Prostate cancer privacy vs. public right to know: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s dilemma

Conditions
January 18, 2024

First, a disclaimer. I do not know Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and I am not involved in his medical care. As an academic infectious disease physician, I am ignorant of the internecine hierarchy of the Defense Department. However, I listen to the news and thus am aware of his recent prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. On National Public Radio, reporters were discussing why the secretary of defense did not …

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Lessons from treating a transgender patient

Physician
January 18, 2024

I was recently reminded that you always learn something from your patients, no matter how long your medical profession is. I was reminded of this when I had the opportunity to treat a young person in transition. I reviewed the chart before walking into the exam room. Among other things, it listed the patient’s chief complaint (i.e., in this case, lower back pain), age of nineteen, female sex, and a …

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From reluctant journaling to healing words: How writing unveiled my life’s journey

Physician
January 18, 2024

Journaling was never my thing. I would buy a pretty journal with great intentions of writing in it regularly. I would write in it daily for a week or two, then forget for a few days, and then forget about it altogether. When I started writing to process some emotions about my mother and my relationship with her, my journal writing was meant to be a brief and cathartic exercise. …

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Data tokenization in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 17, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Adam Mariano, a health care executive. We’ll delve into the world of Big Data and tokenization in health care, exploring how these technologies are revolutionizing patient insights, data security, and health care outcomes. Learn about the …

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How community health needs assessments can assist emergency providers in tackling social determinants of health

Policy
January 17, 2024

Dr. Gray is a young, bright emergency medicine physician who recently relocated to Austin, Texas, to start his first job as an attending. Nervous and excited, Dr. Gray is eager to explore the lively city of Austin and start practicing emergency medicine on his own. After a few months in the city, he noticed higher rates of obesity, homelessness, and uncontrolled diabetes among his patients compared to his prior practice …

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My journey of missed journaling opportunities in the world of medicine

Physician
January 17, 2024

An excerpt from Medicine on Fire: A Narrative Travelogue.

I regret not keeping a diary or journal to write about patient encounters and interactions with peers, residents and attendings, not to mention the sundry characters connected to the academic health center where I trained and practiced. Had I done that, I would have had a lot more material to write about, and my …

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Enhancing patient care: strategies for physicians to prevent medical gaslighting

Physician
January 17, 2024

As physicians, our primary goal is to provide the best possible care to our patients. However, even with the best intentions, medical gaslighting can occur, leading to patient distress and potentially harmful outcomes. Medical gaslighting is not often intentional. It can happen when physicians, under time constraints, facing diagnostic challenges, or experiencing burnout, inadvertently invalidate a patient’s symptoms or concerns.

Just a few years ago, I found myself on the other …

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What doctors can learn from actors about artificial intelligence

Tech
January 17, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine by expanding our knowledge and reducing our workload. However, physicians should tread carefully and take heed of the example set by other industries. For example, AI was at the core of the negotiations in the recent 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. “AI was a dealbreaker,” said Fran Drescher, a union leader of the …

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Meditation: a prescription for physician well-being [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 16, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, retired cardiologist Sarah Samaan delves into the world of meditation. We discuss the perception of meditation in health care, its benefits for physicians, and the scientific research supporting its effectiveness. Join us as we …

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Chicken farming undergoes a radical shift: the rise of cell-cultivated meat

Conditions
January 16, 2024

Following in his father’s footsteps, my son is a third-year medical student and by the time he completes his training, cell-cultivated chicken meat may be replacing meat from slaughtered birds. My home state of Alabama is one of the top chicken-producing states, but in the future, poultry production may take place in stainless steel tanks, rather than chicken coops.

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Tax tips for employed doctors: the allure and hazards of safe harbors

Finance
January 16, 2024

As a dedicated professional, your work is incredibly challenging as you strive to maintain your primary focus on providing excellent patient care. Your inherent business powers that generate revenue make you a highly valued asset in the health care marketplace. This is why many large corporations have offered financial incentives for you to join their employed workforce. As a result, you can expect a predictably substantial paycheck deposited regularly into …

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Medical aid in dying: time for evidence-based legislation

Conditions
January 16, 2024

Medical aid in dying (MAID) is poised to be one of the hottest political health care issues of 2024. As in 2023, more than a dozen states will hold both impassioned hearings in legislative chambers and equally fervent debates in the community. Already, nearly twenty states have introduced bills to authorize MAID this year. They seek to join the eleven states that already authorize MAID for 73 million Americans (California, …

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Why new cancer treatments cannot save us

Meds
January 16, 2024

In 2020, the ICPerMed (International Consortium for Personalized Medicine) published a ten-year vision for how personalized medicine, a new form of medicine, has the potential to rebuild an equitable and accessible health care system by 2030.

Precision or personalized medicines are drugs developed with genomic sequencing technologies, targeting the critical genes in specific types of cancer or genetic diseases. Thus, PMs are highly effective in treating their …

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Why physicians should care about the False Claims Act [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 15, 2024
YouTube video

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Our guest, Scott Ellner, a general surgeon, shares insights and real-life stories that shed light on the challenges health care providers face when financial incentives clash with patient-centered care. We’ll explore the impact of wasteful spending, the …

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The body positivity movement: Has it become toxic?

Conditions
January 15, 2024

Delving into the topic of the body positivity movement requires the unpacking of many other issues facing society today. This topic cannot be looked at in a vacuum.

We live in an era where diversity and inclusion have become core values in many aspects of American life, and body positivity is a subset of that. The body positivity movement actually started in the late 1960s when women were rebelling against other …

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Very rarely, a physician can ask for too much

Finance
January 15, 2024

For over 40 years, I have been harping on the fact that physicians rarely understand their true value when they are looking for a new position. I always advise physicians that they get 0 percent of what they don’t ask for.

In my practice, I review physician agreements and provide a letter on my law firm stationery requesting changes. I frequently need to convince physicians that they should send my letter …

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The “Ozempic body” phenomenon

Conditions
January 15, 2024

In a serendipitous encounter, I crossed paths with an old schoolmate of mine whimsically dubbed Fluffy Carol during our shared medical residency. Famous for her arresting charm and infectious smile, she was, in many ways, the life of the party if we ever had one.

Despite her endearing qualities, one mischievous fellow in our group had bestowed upon her a less-than-ideal nickname that stuck, though it was seldom uttered in her …

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Redefining “defensive” in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 14, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Maryna Mammoliti, a psychiatrist, as we explore the complex concept of “defensiveness” in the medical field and beyond. We’ll discuss why labeling reactions as “defensive” can carry negative connotations, the role of defensiveness as a natural …

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A revolutionary new understanding of the mind/body connection

Conditions
January 14, 2024

There is a widespread belief that the emotional distress we feel causes or contributes to many common medical conditions. However, decades of mind/body research performed by research psychologists who strongly believed this failed to confirm these beliefs. Worse, studies also could not confirm any benefit of stress reduction techniques in the management of common medical conditions.

Then, is there a mind/body connection?

The answer is yes, but it is very different from …

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Medical residency closures: Is nothing sacred anymore?

Education
January 14, 2024

Closing a residency program can significantly disrupt a physician’s training. In 2019, the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia forced 570 residents to find new placements. First-year residents discovered a week before they started that the hospital was closing after its owner filed for bankruptcy.

Fast forward to January 2024. Within days, two additional residency training programs in the Philadelphia area announced closures.

Albert Einstein Medical Center said it was ending its …

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