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Medical ethics in a changing world: Navigating identity and patient care

Physician

April 20, 2024

My buddy John and I fortuitously found ourselves enacting roles in an impromptu theatrical production last week. As medical practitioners, the thematic essence was predictably centered around matters concerning patients. The scene unfolded thus:

“So, this person’s name is Emily, but her pronoun is ‘they,'” John started. “She identifies as a therian belonging to the Elf theriotype. Emily explained to me that though she was born human, she is an inseparable …

A Pakistani oncologist’s journey: Navigating commute challenges

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

April 20, 2024

I’ve always been afraid of driving. My home is quite far away from my hospital, and for the past eight years, I’ve been traveling via Uber for my daily commute. I don’t have a good memory of roads, lanes, and streets, even in my own city. I just rely on the driver and Google Maps. This experience with Uber and online taxi services is comfortable for me for two reasons: …

Supporting medical resident families [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 19, 2024

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

Join Elizabeth Landry, a certified coach, as we explore practical strategies to support medical resident families during the challenging transition into residency. Discover how spousal support programs, inclusive social gatherings, and mentorship initiatives …

The Change Healthcare hack: a wake-up call for the health care industry

Christopher Habig, MBA

Finance

April 19, 2024

In a recent cybersecurity breach, Change Healthcare, one of the largest health care technology companies in the United States, fell victim to a sophisticated cyber-attack. This incident has sent shockwaves through the health care industry, significantly impacting revenue cycles for numerous health care providers who rely on Change Healthcare’s services for billing, claims processing, and health care operations. The breach has exposed vulnerabilities in traditional health are payment systems and …

Venture-backed telemental health care companies are creating a new opioid epidemic

Tamir Aldad, MD, MBA

Meds

April 19, 2024

More Americans are seeking mental health care than ever before, but many people receiving treatment have never met their psychiatrist in person—or even at all.

Telemedicine has been growing in popularity for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic sent tele-health care utilization rates through the roof. Now, after sharp increases brought by COVID-19 lockdowns, American telehealth utilization has stabilized at levels a staggering 38 times higher than before the …

Working patients and health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 18, 2024

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

Join Benita Talati, a patient advocate who illuminates the biases health care providers may hold toward patients unable to adhere to traditional appointment hours. We explore how limited paid time off, extended wait …

Preventing amputations and saving lives starts with bringing PAD into the 21st century

Anahita Dua, MD, MBA

Conditions

April 18, 2024

There’s a condition that is crippling Black and brown communities at a disproportionate rate and causing 400 amputations each day in the U.S. That may sound scary, but the most frightening part? A new consumer survey found that 70 percent of Americans have never heard of the most common vascular disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) – PAD kills more people than three of the top cancers (breast cancer, …

Optimizing IUD placement: prescribed medications and timing tips

C. Nicole Swiner, MD

Conditions

April 18, 2024

I’ve been inspired by a recent New York Times article that came out about IUDs, better known as intrauterine devices, and how painful and horrible some of the experiences for women have been over the years. Since writing some of these thoughts, I saw that a Cosmopolitan article recently chimed in on the topic. I figured it was time for me, as a medical professional, to share my thoughts on …

AI’s role in simplifying communication [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 17, 2024

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

We sit down with Carlo Mahfouz, a technology executive and author, to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care communication. Carlo delves into AI’s historical roots, its recent acceleration …

Practicing patience with patients

Natalie Enyedi

Education

April 17, 2024

Patience is a notoriously hard skill to master. When working in health care, your patience is constantly tested, a lesson I have repeatedly learned in my time as a medical assistant in a large orthopedic surgery practice. Whether it is taking the time to reexplain instructions to a patient when I know am running behind in clinic, waiting on hold with another doctor’s office to obtain pertinent information regarding a …

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Practicing patience with patients

GLP-1 medications like Wegovy are effective metabolic health tools for teens with insulin resistance

Karla Lester, MD

Meds

April 17, 2024

Lizzie is a 13-year-old with a great sense of humor.

She tells it like it is, especially to her Mom, Jackie, who admits to being a bit of an Almond Mom (the parent who is stuck in a weight-focused diet culture). Jackie leads a very healthy lifestyle and has never had to deal with being overweight. Jackie is different from other Moms I work with because she isn’t telling me that …

Embracing imperfection: strategies for growth and self-compassion [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 16, 2024

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

Join Caissa Troutman, an obesity medicine physician, as we delve into the intricate relationship between self-perception, mistakes, and personal growth. Caissa shares insights on how our beliefs about perfectionism shape our reactions to …

Post-delivery complications: a glimpse into obstetric care

Christina Adams, MD

Conditions

April 16, 2024

The red climbs up.

She just delivered, and the arm of my gown. It seeps under the glove, soaking the cuff.

She’s still bleeding.

No worries – I call for the postpartum hemorrhage meds in the order I’ve memorized and used successfully hundreds of times before.

It’s always stopped before.

I trust my training.

She peers over the side rail toward her baby, trying to look past her partner and the nurse and the baby nurse …

Elite access vs. public scrutiny: Medication disparities exposed

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

April 16, 2024

A recent New York Times opinion piece detailed a lack of available pain medications. While the DEA claims that it is not purposefully restricting legitimate medication availability, even the names of its own operations belie this statement. On Halloween 2023, the DEA launched Operation “Bottleneck,” serving immediate suspension orders to six large pharmaceutical supply companies. These companies were accused of having failed to account for “a million doses” of …

The Supreme Court must consider science, not pseudo-science, in public health rulings

Jack Resneck, Jr., MD

Policy

April 16, 2024

Measles is on the rise in more than a dozen states, an alarming surge for a vaccine-preventable disease eliminated in the United States nearly 25 years ago. Meanwhile, young women exposed to relentless unscientific deception by social media algorithms are abandoning hormonal contraception in favor of significantly less effective methods that result in more unwanted pregnancies. In Louisiana, women with nonviable …

Youth are changing perceptions of death: Here’s what they want you to know

Fabienne Sparks and Lisa J. Hardy, PhD

Conditions

April 16, 2024

There is a diary entry of mine (Sparks) from when I learned that the pandemic would last longer than we initially thought. 17 years old at the time, I described my feelings of fear at the thought that I may die. “I don’t know if there’s even a point to planning for the future anymore.” I go on to write that whenever I don’t get a response from a loved …

Navigating the spiritual crisis in modern medicine [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 15, 2024

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We’re joined by Dike Drummond, family physician and founder of TheHappyMD.com. Our discussion delves into the spiritual crisis facing employed physicians, where the idealism that once inspired them to pursue medicine clashes with …

How psychiatry fails trauma survivors

Patricia Celan, MD

Conditions

April 15, 2024

Psychiatry has a duty to be trauma-informed, given that 50 to 60 percent of the general population, and around 90 percent of people with severe mental illness, have a lifetime history of at least one traumatic event. Yet the mental health system often falls short.

Consider involuntary hospitalization in a psychiatric unit. Losing one’s freedom can be traumatic for anyone and triggering for those with past trauma of nonconsensual experiences. …

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How psychiatry fails trauma survivors

The essential human element in AI integration

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

April 15, 2024

In the ever-evolving health care landscape, the synergy between human expertise and artificial intelligence (AI) is not just beneficial—it is essential. As we stand on the brink of a technological revolution, it is crucial to recognize that the integration of AI in health care should enhance, not replace, the human touch. This article explores the indispensable role of health care professionals in an AI-driven environment, emphasizing why the human element …

Navigating self-judgment with compassion

Caissa Troutman, MD

Physician

April 15, 2024

Earlier this week, I made a stupid mistake, and that mistake cost us our dental and vision insurance for the year 2024.

You see, I had my COBRA from my old job that I had planned to keep, as the kids still had braces, and switching midway apparently resulted in non-coverage. So, I spent a lot of time researching it and setting it up so we would retain the dental component. …

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