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The silent cry: somatic symptom presentations of Chinese heritage patients

Michelle Zhu, Angela Liu, MD, Ashley Wu, MD and Thomas Pak, MD

Conditions

January 28, 2025

Returning home from medical school for the holidays, I had an all-too-familiar experience for medical trainees, but with a cultural twist. My Chinese American family bombarded me with medical questions. “I wake up at 4 a.m. every day, 不舒服 (bù shū fu; body feels uncomfortable), feels like 心跳 (xīn tiào; heart palpitations).” “I get woken up at 3 a.m. every day, 胃痛 (Wèitòng; stomach pains), but I …

When “do no harm” falls short: a pediatrician’s plea for long COVID care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 27, 2025

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Navigating the uncharted waters of long COVID in children, Elham Raker shares a deeply personal journey of advocating for her daughter’s health while questioning the medical system’s approach to chronic illness. This episode …

How motivational interviewing transforms patient care and outcomes

Physician

January 27, 2025

Dr. Steven Pearce, Dr. Bruce Berger, and I had an inspiring discussion about motivational interviewing. Bruce offered specific and practical suggestions for clinicians to help patients explore their motivation for treatment adherence. Steven responded, “I’m thrilled. I’m sitting here saying I can’t wait for him to give me more examples because I’m going to go use them in about an hour!”

Dr. Steven Pearce is a practicing gastroenterologist and creator of …

The lie destroying medical careers: How lack of business education is ruining physicians

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Physician

January 27, 2025

Most physicians subconsciously know there are many significant and persistent challenges to their ability to reach their ultimate medical practice potential. Coupled with the intense pressure all physicians are increasingly being forced to tolerate over decades of independent medical practice, they gradually become indentured servants of the medical-industrial complex.

The three sources of administrative manipulation of medical careers stem from the overriding desire for government control, not just of health care, …

My totally wrong expert predictions for health care in 2025

Michael L. Millenson

Policy

January 27, 2025

January

In a blistering commentary, the American Medical Association’s flagship journal, JAMA, condemns the corrosive effect on patient care of the profit-seeking practices of health insurers. Separately, the organization announces that it’s selling the 13 journals in its JAMA Network to a private equity firm for $375 million “in order to enhance our mission of promoting the betterment of public health.”

February

Quickly following up on a campaign pledge to slash the federal …

From the waiting room to billing: How small changes improve patient care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 26, 2025

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Denise Reich shares powerful insights as a patient advocate, highlighting the importance of front desk staff, accessibility, accurate billing practices, and the impact of small changes on patient care. This episode dives into …

4 hacks to improve patient experience in your practice

Denise Reich

Conditions

January 26, 2025

“The doctor was wonderful, but her staff …” “The receptionist was so rude. I won’t be back.” “They never sent the referral even though I called several times.” Ever seen reviews like these?

No matter how good a doctor you might be, you’re not the one making the first impression at your practice. Your office staff and their practices set the tone of the visit. Their conduct can make or break …

How a quiet Sunday in the ER turned into a powerful lesson in female resilience

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

January 26, 2025

It was a Sunday, and the day was bright and sunny. I was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room that day. On Sundays, our hospital typically has only a few staff members present, as most are off for the holiday except for those who are on call.

Interestingly, there were only two patients in the ward that day. All the other patients had been discharged. For the first …

Medical malpractice lawsuits: the hidden cost of social bias

Howard Smith, MD

Physician

January 26, 2025

I write these words after a full week of jury deliberation in the Daniel Penny trial. I now realize that what I have been describing about medical malpractice litigation is a signal of a much more serious problem infecting the social order of the entire country. It goes far beyond 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits filed per year and even the inability, or the unwillingness, of finders-of-fact to discriminate between a …

What early retirement taught me about burnout and purpose [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 25, 2025

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Susan Landers shares her heartfelt journey as a neonatologist navigating the challenges of burnout, the rewards of practicing medicine, and the complex emotions surrounding early retirement. From her intimate experiences in the NICU …

10 transformative ideas to redesign a broken health care system: a doctor’s perspective for a more efficient, cost-effective and patient-focused system

Greg Gafni-Pappas, DO

Policy

January 25, 2025

The U.S. health care system is an inefficient maze of bureaucracy, redundancies, and waste. As a practicing physician, I see firsthand how these inefficiencies frustrate both providers and patients, inflate costs, and undermine the quality of care. If we are serious about transforming health care into a system that works for everyone, we need bold, outside-the-box solutions. Here are just some of the most glaring inefficiencies I see that could …

Why superheroes never get sick: the mask connection

Dale J. Bingham, PA-C, MPH

Conditions

January 25, 2025

A daily dose of sarcasm to trigger some thought, and to ask some serious questions we all should be able to discuss peacefully. These are not necessarily my personal beliefs, lest I need to be attacked at some point by misinformation protector professionals.

But let’s start here: I’ve never known Batman, or Robin, for that case, to ever get ill. And I am old enough to remember racing home to catch …

Humanity’s crossroads: peace or nuclear war?

Nathan Swidler and Jennifer Obel, MD

Policy

January 25, 2025

“We are here to make a choice between the quick and the dead …”

With these solemn words, Bernard Baruch, a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents, addressed the United Nations (UN) Atomic Energy Commission in June 1946. Less than a year had passed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the world stood at a crossroads. Baruch’s message was clear: humanity could either embrace the hope of global peace …

How the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan transforms health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 24, 2025

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Brian Whorley, a health care executive, dives into the groundbreaking Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), exploring its potential to revolutionize medication adherence and patient outcomes. With 54 million beneficiaries eligible, this initiative promises …

How the patriarchy shaped medicine and why it’s time for change

Joan Naidorf, DO

Physician

January 24, 2025

Journalist Te-Ping Chen wrote about the nature of a physician’s career in a recent featured article in The Wall Street Journal where older physicians criticize the younger generation as being less committed to their patients. The article is titled: “Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That’s Not the Job.”

The major point of discussion was the definition of a career in medicine as a “calling” versus a “job,” …

How to thrive as a physician during the U.S. health care collapse

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

January 24, 2025

Yes, I said it. Health care is a dumpster fire—a meme-worthy catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s the chaos that future comedians and historians will roast with gusto, leaving us shaking our heads in embarrassed agreement. My somewhat cynical sense of humor is helping me mentally process the dumpster fire that is the current U.S. health care system. But as bleak as it feels, there’s a glimmer of hope. When health …

Why being mistaken for a student is my secret weapon in medicine

Jason Liebowitz, MD

Physician

January 24, 2025

“Are you the medical student?” the resident asked me in between bites of his vegetable lo mein. We were in the hospital conference room, and I was sitting at the table by the projection screen while he was scarfing down a quick meal before the noon lecture. “Actually, I’m the attending,” I replied. He paused with fork in hand and turned beet red. “Sorry,” he murmured.

I couldn’t blame him for …

When assumptions in health care lead to devastating consequences

Anonymous

Conditions

January 24, 2025

It is heartbreaking to recount the journey my husband and I have been through. My husband, an award-winning triathlete, and I had a rich and vibrant life together. We traveled extensively, taking nine trips in 2014 alone, including attending the World Triathlon Finals in London, visiting Paris, cruising the Hawaiian Islands, and enjoying a helicopter tour. Even in his late 80s, he had a strong spirit, shaped by years of …

How integrative medicine saved a family doctor [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 23, 2025

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Jeffrey Gladd shares his transformative journey from burnout to a thriving career in integrative medicine. Discover how shifting from treating symptoms to addressing whole-person care changed his life and practice. From battling burnout …

How belief and prayer uncover the hidden power of healing

Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

January 23, 2025

Have you ever thought of someone, and then a few minutes later, they called or texted you?

Have you ever felt or had a whole conversation in your mind to later be told that is exactly what someone was saying about you at the same time, even though you were physically in a different place?

How can that be? Is it merely a “coincidence,” or are these beautiful hints from the universe …