Can we finally say goodbye to opioids? There may be new pain relief on the horizon.

Meds
February 13, 2024

In an article I recently wrote about a new calcium channel-blocking medication that could be effective in treating central chronic pain, I mentioned that medications like lidocaine block sodium channels to prevent the transmission of pain through the peripheral nervous system. I also said that these medications have limited use, usually just in the ER, because they are short-acting and injected, though there is a lidocaine patch that some …

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The secret superstitions of surgeons: How rituals impact surgical success

Physician
February 13, 2024

“Man is a dupeable animal. Quacks in medicine, quacks in religion, and quacks in politics know this, and act upon that knowledge. There is scarcely anyone who may not, like a trout, be taken by tickling…there is scarcely a disease for which a charm has not been given.”
– Thomas J. Pettigrew

As a surgeon, when I routinely went to the OR, I had a ritual. I would …

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Patient engagement: the missing piece in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 12, 2024
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Join health care executives Susan Montminy and Marlene Icenhower as they discuss the critical topic of patient engagement in health care. In episode, Susan and Marlene explore the impact of patient engagement on provider satisfaction and health …

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How do we get a critical mass of women physician innovators?

Tech
February 12, 2024

Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson is UnitedHealth Group (UHG)’s chief medical officer, and she recently told Fortune magazine that UHG’s acquisition of physician practices and surgery centers through its subsidiary Optum has allowed UnitedHealth Group to gather “a critical mass” of doctors, which helps the company improve care. She said that the practices that they’ve acquired are not a bunch of “flashy acquisitions” but rather each one “brings the pieces together to …

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Exploring neurodivergence: a specialist psychiatrist’s journey

Conditions
February 12, 2024

I read about a psychiatrist whose interests are in medical ethics and the improvement of medical care for youth coping with the complexities related to neurodivergence and significant mental health conditions. Additionally, she specializes in work with twice-exceptional (2e) individuals – those with exceptional talents and abilities who also navigate challenges related to disabilities or psychiatric illness.

Neurodivergence and 2e individuals are fairly new concepts for me. Back in the day, …

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Now is a good time to reassess your medications with your clinician

Meds
February 12, 2024

Now that we are embarking on a new year, many of us take on annual resolutions with a focus on diet and exercise.  Overlooked is another important way to improve our health: increasing awareness of our medications.

Nearly 4 in 10 adults over the age of 65 living in the United States are prescribed five or more medications. Sometimes these medications are necessary.  But sometimes, they may need adjusting or …

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Nursing in crisis: How administrative tasks are taking a toll [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 11, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Karlene Kerfoot, a nurse executive, as we delve into the nurse and clinician workforce crisis in the United States. Discover the factors contributing to this crisis, the impact of administrative tasks on health care professionals, and …

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Not all patients are on disability

Conditions
February 11, 2024

A recent conversation with a relative inspired me to write this post. She is a physical therapist who often rants about how patients with chronic pain or chronic illness don’t work and are just on disability. I know she’s far from the only health care provider with the same belief. She and her coworkers spend time ranting and complaining about their patients who don’t work and use the therapy sessions …

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Shared decision-making in health care: promise vs. reality

Conditions
February 11, 2024

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a statement on the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) between physicians and patients. This concept, though at least 50 years old, has become popular in the last decade or so, with expectations of improving patient care, satisfaction, safety, care efficiency, and cost reduction. Though some preliminary research appears to support these promises, other researchers have found that it can increase costs and decrease …

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Korean Americans and mental health [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 10, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Dae Sun Hwang, a first-generation Korean American, and Joo-Young Lee, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. We’ll explore the multifaceted intersection of Korean culture and mental health within the Korean American community. From cultural nuances to familial …

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Why lab-grown meat matters: USDA approval and environmental impact

Conditions
February 10, 2024

In June of 2023, a release was buried in the cacophony of news stories that the USDA had approved two companies for selling lab-grown meat. This news followed the FDA’s conclusion that lab-grown meat was safe for human consumption. The two companies, GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods, have been working on various lab-grown types of meat, including steak, seafood, and pork, but have been given the regulatory go-ahead for Chicken.

The …

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How doctors can have successful crucial conversations

Physician
February 10, 2024

One thing that all those years of education, medical training, and textbook studying can never quite fully prepare us for as physicians is crucial conversations with our patients. There’s an element to mastering these conversations that comes with being an attending physician, bearing sole provider responsibility, and having them ourselves. They may start off clunky at first in early practice, but we hope to continually improve with time.

In my practice …

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From fee-for-service to value-based care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 9, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Michael Poku, a physician executive, as we delve into the challenges and solutions for transforming the U.S. health care system. Explore how the fee-for-service model perpetuates health inequities, the importance of value-based care, and the impact …

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There’s no place like home when it comes to health care, except for those who fall through the cracks

Conditions
February 9, 2024

Maria (name changed to protect patient privacy) is a brilliant woman with a troubled health history. After a mental health diagnosis cut short her career as a high-level government official, Maria has struggled with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, depression, and advanced kidney disease, leading to a series of toe amputations and a decade of disability.

She lives alone, about a half-hour from the nearest hospital, where she has been in and out …

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How this country doctor embraced artificial intelligence

Tech
February 9, 2024

I guess you could call me a country doctor. In addition to serving as a chief medical officer and practicing in an office in a small New Jersey town, I co-own an independent family care practice with my wife Kerri in a converted barn situated in the rolling hills and fields of NJ’s “horse country.”

Artificial intelligence may be dominating conversations in Silicon Valley and college campuses, but you might be …

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Empowering Pakistani women: Surviving cancer and challenging traditional norms

Conditions
February 9, 2024

We have a female patient admitted to our oncology ward for a week. I’ve known her for a long time. She works in our hospital’s dental department as a technologist. She is currently 40 years old. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009. She underwent maximum safe resection; it was oligodendroglioma grade 3. She underwent concurrent chemoradiation followed by chemotherapy and received a few more cycles of adjuvant …

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Prioritizing mental health for doctors and families

Conditions
February 8, 2024

In 2022, the World Health Organization released the World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All, which recognizes the critical importance of mental health to everyone, everywhere – including doctors and their families.

The consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and other major issues such as climate change, global conflict, and economic downturns are continuing to have a big impact on the mental well-being of many parents …

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Do parasites predispose to dangerous behaviors in humans?

Conditions
February 8, 2024

Those of you who have followed the game or series The Last of Us will recognize the name Cordyceps. This is the fungus that causes a global pandemic of zombies to break out and start attacking their fellow humans. The writers, in this case, did a good job by using this infection in their story.

Cordyceps is a genus of over 600 fungal species spread around the world called endoparasitoids, meaning …

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Healing the healers: The quadruple aim approach to wellness

Physician
February 8, 2024

As a year comes to a close and another opens to new possibilities, many find themselves contemplating their successes and opportunities for improvements. The holidays are very busy, and the new year brings hope to slow down and reset. For many health care providers, though, the prospect of slowing down is an unrealistic dream.

For many in health care, the profession is not just a career, but an honorable vocational calling. …

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