How do you change the paradigm in a rigid system? When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, my team and I didn’t have a choice. We had built our hospital’s in-person cardiac rehabilitation program from the ground up, but this was a moment of reckoning. Our program would need to incorporate virtual care.
Completing cardiac rehabilitation can increase a patient’s life expectancy by up to five years, Read more…
The acceleration of new Parkinson’s disease cases outpaces other age-related conditions, and as a result, the patient population is growing quickly. In 2022 there were about 90,000 new diagnoses in the U.S., versus the previous prevailing estimate of 60,000. While some of the increase can doubtless be attributed to improved diagnostics and improved access to health care, those factors affect the statistics of other diseases and cannot explain why …
A small, cliquish bevy of nurses was working their way through orientation in the NICU straight out of nursing school. They were happy and thrilled to be accepted into this specialized nursing unit: the NICU.
Practicing good hygiene, washing hands up to the elbows with soap each time one entered a baby’s cubicle, and gowning and gloving was a standard and mandatory protocol before touching the babies.
These were preemies in the …
The opioid addiction crisis has escalated into a formidable challenge within the U.S. health care system, causing widespread devastation. The opioid epidemic has not only devastated communities and individual lives but has also inflicted a substantial economic toll on the health care system. The opioid epidemic has led to a surge in health care costs, stemming from the increased demand for addiction treatment, including psychiatric and psychological evaluations, emergency room …
I recently watched an Indian movie called The Three of Us, which revolves around a woman named Shelujah. She is in her late 30s, very charming, traditional, and intelligent. She works as a marriage counselor, leading a happy married life with one son studying abroad. Shelujah diligently maintains a diary, documenting even her minor daily chores. Often, she becomes engrossed in her thoughts, even failing to respond when called by …
The therapeutic modality developed by Francine Shapiro and referred to as eye movement desensitization reprocessing or EMDR, when embedded in the context of a wider lens, focuses on specific events and feelings with a view to overarching goals. We become who we are in a relationship, and specifically in our earliest relationship with a primary caregiver who shapes our worldview before we can give this active consideration. Subsequently, we develop …
In 1987, Francine Shapiro went for a walk and discovered eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) as a therapeutic technique for traumatic experiences with lasting impact. Some thirty years later, with a substantial body of research confirming its efficacy, the mechanism of action remains a mystery. However, the treatment has expanded to focus on chronic pain, addictions, attachment trauma, among other areas. So, what is EMDR exactly? First and foremost, like …
In a survey conducted by a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing team led by Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, of 21,050 physicians and nurses at 60 hospitals, it was found that more than 40 percent of clinicians were not confident that hospital management would act to resolve problems that clinicians identify in patient care. Close to one-third of clinicians said their values were not aligned with those of their hospital’s …
As a urogynecologist, my clinic is full of women with bothersome bladder issues. And while this likely does not appeal to you, curing incontinence is my favorite clinical endeavor.
Urinary incontinence seems like a minor medical problem. After all, it isn’t heart disease or cancer. However, urinary incontinence has a dramatic and negative impact on the quality of life. On any given day, I talk to women who have stopped exercising …
There’s much to be said about women’s intuition. The instinct a woman has can be so intense that nothing anyone says or does will change her beliefs or feelings. For some women, maybe over time, the intuition has been acquired, but for others, it’s been a gift she naturally has had her entire life. Because of this, we not only know better when something is off or doesn’t seem right, …
This article is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pain is a deeply personal experience and one of the most common reasons why individuals seek medical care in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control …
You’ve undoubtedly heard the buzzwords: ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting. I don’t have much of an opinion about what that all does for your waistline, but I venture to say that ketones may benefit your brain.
Some doctors have recommended, with rock-solid evidence, diets that increase brain ketone levels as part of the regimen to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children. Others claim that high ketone levels are like a magic bullet and …
As the world continues to navigate the challenges posed by respiratory viruses, recent developments have highlighted the urgency of advancing our therapeutic arsenal, particularly in the realm of broad-spectrum antivirals.
1. Winter is here. It is winter again in the northern hemisphere, and with it come the known respiratory viruses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19. Recent reports have also identified a wave of childhood pneumonia in China, not entirely attributable to …
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An illustrated overview of ADHD, addressing common misconceptions and illustrating the real challenges faced by those with the condition. Through comic strips, the narrative explains the impact of ADHD on executive function and daily life, debunking the myth that symptoms are a choice or the result of not trying hard enough. It also touches on the less visible inattentive symptoms, aiming to …
As a non-clinician patient advocate and health care writer, I am frequently reminded of a quotation attributed to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain): “Figures don’t lie. But liars figure.” I am also aware of a second quotation from economist Ronald H Coase: “If you torture the data for long enough, it will confess to anything.”
I find that both quotations apply directly to the U.S. Centers for …
I remember Christmas Eve as a child. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to be awake every second until the morning came. I didn’t want to miss anything! But inevitably, I’d arrive at the Christmas tree the next morning, bleary-eyed and still feeling like I’d missed something important. My wanting mind had taken over and robbed me of being fully awake when it counted. And every …
An excerpt from The Fix Your Depression Handbook.
Most of us strive to be happy loving people. Our tendency to look outside ourselves to find acceptance, safety, love, and completion can misdirect our energies, and have us searching for the pathway to meaning in our lives in places where it cannot exist. It is so important to understand that we were born with everything we need to be happy and …
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
– Maya Angelou
Since my teenage years, I have been watching Bollywood movies of all sorts. Maybe people from the subcontinent like them because no one can relate to these movies other than them.
My favorite hero was Sushant Singh Rajput. I liked him for his personality, his sweet smile, and the genuine look he had in his eyes. When he …
In 2013, I graduated with a BSN, drawn to nursing by a love for science and a passion for helping others. The promise of good pay, job security, and growth opportunities was a marketing pitch so convincing I never thought to question it. Before my first clinical experience, I vividly recall having to attend a self-defense class. At the time, it struck me as both odd and somewhat amusing that …
First, a disclaimer. I do not know Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and I am not involved in his medical care. As an academic infectious disease physician, I am ignorant of the internecine hierarchy of the Defense Department. However, I listen to the news and thus am aware of his recent prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. On National Public Radio, reporters were discussing why the secretary of defense did not …
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