| KevinMD.com

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 2022

"The medical profession hasn’t changed. Our credibility hasn’t changed. Our commitment to care for you – to adore you, to grieve your diagnosis and what it means for you and your family – hasn’t changed. Our advice hasn’t changed. I’m…

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“The medical profession hasn’t changed.

Our credibility hasn’t changed.

Our commitment to care for you – to adore you, to grieve your diagnosis and what it means for you and your family – hasn’t changed.

Our advice hasn’t changed.

I’m grateful for your trust in me.

I wish it didn’t require a cancer diagnosis …

Physicians

Hasan Minhaj’s joke at the expense of DOs

Patrick Wu, DO

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 2022

In September 2021, Hasan Minhaj appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and touted a purported “a war … between MDs and DOs.” In it, he compared osteopathic physicians, DOs, to RC Cola as opposed to the Coca-Cola of MDs, claiming that DOs are “off-brand doctor[s]” (and notably placing MDs above DOs with a slight, almost imperceptible motion of his hand). The bit occurred while Minhaj …

Conditions

Screening for adverse childhood experiences in pediatric primary care made my job easier

Wendy L. Hunter, MD

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 2022

When our pediatric clinic added the PEARLS (Pediatric ACEs and Related Life-events Screener) questionnaire to well-child visits, we were worried that we would uncover trauma that we didn’t know how to address. Our physicians feared that the volume of patients with high scores would be overwhelming. We contended that this additional work was impossible because we don’t have support services like counseling. Beyond that, we expected our patients would be …

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Physicians

My colleagues didn’t take good care of me

Richard E. Waltman, MD

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 20226

I was recently, on two occasions, the recipient of poor care. Care provided by my colleagues. Care that was not good. Care that made me feel sad. Care that did not help me or my patients. First, I was yelled…

I was recently, on two occasions, the recipient of poor care. Care provided by my colleagues. Care that was not good. Care that made me feel sad. Care that did not help me or my patients.

First, I was yelled at by an angry son, who said I had not taken good care of his 89-year-old mother and had “almost killed her.” He told me that information came from the hospitalist, …

Conditions

The high achiever and the motivated drinker

Michaela Weaver

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 2022

I would like to say that this is a story much like the tortoise and the hare, only it isn't. There is only one character in this story, the hare. The High Achiever and The Motivated Drinker are the same…

I would like to say that this is a story much like the tortoise and the hare, only it isn’t. There is only one character in this story, the hare. The High Achiever and The Motivated Drinker are the same character and are driven by the same human instinct.

Have you ever wondered why a strong-willed, intellectually above average, high-achiever tries and fails to say “no” to one glass too many …

Conditions

A PSA from a neurologist to the medical community

Aleksandra Yakhkind, MD

January 3, 2022Jan 3, 2022

Have you ever been to a new city and realized you'd been pronouncing a street or a town name all wrong? Have you ever been from one of those cities and has it broken your heart to hear someone call…

Have you ever been to a new city and realized you’d been pronouncing a street or a town name all wrong? Have you ever been from one of those cities and has it broken your heart to hear someone call Copley Square Cope-ly? Or pronounce the Schuylkill River or Worcester how it is spelled?

This is how neurologists feel when you call a stroke a cerebrovascular accident, or a CVA. It’s …

Podcast

Unsolicited advice from unmatched residency applicants [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

January 2, 2022Jan 2, 2022

"When you enter medical school, you put your trust into an unspoken promise: Work hard, pass all your classes, and you’ll come out as a doctor after four years. While mostly true, this perception doesn’t take into account the residency…

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“When you enter medical school, you put your trust into an unspoken promise: Work hard, pass all your classes, and you’ll come out as a doctor after four years. While mostly true, this perception doesn’t take into account the residency application process and the possibility of graduating without a …

Physicians

Medical-legal consulting as a side gig

Armin Feldman, MD

January 2, 2022Jan 2, 2022

Medical-legal consulting is a great way to use your medical training in a non-clinical field that helps people. I started this field 14 years ago and have trained over 1,600 physicians to be medical-legal consultants. Most physicians do medical-legal consulting as a part-time side gig. All of the work is pre-litigation and pre-trial. I don’t act as a medical expert, and I don’t participate in medical malpractice cases.

There are over …

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Medical-legal consulting as a side gig

Physicians

How physicians can transform through play

Kristin Yates, DO

January 2, 2022Jan 2, 2022

I went ziplining with a group of fellow doctors this summer. It was an activity that was part of my Adventure Retreat for Women Physicians, which was a CME-awarding retreat that focused on having fun. This may sound extraneous, but making time for fun is one of the most impactful things you can do to bring more meaning and satisfaction into your life.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroscientist who …

Conditions

Is it OK to leave your partner in light of a serious emotional issue?

Joel Block, PhD

January 2, 2022Jan 2, 2022

So, your guy or gal is struggling with a serious emotional issue. Is that a basis for bailing? Let's get personal here; if you've got one foot out the door, you're probably asking the wrong guy. One of my key…

So, your guy or gal is struggling with a serious emotional issue. Is that a basis for bailing?

Let’s get personal here; if you’ve got one foot out the door, you’re probably asking the wrong guy. One of my key values is loyalty. But before I start lecturing, let’s take a closer look at this issue.

A well-thought-out answer is important to this emotional quandary. Did your partner come into the relationship …

Patients

Medical errors? Sorry, not sorry.

Iris Kulbatski, PhD

January 2, 2022Jan 2, 2022

You know that feeling you get from an insincere apology? Your stomach flip-flops. Your heart pounds. You feel irritated, disgusted even. A vague dissonance nags at you. It's the same disorienting feeling you get from an insult wrapped in a…

You know that feeling you get from an insincere apology? Your stomach flip-flops. Your heart pounds. You feel irritated, disgusted even. A vague dissonance nags at you. It’s the same disorienting feeling you get from an insult wrapped in a compliment. Or from realizing you’ve been scammed, and the perpetrator got away. That feeling.

Non-apology apologies are easy to identify. They’re the I’m sorry but, the sorry you feel that, the …

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Medical errors? Sorry, not sorry.

Podcast

Being naked with other doctors is a profound experience [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

January 1, 2022Jan 1, 2022

"I am sitting in hot springs deep in the dark and crisp air woods – naked. It has been a day of lectures and workshops at a retreat with my fellow physicians. We are all naked in the effervescent, warm…

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“I am sitting in hot springs deep in the dark and crisp air woods – naked. It has been a day of lectures and workshops at a retreat with my fellow physicians. We are all naked in the effervescent, warm bubbles of the springs. In the dark, I can …

Tech

Virtual organizations in health care

Michael R. McGuire

January 1, 2022Jan 1, 2022

In almost all organizations, an employee has a supervisor responsible for guiding the employee in doing their job. This requires good communication between the two. Currently, in medicine, especially during stays in the hospital, there is a similar relationship between…

In almost all organizations, an employee has a supervisor responsible for guiding the employee in doing their job. This requires good communication between the two.

Currently, in medicine, especially during stays in the hospital, there is a similar relationship between physicians: The attending physician recruits the necessary specialist physicians to provide care for the patient and supervises their care. The difference is that this relationship is just for the patient, and …

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Virtual organizations in health care

Conditions

7 causes of low back pain

Madhu Singh, MD

January 1, 2022Jan 1, 2022

The New Year is a typical time for resolutions, and one of the most common ones is to get healthier. For many of us, a common stumbling block is dealing with low back pain. As a rehabilitation medicine physician, my focus is nonoperative spine care within one of the top orthopedic practices in the country. Let’s talk about the causes of low-back pain and what we can do about it.

1. …

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7 causes of low back pain

Physicians

The healing power of thank you

Thorsen Haugen, MD

January 1, 2022Jan 1, 2022

Recently, I had a patient die unexpectedly in the operating room. I consider myself mentally tough, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced a situation like this, and the impact on me was far greater than I would…

Recently, I had a patient die unexpectedly in the operating room. I consider myself mentally tough, but this was the first time I’d ever experienced a situation like this, and the impact on me was far greater than I would have anticipated.

On its own, the patient dying was a terrible event, but after our futile and desperate attempts to save him failed, I still had to face the horror of …

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The healing power of thank you

Patients

That time my patient swallowed an entire bag of crack

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

January 1, 2022Jan 1, 2022

He was the middleman — the man that took the crack cocaine from the main guy, the drug dealer and then sold it to his "clients" and kept a percentage of the money for himself and the rest to the…

He was the middleman — the man that took the crack cocaine from the main guy, the drug dealer and then sold it to his “clients” and kept a percentage of the money for himself and the rest to the dealer.

It was a fine-tuned operation. You could make a lot of money. But you had to be precise, or else.

The patient was a tall, slim 20-something man. He had a …

Podcast

I will keep my advocacy sword polished and ready [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

December 31, 2021Dec 31, 2021

"I recognize that finding time for staff training and making sure the training is effectively practiced are challenges in a busy clinical setting. But taking care of patients means that both goals must be met to ensure safety, quality, and…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

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“I recognize that finding time for staff training and making sure the training is effectively practiced are challenges in a busy clinical setting. But taking care of patients means that both goals must be met to ensure safety, quality, and best possible clinical outcomes. As one who speaks and …

Physicians

Beware of errors in your medical record

Miles J. Varn, MD

December 31, 2021Dec 31, 20212

Anyone can make a mistake — even your health care provider. And sometimes, those mistakes end up in your medical records. That can cause a variety of issues, including misdiagnosis, medication interactions, missed follow-up testing and care, duplicate testing and billing errors. Fortunately, HIPAA gives you the right to request a copy of your medical records from any health care provider who has treated you so that you can review …

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Beware of errors in your medical record

Conditions

The COVID vaccine is a life raft. I’m not your life raft to get out of it.

Richard Handley, MD, DHSc, MBA

December 31, 2021Dec 31, 2021

It began with a seemingly innocuous text from a friend of the family. "Hi, Richard. I hope you're well. I need to speak with you. Can I call you?" The last time we spoke was at my brother's long-postponed "celebration…

It began with a seemingly innocuous text from a friend of the family.

“Hi, Richard. I hope you’re well. I need to speak with you. Can I call you?”

The last time we spoke was at my brother’s long-postponed “celebration of life,” which we were able to hold a year after his passing finally. Our friend attended the wake, so feeling a sense of appreciation for his support during that time, I …

Policy

CPT coding changes: 5 proven methods of how to do more with less

James Maskell

December 31, 2021Dec 31, 2021

It's well known that coding changes drive provider behavior, and billing behavior drives provider decisions. For the last 30 years, little has changed in health insurance billing, which is why the standard of care within the payer system has remained,…

It’s well known that coding changes drive provider behavior, and billing behavior drives provider decisions.

For the last 30 years, little has changed in health insurance billing, which is why the standard of care within the payer system has remained, well, standard.

Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly everything was turned on its head. Patient demands increased sharply, office visits became impossible or prohibited across most of the country, and with telemedicine, …