The hidden costs of “free” medical interpretation

Physician
December 22, 2023

He is a typical patient of our academic primary care internal medicine practice: elderly, frail, and with several complex conditions, including a history of a liver transplant requiring chronic immunosuppression, recurrent venous thrombosis requiring treatment with blood thinners, and type 2 diabetes. But in one very important way, he is different: our doctors don’t speak his language.

It is his fourth visit in the past six months, and, as usual, the …

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The doctor’s guide to dividend wealth: Building a resilient portfolio with smart investments

Finance
December 22, 2023

Dividend investing, a strategy centered on generating income through regular dividend payments, holds particular relevance for doctors aiming to build a resilient and diversified financial portfolio. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits, risks, and tax implications of incorporating dividends into a doctor’s financial strategy.

Benefits of dividend investing for doctors

Stable income stream. Dividend-paying stocks, often from established and financially sound companies, provide a consistent and reliable income stream. For doctors, this …

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A doctor’s path to recognizing her own humanity

Physician
December 22, 2023

“Today is the first day of the rest of my life!”

I’m sure you’ve heard that many times before; I’m sure I have. But in my obscure point of existence in this endless universe, that statement has never been more accurate than it is today.

Being a physician has been a flame burning inside my chest my entire life. I decided on it when I was three years old, and aside from …

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Time to retire quarantine: Why 5-day isolation guidelines are doing more harm than good

Conditions
December 22, 2023

I’m making morning rounds on the pediatric unit today: First up, 4-year-old twins with a severe asthma flare; next an infant with bronchiolitis on supplemental oxygen; then a dehydrated 3-year-old listless in bed. These children are all hospitalized with viral illness – but none of it is COVID-19. Meanwhile, their sniffling peers fill daycares and classrooms, and my daughter is among them. “Maybe it’s allergies,” I said to myself this …

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From 8-hour to 12-hour shifts: Exploring health care’s changing landscape [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 21, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Bruce L. Davidson, a pulmonary and critical care physician. We delve into the transformation of health care work conditions, from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts, and how this impacts both health care professionals and patient care. …

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Lifelong learning: a game-changer in diagnosing dizziness

Conditions
December 21, 2023

The eyes can’t see what the mind doesn’t yet know – an axiom to remind us not just of the value of lifelong learning, but that the answers are often in the exam room with us.

Though bright and committed clinical people we may be, we’re dragged by the tendrils of a lumbering behemoth. American health care is designed to produce revenue and built to punish highly visible mistakes over more …

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Medical malpractice or miscarriage of justice? A doctor’s ordeal.

Physician
December 21, 2023

In 1999, Sally Clark was convicted of murder. Her son, Christopher, had been born in September of 1996 and by all accounts, had been a healthy baby. Just three months later, an ambulance was called to the home, and the baby was dead.

The mother, Sally, said that she had just put him to bed and found him unresponsive not long after. The police were suspicious; she seemed a little cold …

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Health care advocacy: physicians as changemakers

Physician
December 21, 2023

Advocacy plays a vital role in medicine, especially primary care. It means differently for different people in health care. Health advocacy is defined as “the processes by which the actions of individuals or groups attempt to bring about social and organizational change on behalf of a particular health goal, program, interest, or population.” In an article by Mark Ernest et al., they propose the definition of physician …

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The promise and pitfalls of large language models in clinical applications

Tech
December 21, 2023

Since the unveiling of ChatGPT almost a year ago, the health care sector has been abuzz with anticipation and intrigue surrounding the capabilities and potential applications of large language models (LLMs) within the medical sphere. As senior health care executives know all too well, our industry is no stranger to technological advances. But as with every promising tool, it’s essential to recognize its inherent limitations—especially when patient care and safety …

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Scrubbing in and stepping up: the baseball-medicine connection [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 20, 2023
YouTube video

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Join Stephen J. Foley, a medical student, as we dive into the intriguing parallels between the world of baseball and the field of medicine. Discover how skills from the baseball diamond translate to the hospital wards, and …

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From now on, doctors will not be thrown under the bus when they are sued for medical malpractice

Physician
December 20, 2023

I am an OB/GYN and no stranger to malpractice litigation. As beleaguered as you may feel when you are sued for medical malpractice, the next hurdle to conquer after you are served is when you realize that your own attorney is prepared to throw you under the bus.

You do not deserve this. Whether a complication is an error of nature or a medical error, a complication always precedes a lawsuit. …

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A new vision for success beyond the American dream

Physician
December 20, 2023

Being a first-generation immigrant growing up in the conservative South, I followed the “traditional” vision board. At the age of 40, I reached the American dream: successful mommy doctor entrepreneur, married, raising three kids, living in an affluent neighborhood, driving an environmentally friendly vehicle, investing in real estate, traveling the world, and making yearly charitable contributions.

I made it! OK, great, now what?

My knee-jerk reaction was: Now you do more.

You work …

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AI for health care professionals: How it is used now and how to use AI as a clinician

Tech
December 20, 2023

AI has been all the rage over the past year. Maybe you have played with ChatGPT or encountered yet another news story about the increasing impact of AI on a given industry. In this article, I’d like to break down a few things:

  • What is AI?
  • How is AI already being used in health care and other industries?
  • How can I use AI in my practice?

What is AI?

AI means artificial …

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A physician’s compassion in action

Physician
December 20, 2023

As soon as my stethoscope makes contact with her chest wall, I can hear the wheezing. Not quite as loud as last time, but still there, persistently announcing itself with every exhale. I step back and look into her brown eyes, which are searching mine, filled with a mixture of hope and fear.

“How is your breathing?” I ask Greta (name changed).

“A little worse,” Greta admits. She goes on to tell …

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Private practice: key insights before doctors sign on [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 19, 2023
YouTube video

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Join attorney Dennis Hursh, who brings over 40 years of experience in representing physicians. In this discussion, Dennis delves into the multifaceted world of physicians working in private practices. We explore the motivations driving physicians into the …

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The DEA’s war on addiction doctors

Meds
December 19, 2023

Tennessee Dr. Ralph Thomas Reach is a vastly experienced addiction medicine physician. Continued application of his knowledge and pioneering experience could improve the opioid drug overdose death rate in his state. Unfortunately, the state government revoked his medical license, and Dr. Reach will soon begin serving six months in federal prison, followed by 18 months under house arrest.

After obtaining approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dr. Reach had been treating …

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A difficult case managed well

Conditions
December 19, 2023

As time passes, we have more new names for what we used to call quality assurance, but it appears to me to now be a public relations issue and have very little to do with quality.

Years ago, I returned home about 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night. I had spent the weekend at my lake cabin for some sorely needed time off. As I usually do when I arrive home after …

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The harsh reality of dementia

Conditions
December 19, 2023

Dementia is a general term for diseases affecting memory, thinking, or decision-making, impacting daily activities.

Someone in the world develops dementia, on average, every 3 seconds. That’s 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide. In 2020, over 55 million individuals worldwide were living with this disease. This figure is expected to double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. As you can see, …

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Breaking free: Health care workers pursuing purpose-driven careers

Physician
December 19, 2023

Burnout and visceral discontent are rapidly becoming the most pressing crises for modern health care professionals. The reported rates of burnout and work dissatisfaction exceed 50 percent in practically every specialty of medicine, regardless of the stage of training or career. The impact of COVID on health care professionals, and physicians in particular, is beginning to become clear. The U.S. alone lost over 100,000 physicians to retirement or other careers …

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How today’s physicians juggle legal threats and patient care [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 18, 2023
YouTube video

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We delve into the intricate and challenging world of medical decision-making with L. Joseph Parker, a research physician. Join us as we explore the delicate balance between rapid decision-making and precision in high-pressure medical situations. Joseph will …

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