Physician

Physicians writing on KevinMD about the life of the profession: the work itself, the exhaustion, what women physicians are paid and asked to carry, the losses the profession has been slow to name, and who decides how physicians work. Five maintained records draw on this archive: Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words, Primary care: what physicians say, in their own words, Women in medicine: what women physicians say, in their own words,, Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words, and Physicians and administrators: what physicians say about who runs medicine, in their own words.

Tips for Haiti earthquake relief: How to find the right charity for donations

Erin Marcus, MD

Physician

January 15, 2010

It’s impossible to watch coverage of the immense suffering in Haiti and not want to help. But many charitable groups seem to have sprung up since the disaster, and it’s tough to know which ones will be most effective at getting your donation to those most in need.

To try to sort out the difference between the major aid groups, I asked Haitian-American community organizers, as well as physicians I know …

Haiti relief effort may be too late to help the earthquake victims

Kevin

Physician

January 14, 2010

Originally posted in MedPage Today

by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent

Two days after a powerful earthquake shattered Haiti’s capital city, relief workers are finding it tough to provide needed medical care, coordination for the efforts is lacking, and time is running out for those trapped in the rubble.

“The window they talk about is 48 to 72 hours,” said Irwin …

Why the Haiti health crisis will be worse than Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath

Kevin

Physician

January 13, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent

The powerful earthquake that hammered Haiti Tuesday afternoon has created a medical nightmare, those familiar with the country say.

“I can’t even imagine the kind of horror we’re going to see in the next two to three weeks,” said Steven Williams, MD, an internist at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh …

The Haiti earthquake damage to hospitals and health care infrastructure

Kevin

Physician

January 13, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent

The powerful earthquake that hammered Haiti Tuesday afternoon has left healthcare in the impoverished Caribbean nation in even worse shape than before.

Several hospitals have been seriously damaged and others are swamped by casualties from the magnitude 7.0 quake.

“We are seeing wave after wave of vehicles coming from the Port-au-Prince …

Why I had to fire my primary care doctor

Susan Giurleo, PhD

Physician

January 12, 2010

I like my PCP. She is knowledgeable, kind, efficient, and trusts that I know my body best. All great qualities in a doctor.

But I need to fire her and find someone new. Why? Her support staff and their administrative systems don’t work for me. They make it difficult for me to access timely care and I dislike that very much.

Some background: I rarely visit the doctor. Overall, I’m healthy and …

How a psychiatrist can write 100,000 prescriptions a year, and what that means for primary care

Matthew Mintz, MD

Physician

January 8, 2010

The Miami Herald is reporting an investigation of a psychiatrist who wrote almost 100,000 prescriptions a year. Sen. Grassley and the feds have halted payment to this Miami psychiatrist who stated that “he prescribes only what is medically necessary” and “works long hours, seeing patients for 10 minutes at a time and many of his patients need four or five medications.”

I have no personal knowledge, interaction, acquaintance with psychiatrist Dr. …

Doctors owe their patients some fiduciary responsibility

Kevin

Physician

January 7, 2010

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Jeff Brown, MD

Fiduciary responsibility is the obligation for people entrusted with financial affairs to act in their client’s best interest, theoretically being both transparent in their dealings and accountable for them. Typically, this applies to CPAs, lawyers, financial advisers and the like. Would that it were also true for our legislators, but that’s a story for another day. To the point, physicians do not usually think …

The story behind a whistleblower doctor license reinstatement hearing

David K. Cundiff, MD

Physician

January 6, 2010

After the LA County + USC Medical Center closed my Pain and Palliative Care Service because of budget cuts in 1995, I spoke out publicly about the dysfunctional financial reimbursement system funding charity care in LA County.

For example, when my consultation service controlled the pain and distressing symptoms of over 400 terminally ill cancer and AIDS patients per year and discharged them to home hospice programs, the hospital lost about …

Public hospitals are the unsung jewels of our healthcare system

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD

Physician

January 5, 2010

Public hospitals have a bad rap. They’re viewed by many as hospitals of last resort, and most patients with private insurance do anything to avoid them.

As a long-time physician in a public hospital, I’m sensitive to this reputation. I wouldn’t work in my hospital if I didn’t feel that it delivered excellent health care. I’m certainly aware that private hospitals have amenities that public hospitals can’t afford, but many of …

A cockpit checklist to improve patient safety

Kevin

Physician

December 29, 2009

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Chris Emery, MedPage Today Contributing Writer

Medical teams should take a lesson from airplane crews, a new study concludes.

Medical personnel who used procedural checklists modeled after preflight checklists used by airplane crews were more likely to report safety-related incidents and feel empowered to address safety issues, according to an online report in the Dec. 21 …

Issues surrounding videotaping surgeries in the operating room

Dr. Martin Young

Physician

December 23, 2009

The rapid advance in digital video and still camera technology has found its way into the operating room.

There is the potential to capture and record just about every minute of every surgical procedure in some way. The newest endoscopic camera systems and operating microscopes have integrated systems to record video footage. Storing all that data is just the press of a button away.

The advantages for surgeons are obvious, like the …

How doctors can afford to have a vacation

Kevin

Physician

December 22, 2009

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Jeff Brown, MD

Now this is a fun topic. I’ve always liked writing, “For a vacation” on a script pad for those stressed out patients who need to go on one. Even a weekend away, or in this economy, a “staycation.” It’s good for the soul. And it’s a good use of medical authority to help your patients.

…

How only lawyers can determine medical standard of care

Michael Kirsch, MD

Physician

December 20, 2009

by Michael Kirsch, MD

A medical malpractice case was recently filed against me.

I received the thick envelope from noble and altruistic Cleveland barristers about 6 weeks ago. Once again, I saw my name in the good company of many other physicians and our local hospital. I reviewed my medical records and felt comfortable with the care I had provided. In a medical malpractice case, quality of medical care is important, …

Best ways to get more patients for your medical practice

Kevin

Physician

December 18, 2009

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Ed Rabinowitz

Pump up the volume. That’s what physician practices would like to do, and it has nothing to do with louder music. An increase in patient volume is the goal of virtually every practice. Even though the economy is struggling, there are still things physicians can do to increase the foot traffic passing through the practice’s corridors. And according to Drew Stevens, PhD, a practice management …

How an iPod Touch can make you a better doctor

Iltifat Husain, MD

Physician

December 17, 2009

There has been a great deal of commentary profiling medical applications that are useful for healthcare providers. However, there hasn’t been much talk about how mobile medical applications can enhance the doctor-patient experience and in turn help optimize your practice’s overall experience. In future posts, we’ll focus more on applications for medical providers, but this post will discuss applications centered around the physician-patient relationship.

12 most important medical advances of the decade

Dr. Charles

Physician

December 16, 2009

As the first decade of the 21st century comes to an end, it is interesting to look back and reflect on the most significant medical advances we’ve seen. I’d like to present 12 medical advances that I consider to have been the most important over the past decade, and I’d like to ask you, the wider world, to contribute in two ways:

– Add your nomination in the comment field regarding …

Read more…

12 most important medical advances of the decade

What’s a typical day of a primary care doctor like?

Edward J. Volpintesta, MD

Physician

December 14, 2009

It’s common knowledge that fewer medical students are entering primary care and that patients are having a hard time finding a primary care doctor. Part of the reason is that insurance companies place little value on much of the work that primary care doctors do.

Even though physicians’ complaints are seen in the medical and lay media, it is rare to see descriptions of a primary care physician’s “typical day” in …

Should health care workers go to jail for medical errors?

Robert Wachter, MD

Physician

December 11, 2009

Two years ago, I wrote about the case of Julie Thao, the Wisconsin nurse sent to prison for a medication error. I argued then that – although Julie bypassed some safety rules – she most certainly did not deserve jail time.

Along comes another case involving jail time for a medical mistake, this one featuring an Ohio pharmacist named Eric Cropp. I became aware of Eric’s case through the efforts of …

Will electronic records raise the legal standard of care and increase malpractice risk?

Kevin

Physician

December 10, 2009

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Robert J. Mintz, JD

As EHRs are widely adopted and the quantity of information about a patient expands dramatically, does provider liability increase even if the quality of care is vastly improved?

What happens if the quality of care really does get better but because of all the new and easily accessible information, the standard of care for …

The inpatient, outpatient divide in patient care today

Helen Kao, MD

Physician

December 7, 2009

As the health reform debates continue, I am struck by the lack of attention to what seems to be a critical issue in poor health care delivery.

With the technologizing of medicine (and more recently the hospitalist “movement”), delivery of health care has come to be centralized around acute care hospitals. Over time, patient care has been divided into acute inpatient care and ‘ambulatory’ outpatient care. While transitions of care, hospital-at-home, …

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