silas, MD

Physician

February 11, 2023

It’s January, so much of social media, news, magazine articles, and the like turns to goals, goals, goals.

Having a goal for your life is like having a diagnosis for a patient.

Now you have a direction (for healing). You know what you have to do to get there (the specific treatment), you know what the obstacles might be (complications), and yet you have to keep an open mind in case you …

Why being a perfectionist can be good for patient care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 10, 2023

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In this episode, we welcome Scott Abramson, a neurologist with over 40 years of experience in the field. We discuss the topic of perfectionism in the medical profession, and how it can have both positive and negative …

Breaking the glass ceiling in medicine: the struggles and strengths of female doctors

Rosalind Kaplan, MD

Physician

February 10, 2023

There’s some pretty good evidence out there that women physicians provide really good medical care—in some cases, better than their male counterparts. For instance, a 2017 study showed that hospitalized Medicare patients under the care of a female doctor had lower rates of 30-day mortality and readmission to the hospital than those cared for by a male doctor. A study in Canada in 2016 found that patients of female doctors …

Health care’s future with ChatGPT: Exploring the potential of AI in medicine [BONUS PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 10, 2023

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In this episode, we are joined by Harvey Castro, a physician, health care consultant, and serial entrepreneur, to discuss the exciting potential of the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) in the field of medicine and health care. ChatGPT …

Focused to a fault: Medical education and how it holds us hostage from living well

Douglas Sirutis

Education

February 10, 2023

One of the head-scratchers about American culture is that anxiety, depression, unwanted weight gain, and a soaring prevalence of lifestyle diseases clearly plague our society. Yet, the primary metric we use to measure our country’s “success,” GDP, doesn’t even account for this suffering.

Society has a variety of needs that must be met to be truly successful, not just economically productive. As Senator Robert Kennedy memorably said, “GDP measures everything …

Only physicians can find the balance between tradition and active disruption

Jay Shah, MD

Physician

February 10, 2023

It is clear to most of us who practice medicine that the medical system is at a crossroads unlike any other in recent history, between competing crises of uncontrolled medical costs, escalating administrative burdens, consolidation and employment of physician practices, burnout, and the rapid development and entrance of new, largely untested technologies. I am sure that I am not alone as a physician who wonders what will the medical system …

Doctors and dating: the challenges of balancing a demanding career and personal life

Anonymous

Physician

February 10, 2023

The word “career” has two meanings. A career in medicine fulfills both meanings quite neatly. In the traditional sense, it can be defined as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life. On the other hand, it can mean moving swiftly and in an uncontrolled way. As in, “Her car careered across the road and into a ditch.”

Being a physician is a blur of late nights, cold …

How female physicians are changing the game for women entrepreneurs [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 9, 2023

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In this episode, we have Samantha Lai, a medical student as our guest. She will discuss the disparity in venture capital investment for startups led by women, and how this gap can be narrowed by encouraging female …

The unexpected gift of friendship in trying times

Aine M. Greaney

Conditions

February 9, 2023

I spotted her on the opposite sidewalk, standing right next to the idling police cruiser. Petite. Brunette. Late 80s and leaning over her red walker as she stared, transfixed, as the EMTs eased her husband into the back of the ambulance.

A few minutes earlier, one of the many sidewalk onlookers had explained: “Poor old man was just crossing the street. Someone said he’d just gone to buy a bagel for …

Why the name “emergency medicine” is no longer adequate: a call for change

Jordan Hughes, MD

Physician

February 9, 2023

I am an emergency physician in training. It’s a thrilling and rewarding job learning to treat the severely ill and injured. But it is also a rare clinical shift when I don’t treat patients with life-limiting alcohol and drug addiction, people struggling with homelessness, those whose behavior does not allow them to safely be in a shelter with others, undocumented immigrants with nowhere else to turn for aid, uninsured patients …

Trauma motivated me to become a doctor

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

February 9, 2023

“Raise your hand if you said you wanted to become a doctor to help people during your medical school interview. I see practically every hand in the room raised. Keep them raised if you told your interviewer you also wanted to become a doctor to overcome personal trauma.”

Everyone lowered their hands.

“I’m dismayed there are no honest people here,” I joked to attendees at an annual meeting of the American Psychiatric …

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Trauma motivated me to become a doctor

Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

February 9, 2023

My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn’t mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen. There was no way to stop it, so we just had to live with it. The changes were slow in coming, and eventually, my being responsible for everything just fell …

A thank you to those who take care of us

Eddie Fatakhov, MD, MBA

Physician

February 9, 2023

As patients, we often think of our health care providers as infallible beings who can easily handle their profession’s emotional and physical tolls. However, the reality is that health care professionals are human too, and they are not immune to the effects of burnout, depression, and even suicide.

One forgotten fact about our health care system is that providers are constantly exposed to the suffering of others and are faced with …

How occupational therapy can help the anxiety epidemic [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 8, 2023

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In this episode, we have Taylor Gurley, a professor of occupational therapy as our guest. She will be discussing the new recommendation by the United States Preventive Services Task Force for primary care physicians to screen their …

A doctor’s journey: Navigating chronic disease and empowerment through life coaching

Kimberly Jackson-Bekemeier, DO

Conditions

February 8, 2023

On January 2020, I got the dreaded call: You have Type 1 diabetes. The rest is a blur. I went into a global pandemic, one of the highest risk categories, a red lab value that stared at me “HgbA1c > 15.”

As a family physician, I was supposed to manage patients and ease their fears. I was supposed to know all about the disease management of a “bread and butter condition” …

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