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Why isn’t medical advertising regulated like other advertising?

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, …

Empowering female doctors: How investment education can combat burnout and build wealth

Roma Mehta, MD

Finance

September 6, 2024

In today’s financial landscape, it is imperative for women in medicine to take charge of investing their own money. Physicians face a myriad of disadvantages when it comes to wealth building. The average medical student will be saddled with an average of $200,000 in student loan debt. The nature of prolonged medical training puts physicians at another disadvantage, with a high debt-to-income ratio until their mid-to-late 30s, causing them to …

Why hernias are a silent threat to women’s health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 5, 2024

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

In this episode, Shirin Towfigh, a surgeon and hernia specialist, delves into the often-overlooked issue of hernias, particularly in women. The discussion highlights the challenges patients face when dealing with chronic pelvic pain …

Effective strategies to reduce hospital readmissions amidst staffing shortages

Ahzam Afzal, PharmD

Policy

September 5, 2024

Hospital readmissions continue to be frequent despite their negative impact on health outcomes and financial strain on the health care system overall. On average, 14.56 percent of patients across the nation who have been discharged from a hospital, whether to a post-acute care facility or a home, will be readmitted for unforeseen circumstances. Readmissions can be triggered for various reasons and may be inevitable, yet some could be easily …

The long strange trip of psychedelic drugs

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Meds

September 5, 2024

In the mid-1960s, the Grateful Dead were the house band for Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests, parties in which people were “tripping out” on LSD, parties that helped bring psychedelics into the counterculture. Psychedelic drugs have been the focus of extensive clinical research since then, and their potential therapeutic benefits have seen renewed interest in recent years. It’s been a long, strange trip for certain because, despite extensive research, there are …

Should transgender athletes compete in women’s sports?

William Lynes, MD

Conditions

September 5, 2024

Watching the 2024 Paris Olympics reminded me of my intense love for sports. It is the nobility, beauty, strength, agility, and fairness that attract me and the audience. Performances by Simone Biles, with her majesty and strength, to Katie Ledecky’s’ power and domination, surrounded by Olympic and world record performances, often bring me to tears. These attributes have abounded in Paris, but unfortunately, something foul is also afoot.

Sexual and gender …

Rising ER wait times signal larger health system challenges

Aiden Feng, MD, MBA

Policy

September 5, 2024

Emergency department (ED) wait times are on the rise across the United States, a troubling trend that reflects deeper systemic challenges in the nation’s health care systems. According to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the median time spent in the ED has increased from 2 hours and 15 minutes in 2018 to 2 hours and 40 minutes in recent years. Data from …

Living out of a car to pursue a dream: the true price of becoming a doctor [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 4, 2024

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

We sit down with Christina Stach, a medical student who shares her powerful journey of navigating the financial hardships of medical education. Christina’s story sheds light on the unique challenges faced by first-generation, …

The cost of exhaustion: Resident fatigue is a public health emergency

Medha Venigalla

Education

September 4, 2024

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in resident unionization across the country, driven largely by the grueling working conditions many residents face. While the most pressing issues are pay and burnout, one contributing cause is the long hours of training that contribute to resident sleep deprivation – a serious threat to resident health and patient safety. Despite duty hour restrictions imposed by the Accreditation Council for …

Cultivating joy beyond the clinic: a physician’s tale of rediscovering hobbies

Ben Reinking, MD

Physician

September 4, 2024

It smelled like hay, molasses, and mice. I really hoped there wasn’t a mouse in the oat bin again. It was early fall, and the pasture was eaten to the ground, so the horses received “special oats” with some molasses and corn added so they could head into the winter with extra fat stores. They loved it. So did the mice. I lifted the lid. No mice. Phew. I filled …

From anaphylaxis to food allergy freedom: a family’s journey down under

Nina Marković Khaze, PhD

Conditions

September 4, 2024

My daughter Amelia’s first bottle of formula was a turning point. The innocent act triggered a terrifying anaphylaxis that catapulted us into a world of food allergies. As a young mother, the diagnosis was a gut-wrenching blow. Every food label became a riddle to decipher, and every social event a logistical nightmare, as we didn’t want our daughter to grow up facing the social exclusion, bullying, and isolation that all …

How coaching saved my life and helped me find freedom from burnout and anorexia

Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD

Physician

September 4, 2024

In 2019, I bought a condo, as growing up with the image of the American Dream told me to buy a house as soon as I could. I loved my little condo, but I felt trapped.

I decorated the rooms and made it a home, but it wasn’t me.

In 2020, I sold it and nearly everything in it, minimizing my belongings. This was not the most economical decision when it came …

Physician collective negotiations: Securing fair compensation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

September 3, 2024

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

Join us as we explore two compelling case studies featuring Jon Appino, the driving force behind Contract Diagnostics. In the first, three interventional radiologists, earning over $700k but under-compensated by market standards, sought …

Michael Bloomberg’s $600 million donation to Black medical schools sparks major change

Osmund Agbo, MD

Education

September 3, 2024

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York City mayor, has once again demonstrated his commitment to equality and social justice. Through his Bloomberg Philanthropies, he announced a monumental $600 million donation to four historically Black medical schools in the United States. This follows his Greenwood Initiative’s $100 million gift in September 2020, aimed at reducing student debt for these institutions.

Other major donors have also made significant contributions to HBCUs. MacKenzie …

The future of health care depends on hands-on training: We cannot afford to cut corners

Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C

Education

September 3, 2024

Imagine walking into a doctor’s office or hospital and being treated by someone who has never actually touched a patient before. Sounds absurd, right? Yet, this could become a reality if we continue to push aside the hands-on training of our future health care providers.

This may seem extreme, but it reflects a recent message sent by HR to one of our most dedicated preceptors. (Parts of the message are redacted …

A doctor’s journey in embracing her identity

Amna Khan, MD

Physician

September 3, 2024

I am the combination of two very different worlds—my mother is originally from El Salvador and Catholic, and my father is from Pakistan and Muslim. My parents are original trailblazers in my mind, creating a life together despite the unsure gaze of their respective families, who questioned the durability of their relationship, largely because they had never experienced one like theirs before. As a child and into adulthood, I felt …

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