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Too many older adults are taking risky sedative medications

Wendy Levinson, MD and Christine Soong, MD

Meds

April 14, 2024

A recent investigation in Quebec uncovered a concerning trend: benzodiazepines — medications commonly used for sleep or anxiety — are being overprescribed. This investigation has prompted the Quebec College of Physicians to closely examine the usage of these medications.

But this issue extends beyond Quebec’s borders; across Canada, these medications are being prescribed at alarming rates.

Benzodiazepines and other sedatives are often prescribed to older adults aged 65 and up for …

Saving lives with naloxone: perspectives from the frontline

David I. Deyhimy, MD

Meds

April 14, 2024

According to a recent report by the Stanford-Lancet Commission on the North American Opioid Crisis, “more than 600,000 people in the USA and Canada have died from opioid overdose since 1999, and a staggering 1.2 million more are estimated to die due to overdose by 2029.”

The opioid crisis has reinforced hard lessons learned in earlier health crises. Chief among those is that we need multiple strategies if we are going …

Overparenting: Finding solace amidst criticism

Blair Sorrel

Conditions

April 14, 2024

An excerpt from A Schizoid at Smith: How Overparenting Leads to Underachieving.

“Work always lacks effort,” “Just no interest whatsoever,” “Inattention,” “Disturbance,” “Silly conduct,” the teachers’ remarks read. All those criticisms could have defined your scribe’s output.

They are rather the report card marginalia of a class clown. Another outstanding pupil with an alleged 29 detentions in one year and an unbidden nuisance in class exhibitionism. No contemporary would have ever …

Charting efficiency secrets [PODCAST]

Erica Dorn, FNP & The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 13, 2024

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

Join nurse practitioner Erica Dorn as we delve into practical strategies to enhance charting efficiency. From leveraging smart phrases and templates to setting boundaries with patients, Erica shares valuable tips to streamline the …

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Charting efficiency secrets [PODCAST]

Finding joy beyond medicine: a tale of pet companionship

Dr. Damane Zehra

Physician

April 13, 2024

My question to all the health care workers is, “Have you ever kept pets or tried to keep them?” If the answer is “yes,” then you are indeed very lucky. I think there are only two sources that can bring utter joy to humans in this life. One of them is children, and the other is pets. After a hectic day at work, when you reach home, the innocent laughter …

Navigating organizational dysfunction: lessons from Boeing

John Corsino, DPT

Conditions

April 13, 2024

If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going—at one time, public opinion of an engineering company run by engineers. Today, perception is a little different. The multinational conglomerate and defense contractor owns some staggering recent mishaps—safety systems, door plugs, unclear technical issues. A disconnect between senior management and hands-on employees is reported. Analysts consider recent events symptoms of longer-standing organizational pathology, finally coming to light.

In American business, executives win leadership positions …

Dealing with discouragement: strategies for aspiring medical students

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Education

April 13, 2024

Do you remember times when your dreams, hopes, and aspirations were crushed by teachers and other authority figures? We’ve all encountered such times. These experiences shape our character in negative ways and can lead to devastating psychological effects. This kind of negative influence can greatly impact our self-esteem and self-worth, instilling a deep-seated fear of failure. It can cause us to question our abilities and potential, leading to imposter syndrome.

Repeated …

Which study is right? Investigating the impact of screening on breast cancer mortality

Shannon Casey, PA-C

Conditions

April 13, 2024

A splashy headline in The Washington Post caught my attention: “Breast cancer death rate dropped 58 percent over 44 years in U.S.” A Stanford Medicine news story reports that this victorious conclusion is based on “a new multicenter study led by Stanford Medicine clinicians and biomedical data scientists.” Using observational data, clinical trial data, and simulation modeling, the researchers found that approximately 25 percent of the reduction in …

A doctor turned singing sensation [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 12, 2024

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

We sit down with Sydelle Ross, an anesthesiologist who has discovered the healing power of music in her practice. Join us as Sydelle shares her journey from a childhood dream of becoming a …

Advance directives amidst COVID: a critical look

Kevin Haselhorst, MD

Physician

April 12, 2024

Are advance directives any better than they were four years ago when COVID was surging? Are patients still comfortable with being placed on ventilators? Do physicians better understand how to treat COVID as a serious illness?

Physicians provide emergency measures unless there’s an advance directive to the contrary. Only one-third of Americans have advance directives when “down for the count” with serious illness.

Most people prefer to die at …

Pageantry: an unconventional education for aspiring psychiatrists

Patricia Celan, MD

Physician

April 12, 2024

With the elegant gowns, stylized hair, carefully applied makeup, and moments in the spotlight, beauty pageants have attracted longstanding criticism for being allegedly superficial competitions that foster narcissism. But beneath the surface lies a wealth of opportunities for personal growth and skill development. Most modern pageants have moved away from being modeling competitions that assess superficial beauty. Instead, they have been reframed as personality competitions, evaluating qualities such as communication …

Talk to your patients about money

Neill Slater, MD, MBA

Physician

April 12, 2024

A non-compliant patient arrives at the ER for evaluation of high blood pressure. Why isn’t she taking her medication? It costs $300 per month, and she can’t afford it. Has she talked to her doctor about a less expensive alternative? No.

Unfortunately, this type of interaction occurs far too frequently. The doctor would be happy to prescribe a cheaper alternative if requested, and the patient would love a cheaper option but …

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Talk to your patients about money

Polypharmacy and prescribing cascades [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 11, 2024

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

Join us for a discussion on medication awareness and prescribing cascades with Paula Rochon, a geriatrician. As we embark on a new year, many focus on diet and exercise resolutions, but overlooking medication …

Medicine is not apolitical: Your vote dictates your ability to practice medicine

Elizabeth Picazo

Policy

April 11, 2024

It’s Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. The day after Super Tuesday. I am sitting in the library, taking a break from writing a final paper for my health economics class, when I see a Politico article: “San Francisco’s Proposition F passed.”

3,000 miles away from my hometown and my medical school, all I can think about are the patients I served in the hospital who were barely …

Gene therapy’s impact on incurable illnesses

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Conditions

April 11, 2024

Gene therapy has been used recently to cure previously incurable diseases, including sickle cell anemia. It is a horrible disease that I have seen so many times in the ER that it haunts me at night, especially one patient. He was a sweet man with a loving and patient demeanor who tolerated the agony he suffered on a weekly basis with saintly patience. My daughter was helping out in the …

Rethinking teen medical consent: Navigating complex health needs

Christine Marie Deeths, MD

Conditions

April 11, 2024

Is it time to reconsider the age of medical consent for teens? This is a question I have been asking myself as my children are approaching 18. For many years, I’ve dreaded the thought of my medically challenging child turning 18 and suddenly being thrust into the not-so-warm and fuzzy adult world. I have nightmares about her navigating insurance. I cannot visualize my very passive and indecisive child on the …

Navigating crucial conversations in health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 10, 2024

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

We sit down with Kim Downey, a physical therapist, and Frances Mei Hardin, an otolaryngologist, to dive into the nuances of navigating difficult discussions in the medical field. From delivering challenging diagnoses to …

From perfunctory to profound: 4 self-evaluation questions that blew my mind

Mark McLaughlin, MD

Physician

April 10, 2024

The McLaughlin 360 Evaluation: preparation (part one)

Have you ever heard the expression, “The truth will set you free”? Well, it might. But before it sets you free, it’s probably going to piss you off.

If you are seriously interested in self-improvement, you have to ask hard questions. And then listen!

About a year ago, I embarked on a personal exercise to learn how to be a better leader and person. I began …

What’s love got to do with it? The emotional toll of the practice of medicine

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

April 10, 2024

In medicine, we are taught to be professional and, at all times, to keep our emotions at bay. While this approach may work for some professionals, it is particularly challenging in medicine, especially in primary care. As a family physician, I have witnessed the journey of my patients over the years—sometimes spanning generations within a single family. I have seen my teenage patients grow into responsible adults and parents. I …

EMRs and insurance: a pediatrician’s success story

Ron M. Aryel, MD, MBA

Physician

April 10, 2024

I am a pediatrician who trained in a residency program that taught us insurance companies were evil entities intent on profits over patient care. As ICD codes and CPT codes expanded, my colleagues complained that these were ways insurers could deny care and keep them from making a living. When electronic medical records (EMR) entered the scene, many doctors complained again about the tyranny of spending all their time typing …

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