Why most medical malpractice claims never see a courtroom

Physician
June 18, 2024

In my research on the case selection criteria used by plaintiff medical malpractice attorneys, one very prominent plaintiff attorney in Maryland spills the beans. He proudly proclaims, “We, who are plaintiff attorneys, take on medical malpractice caused by doctors, but we only accept 1 out of every 37.5 cases we review.” This is done unselfishly and without appreciation.

Seen another way, 87,000 medical malpractice cases are filed every year in the …

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30 years in pain management: Transforming lives beyond opioids

Physician
June 18, 2024

Over thirty years as a physician, I have proudly and intentionally developed my subspecialty in pain management. As an interventional physiatrist, it is my chosen calling to improve the quality of life of people in pain and help them get moving again. I’ve had the privilege of overseeing many remarkable recoveries, including those by patients who had little hope when they first came to my office. Though this has been …

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Let’s help grow more intergenerational connections

Conditions
June 18, 2024

There are few things more satisfying than seeing young people and older adults interacting with each other and building an effortless sense of community and belonging. Robust communities include all ages. But such spaces need help to develop and thrive.

Global Intergenerational Week, a celebration of the power of bringing together younger and older people for the benefit of all, has completed its third year. Started in Scotland, this positive initiative …

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One physician’s rules for recovery from burnout

Physician
June 18, 2024

I suffered through burnout twice in my career. Each episode was similar in that feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, and emotional overwhelm were predominant. Each time I felt like a failure as a mother and a physician. However, each episode of burnout differed by involving different triggers and calling into focus different aspects of my work-life imbalance.

For each episode of burnout, I was able to employ some particular methods to recover. …

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Capturing the parent-child bond through music

Physician
June 18, 2024

When Luther Vandross released Dance with My Father in May 2003, he was hospitalized, recovering from a stroke. Despite his condition and minimal promotion, the song quickly became one of the most requested tracks of the time. Its profound emotional impact resonated widely, earning Vandross accolades for Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards.

Vandross was just eight years old when his father …

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A social movement to save primary care [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 17, 2024
YouTube video

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We welcome family physician Michael Fine alongside insights from medical resident Fatima Khan. Join us as we delve into the transformative journey of the Scituate Health Alliance, spearheaded by Michael, and its pioneering …

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A physician’s reflection: Is it time to pass the torch?

Conditions
June 17, 2024

I was at a meeting discussing issues concerning upcoming audits by various regulatory agencies and noticed a change that made me aware of the fact that many years have come and gone since I started this journey in administrative and public psychiatry. I was the only man in leadership at this table. I was the second oldest person at this table. Surrounded by a group of younger, intelligent, and energetic …

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Everyone under the big tent: the international medical graduate

Physician
June 17, 2024

American College of Physicians  

The internal medicine community is broad and varied, with a diversity of internal medicine physicians as its foundation. As we move forward as a country and as health care continues to evolve, we must embrace our diversity and afford equal opportunity to all segments of our physician workforce, including our international medical graduates (IMGs). The American College of …

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Integrating clinical expertise with business acumen for private practice success

Finance
June 17, 2024

I often find that many doctors come to me with doubts and are grappling with the idea that they don’t know how to manage the business aspects of their private practice. However, in working with them, most come to the realization that the truth is that the skills required to run a successful medical practice are not as foreign as they may think. In fact, they are deeply rooted in …

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Understanding obesity beyond lifestyle choices

Conditions
June 17, 2024

Recently, media outlets and social media influencers have been on fire with stories about new “miracle” obesity drugs that promise a quick fix for people wanting to lose weight. Lost in this chatter are the life stories of millions of Americans struggling with obesity and its physical and emotional effects. A vital question is being ignored: how can we continue to allow money to determine access to treatment when many …

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Is the health care system broken or designed this way? [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 16, 2024
YouTube video

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Join vascular surgeon Paula Muto as she dives into the complexities of the health care system in this episode. Drawing parallels to the excitement and challenges of an escape room experience, Paula examines …

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Transforming liver care: the evolution of MASH diagnosis and treatment

Meds
June 16, 2024

The term “revolutionary” is used too often in health care. New imaging modalities, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, advanced medical devices, and artificial intelligence are all regularly proclaimed to be revolutionary to attract interest and attention. But those of us trained in medicine who work in these fields know that revolutions don’t happen—it takes 17 years for new research to reach the translational stage.

In reality, the best we can hope for is …

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Medical students are learning to treat others, but who is caring for them?

Education
June 16, 2024

Imagine being completely consumed by the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Could you do this for a day? How about for a week? What if I asked you to do this all day, every day, for an entire month? Sounds exhausting, right? Medical students are asked to do this for four years. During that time, we navigated a world that was completely new to us in an unfamiliar environment alongside hundreds …

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Why saving interstate telehealth should matter to you  

Physician
June 16, 2024

As cancer clinical trialists with sub-specialized practices, we treat patients from across the country. But while they must travel for treatment, there are clear occasions where we recognize that advice and consultation by telephone, video, and patient messaging are perfectly safe and far more convenient and cost-effective.

Telemedicine across state lines was the legal norm during COVID-19. Patients and practitioners quickly recognized that Americans deserved access to physicians unencumbered by …

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Naloxone: a life-saving tool that needs an upgrade [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 15, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us on this episode as we delve into the complexities of the opioid crisis with David I. Deyhimy, an addiction medicine specialist and founder of MYMATCLINIC. Together, we’ll explore the crisis’ evolution, …

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Addressing obesity: Is there a role for us as specialists?

Conditions
June 15, 2024

I was in rheumatology private practice for just under four years as my first few years out of fellowship. During that time, too many of my patients were coming with obesity complicating a facet of their rheumatic disease. The most common example might be osteoarthritis, where excess weight directly applies force to joints like the lower back, hips, and knees, accelerating the disease and worsening outcomes. A less obvious example …

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Maternal instincts in medicine: the dual journey of motherhood and healing

Education
June 15, 2024

It’s 4:57 p.m., and I’m anxiously tapping my foot in a stuffy cubicle, trying to ignore the pain of my compression socks seemingly cutting off circulation to my feet. I quickly glance at the timer. Thirty-one seconds. I close my eyes and say a quick prayer as I feel the agile kicks of my daughter, who this week is measuring the size of a cucumber! I do one final pass …

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The troubling trend of violating resident physician rights

Physician
June 15, 2024

Resident physicians are vital to the health care system, delivering essential medical services while training to become fully licensed doctors. However, a troubling trend has emerged nationwide, with residency programs and hospitals frequently violating the rights and protections resident physicians are entitled to under employment contracts, state labor laws, and accreditation standards. I personally was forced to deal with these issues, despite having virtually zero knowledge regarding the legal side …

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A day in the life: the unseen struggles of an oncology resident

Physician
June 15, 2024

Yesterday, I couldn’t get up in time in the morning and had to rush to the hospital without breakfast. I was just afraid of getting noticed by anyone from my department that I was a little late. When I reached the outpatient department (OPD), I just got a text from my consultant that he was not feeling well, and I had to see all the patients in his absence. In …

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Catch peripheral artery disease early and prevent amputation [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 14, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us on the podcast as we delve into the hidden epidemic affecting Black and brown communities: peripheral artery disease (PAD). Our guest, Anahita Dua, a vascular surgeon, sheds light on the alarming …

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