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How a doctor with cerebral palsy defied the odds and transformed health care

Physician

September 10, 2024

About midway through my pediatric residency program at a well-known children’s hospital on the East Coast in the mid-1990s, I found out what was wrong with me.

I told the chief of the pediatric emergency department, a Jewish woman, that I had finally learned the name of a device after I had patients use it many times. I knew what it was for, but I hadn’t learned its name. It was …

When technology merges with humanity

Marc Arginteanu, MD

Conditions

September 10, 2024

An excerpt from Nephilim.

“Those eggs really hit the spot, right?”

“I’d love some more,” he answered.

“Sure,” Zdenek responded. “One or two?”

“How many do we have?”

Before long, James had wolfed down nine eggs.

“I wonder if it’s the choline,” Zdenek mused as James shoveled. “Eggs have a boatload of choline. Maybe she’s craving it. Orange that is.” James hadn’t touched his toast. “Choline, you know? It might help my baby merge with …

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When technology merges with humanity

Legitimate vs. sham peer review (SPR): Is there a difference?

Tracey O'Connell, MD

Physician

September 9, 2024

For an introduction to SPR, read this overview. Additionally, you can explore the history of SPR.

When summoned for a peer review, how can you tell if it’s a sham? The biggest clue is whether the peer review process seems intended to help or harm you. If you feel sincerely supported by colleagues and the peer review proceedings are uniformly applied throughout your practice, you have less cause for …

AI-powered health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 9, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we sit down with Kyna Fong, a health care executive, to explore the evolution of health technology and its challenges. From the rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) to …

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AI-powered health care [PODCAST]

How health systems can combat a $3B+ patient retention issue

Palak Shah, PT

Conditions

September 9, 2024

In today’s health care ecosystem, patient retention has become a $3 billion dollar issue for health systems, with patient leakage (also known as patient keepage) at its core. Despite efforts to keep patients within their networks, a significant portion continue to seek care elsewhere, leading to financial losses. Interestingly enough, physical therapy proves to be key in improving patient retention, as recent data shows that rehab-related leakage is the number …

Medical gaslighting and strategies to combat it

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

September 9, 2024

An excerpt from Story Treasures: Medical Essays and Insights in the Narrative Tradition.

The Gish gallop – named after American creationist Duane Gish, who challenged the science of evolution – is a rhetorical technique often used by a debater to throw out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs, and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut them in the amount of time it took to …

How to stay calm and lead effectively in high-stress medical emergencies

Stephanie Wellington, MD

Physician

September 9, 2024

Can you remain steady in the midst of chaos—whether in the emergency room, on the unit, or in the clinic? There are times in medicine when chaos ensues. Maybe it’s a trauma rushing into the ER. Or a refractory asthmatic coming into the office who rapidly deteriorates, requiring immediate intervention. Maybe it’s a newborn who is floppy and cyanotic after birth.

Regardless of the clinical setting, there are times when the …

How hypothesis testing could slash legal costs

Howard Smith, MD

Physician

September 9, 2024

There are 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits filed annually. Among them, 52,190 are summarily dropped for reasons unknown; 26,860 are settled; 1,190 result in plaintiff verdicts, and 4,760 in defense verdicts. Only 33.3% of these lawsuits are likely to have merit, while 66.7% do not. To make matters worse, only one out of every 37.5 claims reviewed by attorneys is represented, meaning that 3,102,500 other claims are abandoned for reasons known …

How this doctor turned music into a secret weapon for medical students [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 8, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, we sit down with J.C. Sue, a practicing board-certified family medicine physician and founder of Tune Rx, a medical music study resource. J.C. shares her unique journey of turning complex …

Fighting burnout with deeper human connections

Kim Downey, PT & Lisa Scardina & Wael Saasouh, MD

Physician

September 8, 2024

Kim Downey:

Fostering meaningful connections and building a supportive community has become my mission as I work to stand up for and alongside doctors. I recently connected Dr. Wael Saasouh with Lisa Scardina. During our thought-provoking conversation, Wael said, from his perspective of wearing many hats in business, leadership, clinical, and research, “Once we can collaborate on multiple levels, a solution becomes a lot more attainable!” Lisa and I wholeheartedly agreed. …

Mastering health literacy: the key to taking control of your well-being

Reyhan Haider and Fred Garner, MD

Physician

September 8, 2024

In an increasingly complex world, where technology, science, and medicine are rapidly evolving, health care literacy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The ability to understand and use health information effectively can mean the difference between life and death. However, it is important to distinguish between being health literate and health care literate. While both are critical, they serve different purposes in ensuring successful health outcomes.

Health literacy refers …

Empathy at the bedside: a gaping injury in our training

Dr. Razan Baabdullah

Physician

September 8, 2024

“Please grab a chair and sit,” I told my resident, who was preparing to discuss a procedure with a patient. She smiled. Her confusion was evident in the gentle lift of her upper lip, showing just the tip of her incisors. A touch of surprise was also flitting across her forehead and eyebrows. As surgeons, we are conditioned to be efficient and laser-focused bullet-point communicators with patients and other medical …

How emotional and spiritual connections deepen relationships [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 7, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us in this episode with Diana Londoño, a urologist, for a thought-provoking discussion on the true essence of intimacy. Together, we challenge the common belief that intimacy is confined to the bedroom, …

Doctors under fire: Is the DEA turning them into drug dealers?

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

September 7, 2024

In the state of New York (you already know it’s going to be bad), a doctor and a pharmacist were arrested in a sting operation conducted by a joint task force of the DEA, FBI, IRS, and probably CIA and CBS, though I have no proof of the latter two. The doctor, Mordechai Bar, and the pharmacist, Feroze Nazirbage, have been accused of “violating their oaths,” something you almost never …

Time to get digital in your practice

Robert Murry, MD

Tech

September 7, 2024

Can you imagine if you were shopping online and placing an order took eight hours? What if your order took 26 days to arrive? Sadly, this is the current state of many Americans’ struggles to schedule their doctors’ appointments. We, as physicians, can do better.

Americans are spending an average of eight hours a month managing their health care and are waiting 26 days to see a new doctor in many …

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Time to get digital in your practice

Why isn’t medical advertising regulated like other advertising?

Martha Rosenberg

Meds

September 7, 2024

As long as you live, you will never hear an article from news media contending that “America Runs On Duncan.” Why? Because the line is a marketing allegation created by the advertising company and designed to sell product.

Yet news media repeat medical claims from drug makers found in journals like they are news––which gives Pharma companies free advertising and can mislead consumers and patients.

The most recent example is the “news” …

The heartbreaking reality of smoking: a daughter’s final goodbye

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

September 7, 2024

Fred was the cool guy.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, smoking cigarettes was considered movie star quality. That circling of smoke in his parked car with the girl of his dreams.

He started smoking at the tender age of 15.

Fred had it figured out. Cigarettes were glamorous. Cigarettes were cool.

Doctors advertised that smoking was good for you. It helped you keep weight off, and it relieved your anxiety.

In 1965, the Surgeon …

Why all physicians are leaders [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 6, 2024

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

In this episode, neurosurgeon Leon Moores delves into his book, All Physicians Lead: Redefining Physician Leadership for Better Patient Outcomes. He challenges the traditional view of physician leadership as limited to formal titles, …

Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis

Robert Pearl, MD

Policy

September 6, 2024

In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began breeding and killing cobras for profit. When British officers caught wind of the scheme, they ended the program immediately. In response, the breeders released their now-worthless snakes back into the streets, …

How parental preferences and evidence-based practices intersect to achieve success in intervention programs

Angela Nelson, EdD

Conditions

September 6, 2024

With more than 15 years of experience as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and clinician working with children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents, I have seen first-hand how parent involvement is the key to success in intervention programs. To make an impact on these children’s lives, we need to go beyond simply applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy sessions. This is where parents come in, reinforcing, …

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