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Health care in turmoil: costs, shortages, and pandemic strains

Conditions

May 8, 2024

Health care in the United States is in a state of turmoil. Many Americans are struggling to pay for health care. Even if they have health insurance, many have to pay high out-of-pocket copayments and, in the end, feel that what they do pay for is not worth the cost.

As a result of the COVID pandemic, many health care workers faced mounting mental health crises from burnout, physical and mental …

AvertD: Can a simple test help reduce opioid addiction?

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

May 8, 2024

When I heard about the new AvertD genetic test, pronounced like “averted,” I was compelled to contact the CEO of SOLVD Health, the maker of AvertD, and ask him to answer some of my questions. To my surprise, he was willing to do so, and here is what I learned from the training documents that will be mandatory for all prescribing MDs.

First, AvertD is not for use in patients receiving …

Unlock your freedom: Replace “should” with “could”

Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

Physician

May 8, 2024

Intriguing question: What is one word that can free us?

You might think it is love.

Love is so powerful in lifting shame, sadness, and loneliness, but that’s not the kind of freedom I’m referring to. Instead, I’m referring to the freedom to put aside others’ presumed or verbalized expectations of us and do something in our own best interest.

That magical word is “could.” At first glance, this might not seem like …

Challenging health care norms with collaboration and EMRs [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 7, 2024

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

Join Ron M. Aryel, a pediatrician whose journey challenges conventional views on insurance companies and electronic medical records (EMRs). Ron shares his remarkable story of transforming his practice in Reno, Nevada, into a …

How rookie doctors crush their first contract

Ethan A. Nkana, JD, MBA

Finance

May 7, 2024

There are few things in a doctor’s life more exciting and overwhelming at the same time than finding your first job out of training and *gulp* negotiating your first employment contract. For many people, not just doctors, talking about how much money you’ll make can feel incredibly uncomfortable. You might feel overwhelmed or anxious about the process, making you want to sign the first contract that’s put in front of …

Why patient stories matter in medical decision-making

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

May 7, 2024

An excerpt from Narrative Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling through Essays.

I work for an organization that manages the medical and mental health needs of children and adults who are severely and persistently ill. Typical diagnoses in the population I serve include intellectual/developmental disorder, autism spectrum disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use disorder, and many other conditions that impact mood, cognition, reality testing, conduct, and …

Mental health treatment plan goals: Setting providers and patients up for success

Ram Krishnan, MBA

Conditions

May 7, 2024

Treatment plans are crucial to a behavioral health practice as they can help improve client outcomes. Setting mental health treatment plan goals and objectives is a crucial aspect of the process, and providers and their clients need to work together in identifying long-term therapy goals. They should also communicate openly about the objectives used to achieve these goals.

The concept of SMART goals can be valuable here. SMART stands for Specific, …

Virtual rehabilitation of central sensitization syndromes

Hamid Djalilian, MD

Conditions

May 7, 2024

Modern medicine often fails to effectively manage complex chronic conditions. Physicians are often constrained by tightly packed clinic schedules, leaving only brief windows of time for each patient encounter. While this setup may allow for basic diagnosis and treatment planning, there is scarcely enough time for comprehensive patient education, let alone providing the necessary support, guidance, and empowerment that complex patients need.

Fortunately, the post-pandemic surge in telemedicine has brought fresh …

Proposition F and equity in San Francisco [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 6, 2024

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

Join medical student Elizabeth Picazo to explore the intersection of health care and politics. Elizabeth shares her insights on the implications of Proposition F in San Francisco, discussing its impact on marginalized communities …

An internal medicine doctor’s appreciation of a patient’s name

Ryan McCarthy, MD

Physician

May 6, 2024

I limped into work one morning and, tired from the day which had yet to begin, paused when I did not recognize the name of my first patient. This likely meant that I saw him once, enough to—maybe—remember the basics of his health care, but not his name. If that sounded weird, it was the way my brain worked after twenty years of being a doctor.

I pulled up his chart …

The universal impact of health care informatics

Afua Aning, MD

Tech

May 6, 2024

In the bustling city of New York lived a young woman named Emily. Emily wasn’t a health care provider or even remotely associated with the medical field. She worked as a graphic designer, spending her days creating stunning visuals for advertising campaigns.

One evening, while browsing the internet, Emily stumbled upon an article titled “Why Everyone Should Care About Health Care Informatics, Even if You’re Not in the Medical Field.” Curiosity …

Micro-corporations and employment lite contracts [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 5, 2024

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

We delve into the world of alternative career paths for physicians with Tod Stillson, a seasoned family physician and entrepreneur. Discover how chance encounters can lead to transformative career decisions as we explore …

Bridging care and culture: a Filipino doctor’s journey in direct primary care

Maryal Concepcion, MD

Physician

May 5, 2024

Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month is an excellent reminder of how essential it is to reflect on how our cultural roots shape our personal and professional journeys. As a Filipino creator and connector, I have always been drawn to the values ingrained in me from my upbringing in a collectivist society. These values, centered around social harmony and interconnectedness, have profoundly influenced my career path, culminating in becoming a …

A proven way to crush burnout and financial loss of your private medical practice

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Physician

May 5, 2024

Unfortunately, the widespread financial opinions and advice to private medical practice physicians suffering from inadequate practice income today are dominated by a tsunami of experts outside of the medical profession. This includes the administrators and medical education scholars who are in the perfect position not only to diagnose the core problem but also to correct the core cause. So, why haven’t they done it?

Over the last two decades of increasing …

Boundaries in health care: Navigating personal and professional balance [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 4, 2024

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

Join emergency physician Shideh Shafie as we delve into the crucial topic of setting boundaries in the medical profession. Shafie shares her personal experiences navigating the delicate balance between personal and professional life, …

Challenges of the past: a physician’s story

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

May 4, 2024

My friend is a young physician working in the same hospital as me. We have known each other since childhood. She lived next door to me until we both started high school when she moved to another locality in the same city, but we remained in touch. We started our med school together later on, and this relationship became stronger over the period of years till the completion of our …

Patience and purpose: essential lessons on transformation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 3, 2024

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

Join Diane Shannon, an internal medicine physician and physician coach, as we delve into the captivating story of Herbert, a monarch butterfly. In this episode, we explore the profound lessons it holds for …

From struggle to success: inspiring tales of resilience

Osmund Agbo, MD

Physician

May 3, 2024

For a man whose name is synonymous with genius, it’s hard trying to imagine Albert Einstein as a prodigal son whose father died believing he was a complete failure. Yet, at school early in his life, he skipped classes and made close to failing grades. Legend has it that he was so uninspired by his own performance to the extent that, at some point, he considered dropping out and pursuing …

Should we teach business literacy to medical trainees?

Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD

Finance

May 3, 2024

Today is the day I live for as a hematology/oncology fellowship program director. There are balloons filled on stage, dinner buffet stations brewing in the back of the conference room, and fellows entering with their proud families in tow for the graduation ceremony. On average, our graduating fellows have completed 14 years of education and training since high school and are finally about to enter the workforce as full-fledged oncologists. …

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