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A patient reached out to a doctor, and they helped each other heal

Anthony Avellino, MD, MBA & Kim Downey, PT

Physician

February 3, 2024

Kim Downey:

“Each year, almost 400 physicians die by suicide.” That sentence stopped me in my tracks.

I’d been reading all the articles here on KevinMD for almost a year when I came across one written by Dr. Avellino, with the opening line above.

One of my amazing doctors had died several months prior. I was, and in some ways still am, struggling with his death from over a year ago.

I clicked on …

Senior health care leaders: This is what a psychopath looks like. Please fire them.

Dike Drummond, MD

Physician

February 3, 2024

How do you spot a “psychopath” inside a complex bureaucracy?

It is a consistent feature of bureaucracy. Psychopath doctors and senior leaders almost never get walked out of the building despite years of complaints and truly outrageous behavior. When they finally are fired or brought to justice, just a small amount of digging reveals National-Enquirer-headline-style shenanigans.

Here is the latest in the health care industry press: “Prominent Johns Hopkins physician on …

The hand from behind the curtain

Farhan S. Imran, MD

Physician

February 3, 2024

It has been almost two decades since I worked at this hospital. This is where I grew up as a physician. After my home, I have spent most of my life within these walls and walking these hallways. The hospital used to have two main buildings, but a few years ago, the administration decided to erect a third building, which is a state-of-the-art facility. The hospital is situated at the …

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The hand from behind the curtain

Why Barbie resonated with me as a mid-career woman physician: a reflection for National Women Physicians Day

Jennifer Lycette, MD

Physician

February 3, 2024

(Spoiler alert: contains spoilers for the movie Barbie.)

In Barbie, a singular scene resonated powerfully with Women in Medicine across the land.

You know the one. Shortly after Ken and Barbie leave Barbie Land and arrive in the Real World, Ken ventures off, discovers The Patriarchy, waltzes into a hospital emergency room, and demands the first woman he sees …

How responsible AI can benefit patients and clinicians

Kathy Ford

Tech

February 3, 2024

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is palpable across the health care spectrum, from aiding in early disease detection through image analysis to streamlining administrative tasks. Regulatory agencies recognize the need for rapid integration of health care AI solutions, as demonstrated by the FDA’s clearance of over 500 AI solutions classified as Software as a Medical Device (SaMD).

However, AI developers often prioritize speed over meticulous validation, which can compromise …

Create a new, empowering identity for yourself [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 2, 2024

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

Join Parastoo Jangouk, a gastroenterologist and internal medicine physician. We dive into the challenges faced by business owners and health care professionals in December. It’s a month filled with long hours, patient appointments, and marketing efforts.

But amidst …

A surprising resolution in primary care

Ryan McCarthy, MD

Physician

February 2, 2024

I normally don’t make professional resolutions, but this year I am making an important exception. Why would I do such a thing? Like most of my evolution as a doctor, it comes from the wellspring of wisdom, namely listening to my patients.

I had a conversation recently with a patient, Kate, a retired school teacher, a lovely woman who spent her career in Berkeley County, WV, and taught kids who struggled. …

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A surprising resolution in primary care

What films get wrong about cancer – and why it matters

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Physician

February 2, 2024

There are more cancer types than there are organ systems, but, according to Hollywood, there is essentially just “Cancer.” Capital C. Period.

Cancer-inflicted characters on the silver screen also primarily face just one outcome: death. This usually follows a montage of chemotherapy treatments that leave movie stars bald and purple under the eyes. There is no targeted immunotherapy in Hollywood. No clinical trials. No genomic medicine. Just an amorphous round of …

A dementia patient’s poignant return to childhood

Dr. Damane Zehra

Conditions

February 2, 2024

I recently watched an Indian movie called The Three of Us, which revolves around a woman named Shelujah. She is in her late 30s, very charming, traditional, and intelligent. She works as a marriage counselor, leading a happy married life with one son studying abroad. Shelujah diligently maintains a diary, documenting even her minor daily chores. Often, she becomes engrossed in her thoughts, even failing to respond when called by …

The adversarial system in perioperative medicine

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

February 2, 2024

It is always assumed that the prosecution and the defense in the adversarial system may be searching for the facts that can then discover the truth. However, the whole truth may always remain undiscovered when the complete facts may not get uncovered due to competitive differences among the prosecution and the defense. This unbalanced competitiveness may arise from the perceived power held by the prosecution’s law offices contrasting with the …

A doctor’s tale of dismissiveness and patient harm [PODCAST]

Alan Lindemann, MD & The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 1, 2024

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

Join Alan Lindemann, an obstetrics-gynecology physician, who shares his insights and real-life experiences, shedding light on the issues surrounding patient care, medical decision-making, and the role of institutions and personal connections in shaping health care outcomes. Discover …

Unlocking emotional healing: the power of EMDR therapy

Maire Daugharty, MD

Conditions

February 1, 2024

The therapeutic modality developed by Francine Shapiro and referred to as eye movement desensitization reprocessing or EMDR, when embedded in the context of a wider lens, focuses on specific events and feelings with a view to overarching goals. We become who we are in a relationship, and specifically in our earliest relationship with a primary caregiver who shapes our worldview before we can give this active consideration. Subsequently, we develop …

Gene therapies for chronic pain?

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

February 1, 2024

Gene therapy is starting to come into its own, and it will change medicine more profoundly than anything that came before. Just like when antibiotics were discovered almost exactly a century ago, we are on the cusp of another revolution in medicine. One that is orders of magnitude greater than antibiotics.

Recently, in China, five of six children born with an autosomal recessive otoferlin deficiency deafness were cured by the injection …

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Gene therapies for chronic pain?

Why private practice doctors are vital

Shakeel Ahmed, MD

Physician

February 1, 2024

“The sustenance of private practice doctors, like the survival of small bakeries amidst the sprawling dominion of retail giants, nurtures a tapestry of diverse health care providers, ensuring that patients have access to a symphony of medical options in close proximity to their communities.”
– Dr. Clarissa Meadowsong, patient advocate and champion of health care diversity.

As physicians and related health care providers, we all remember the golden days of private practice. …

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Why private practice doctors are vital

From OB/GYN to self-compassion: a physician’s tale of transformation

Beverly Joyce, MD

Physician

February 1, 2024

An excerpt from The Birth of Joy: A Female Physician’s Healing Journey through Childhood Trauma, Midlife Burnout, and the Rediscovery of Passion and Purpose.

As an OB/GYN, I had found my calling. I loved delivering babies, performing surgery, and the long-term relationships I built with my patients. But I became irritable, angry, and resentful. My life became my work–at the expense of my family and myself. My work was my …

Travel’s hidden health risks [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 31, 2024

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

Join Tami Burdick, a patient advocate and the author of Diagnosis Detective: Curing Granulomatous Mastitis. We delve into the world of travel, uncovering hidden health and safety risks often overlooked by travelers. From airport concerns to international …

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Travel’s hidden health risks [PODCAST]

EMDR therapy: From walk to wonder, unmasking trauma’s secrets

Maire Daugharty, MD

Conditions

January 31, 2024

In 1987, Francine Shapiro went for a walk and discovered eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) as a therapeutic technique for traumatic experiences with lasting impact. Some thirty years later, with a substantial body of research confirming its efficacy, the mechanism of action remains a mystery. However, the treatment has expanded to focus on chronic pain, addictions, attachment trauma, among other areas. So, what is EMDR exactly? First and foremost, like …

Maximizing health care efficiency: Harnessing the power of personality diversity

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Physician

January 31, 2024

The impact of personality in health care

The health care sector’s success hinges on the diverse personalities within its workforce. Embracing this diversity, particularly the dynamics of introversion and extroversion, is not just beneficial for patient care but crucial for the well-being and job satisfaction of health care providers. Studies have shown that a diverse personality mix in health care settings can …

Clinicians and management at odds in health care

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

January 31, 2024

In a survey conducted by a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing team led by Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, of 21,050 physicians and nurses at 60 hospitals, it was found that more than 40 percent of clinicians were not confident that hospital management would act to resolve problems that clinicians identify in patient care. Close to one-third of clinicians said their values were not aligned with those of their hospital’s …

2024 health care informatics forecast: AI diagnostics, personalized medicine, and cybersecurity transformations

Afua Aning, MD

Tech

January 31, 2024

Predicting specific developments in health care informatics for 2024 is challenging, but trends suggest continued advancements in AI-driven diagnostics, personalized medicine, and enhanced interoperability for seamless data exchange among health care systems. The emphasis on cybersecurity to protect sensitive health data will also likely increase.

AI-driven diagnostics are likely to see advancements in accuracy and efficiency. Improved algorithms will enable faster and more precise analysis of medical data, such as diagnostic …

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