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The “doctor” treatment: How to vet physicians for ourselves and those we love

Physician

May 24, 2024

There’s an old Dutch Proverb that goes: “We grow too soon old and too late smart.”

I’m not so sure about the “too late” part. In the almost five years since I walked off the mound for the last time, i.e., I retired from practicing medicine, I’ve learned a lot and maybe even gotten a tad smarter (about some things). I can change my refrigerator water filters with my eyes closed, …

Eye dryness, insomnia, and more: hidden signs you’re in perimenopause

Caissa Troutman, MD

Conditions

May 24, 2024

I am 47 years old and was today years old when I realized I have been going through perimenopause for the last four years. It is only with a retrospective lens that I can review my last four years and pick up intermittent symptoms or even just mild nuisance-level symptoms that I can say are likely from perimenopause.

What is perimenopause? Perimenopause is the transition stage before reaching menopause, which is …

Outdated technology is hurting patients [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 23, 2024

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Join us as we delve into the complexities of modern health care with guest Samant Virk, a neurologist and health care executive. We explore pressing questions surrounding outdated systems and resistance to change …

Pain management for Black patients and painful realities

Osmund Agbo, MD

Conditions

May 23, 2024

This piece is inspired by my recent patient encounter. Within the past week, I received a call from the ER to admit a 29-year-old African-American female whom, for the sake of this essay, I will call Keisha. Keisha presented with severe lower abdominal pain and was found to be in hypertensive crisis. Her systolic blood pressure consistently was in the upper 200s. It turned out that the young lady suffered …

Apple’s new accessibility features: a game changer in health care

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

May 23, 2024

Apple’s new accessibility features—eye tracking, music haptics, and vocal shortcuts—mark a major technological leap to enhance life quality for individuals with disabilities. These innovations promise to revolutionize health care by boosting patient autonomy, care quality, and inclusive design. Here’s a comprehensive look at their transformative potential.

Eye tracking on iPad and iPhone for enhanced patient communication

Eye-tracking technology is a groundbreaking development for individuals with physical disabilities, enabling users to control their …

A simple poem, and a profound message: Exploring Wendy Cope’s The Orange

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

May 23, 2024

Wendy Cope is a poet of modern times. She was born in Erith, Kent. She spent fifteen years teaching primary school in London after graduating from college. She has published five collections of her poems: Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis in 1986, Serious Concerns in 1992, If I Don’t Know in 2001, Family Values in 2011, and Anecdotal Evidence in 2018. Her observation of the commonplace, everyday elements of life …

The credentialing scavenger hunt: Navigating hospital credentials

Mick Connors, MD

Physician

May 23, 2024

If you are a physician planning to move to a new hospital or take a contract job in another state, prepare yourself for the daunting process of credentialing. As a pediatric emergency physician who frequently provides locum coverage, I’m intimately familiar with the cumbersome, repetitive, and costly scavenger hunt that accompanies credentialing at each new hospital. This process must be endured every time, at every hospital, with no sharing of …

A disabled sibling’s right to stay home [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 22, 2024

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Join us for a conversation with Franke James, an activist, artist, and author, as we delve into her book, Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me. Together, we explore the …

The many faces of anger: from frustration to social change

Zahid Awan, MD

Physician

May 22, 2024

Understanding human anger is complex and multifaceted, rooted in a myriad of psychological, social, and even biological factors. We frequently confront personal experiences with everyday people reacting angrily to situations that could be handled with communication and a kind approach. The daily news is filled with violence related to anger.

One of the primary catalysts for anger is unmet expectations. When individuals perceive that their needs, desires, or expectations are not …

How physician groups can beat private equity

Nathaniel Arana

Finance

May 22, 2024

As a society, we should all be concerned about the increasing rate at which private equity firms are acquiring physician groups. Over the last decade, private equity firms have invested nearly $1 trillion in approximately 8,000 health care deals, encompassing a wide spectrum of medical services, from fertility clinics to neonatal care, primary care to cardiology, hospices, and everything in between.

The consequence? Health care has shifted towards a profit-driven model …

Forced immigration and the American dream: a physician’s story

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

Physician

May 22, 2024

My grandfather was forced to immigrate from Japan to Canada in 1910. As I learned, he owned many sake factories in Japan, which were nationalized in a government takeover of certain businesses. Governments do that. The family was heavily burdened, and the government pressured them to move across the Pacific.

Over the next century, our family prospered under the Canadian government, with some family members coming to the United States.

One reflection …

The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)

Amy Vertrees, MD

Physician

May 22, 2024

It is a simple idea, but we don’t think about it. Everyone will leave their job, including us. This thought occurred to me as our office was undergoing a painful turnover. I started my private practice in 2020, expecting it to be a small, close-knit office. I had the vision of practicing medicine as I thought it should be practiced, with attentive and caring staff who truly cared about the …

Assisted suicide legislation: ethical considerations [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 21, 2024

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Join us as we delve into the complex terrain of end-of-life care and the contentious debate surrounding assisted suicide legislation. Cardiologist Joseph E. Marine offers unique insights into the ethical, medical, and societal …

How choosing purpose over design transforms your life and destiny

Miguel Villagra, MD

Physician

May 21, 2024

In our quest for personal and professional fulfillment, many of us meticulously plan our lives, crafting each step to align with our individual preferences and values. This “life by design” approach offers a clear path through the chaos of everyday existence, providing a sense of control and direction. However, while setting up our lives according to our own specifications might bring temporary satisfaction, does it truly offer long-term fulfillment? Contrast …

Xylazine: the lethal ingredient hiding in your pills

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

May 21, 2024

Xylazine has been found to be adulterating pills in America, and doctors will need to understand this new threat. First, xylazine is not “krokodil,” although it produces somewhat similar-looking skin ulcers. Krokodil is a pseudonym for desomorphine, which is created from a precursor chemical called alpha-chlorocodide. Desomorphine is dihydrodesoxymorphine and was developed in Germany in 1932. It is a very fast but short-acting, semi-synthetic opioid used mainly in Russia. Xylazine …

I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.

Casey P. Schukow, DO

Social media

May 21, 2024

I enjoy using social media (SoMe). These social communications-based, user-generated platforms part of Web 2.0 can be a great way to eat up time while scrolling mindlessly through funny posts, “how-to” cooking videos, or find breaking news updates (while being mindful of source reputation, of course). In medicine, SoMe can be an exceptional tool to combat medical misinformation, evolve …

The doctor’s duty: Delivering bad news with care and compassion

Faith A. Coleman, MD

Physician

May 21, 2024

Physicians have the unique duty of giving patients and their loved ones the worst news people can receive. It may be complicated, heavy, dark, somber, terrifying, and hopeless. It may also be a welcome, a relief, an ending, and a beginning. It is as important as anything we will ever say or do with or for our patients.

Research shows that the attitude and communication skills of the person delivering the …

A physician’s psychedelic journey [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 20, 2024

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Welcome to the of psychedelics with our guest, Corina Fratila, an endocrinologist. Join us as Corina shares her journey from growing up in a communist country where psychedelics were stigmatized to becoming a …

When pregnancy becomes a health risk

Jennifer Caputo-Seidler, MD

Physician

May 20, 2024

Recent studies in Cell Metabolism and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pregnancy was associated with acceleration of the aging process. The studies were picked up in a number of lay publications, including Time and the Washington Post. Their results also received extensive attention on social media. The widespread coverage had the media and commenters speculating about potential mechanisms for this …

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When pregnancy becomes a health risk

Exploring the potential of Apple’s biosensing earbuds in health care

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

May 20, 2024

Apple’s recent patent application for a biosensing device integrated into their earbuds opens up numerous possibilities for health care. This innovative technology aims to measure various biological signals from users, including EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG, GSR, and BVP. Here’s how each of these technologies can be harnessed to improve health care:

1. Electroencephalography (EEG). Recording brain waves, EEG sensors in earbuds can monitor brain activity in real time. This capability can …