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Beyond Ozempic: Why one size doesn’t fit all in weight loss

Conditions

February 19, 2024

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, which is generally associated with a diet of all fried food. Prior to medical school, I thought many adults around me would eventually succumb to a diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes since they didn’t appear to think either was a big deal. However, my medical education quickly revealed that these co-morbidities were not merely inconveniences but were linked to some of the leading causes …

Transforming health practices through feedback [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 18, 2024

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Join Ram Krishnan, a technology executive. Discover the power of provider feedback in improving health practices and gain valuable insights into fostering a supportive feedback culture, anonymous feedback mechanisms, and leveraging technology for continuous improvement. Learn from …

The medical profession’s silent struggle: Business knowledge matters

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Finance

February 18, 2024

Isn’t it incredible that generations of physicians today still do not know how to make money in a professional business way that is easy to learn, implement, and use?

Aside from the fact that every medical school in our nation over the last century has refused to even tell medical students that they would benefit from business education, you’d think that they had somehow been blinded to the fact that all …

Autism spectrum disorder and medicine: strengths, challenges, and stories

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Conditions

February 18, 2024

Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) stars in ABC’s The Good Doctor, a television drama that centers around an autistic surgeon whose job at the hospital was frequently threatened and would be lost if it were not for the practical and emotional support from the hospital president.

I don’t know how many “Doctor Murphys” practice medicine in real life – autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevails in about 1% to 2% …

Mastering the art of efficient patient encounters: tips for physicians

Michael Morkos, MD

Tech

February 18, 2024

An excerpt from No Work After Hours: Tools to Maintain a Pleasant, Efficient, and Productive Clinic Without Work Before or After Hours.

The patient encounter is the core of clinical physician practices. That’s why we went to medical school from the very beginning. The excitement and passion for seeing sick patients and helping them on the path of healing was an ambition. One skill set is to be a good …

AI-powered health care messaging [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 17, 2024

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Join physician executive Justin Norden as he delves into the world of health care messaging and how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are transforming patient communication. Discover how LLMs can streamline patient messaging workflows, improve response …

A year-in-review process for busy physicians

Stephanie Wellington, MD

Physician

February 17, 2024

More than a decade ago I hired my first coach, and life was never the same. During my time with the life coach, I experienced first-hand the value of an end-of-year process that goes deeper than setting a New Year’s resolution.

Years have passed. As a busy physician, I’ve told myself that I don’t have the time for a deep dive reflection of my life and career. I have patients to …

Postpartum does not equal depression

Emily Little, PhD

Conditions

February 17, 2024

You hear it in conversations with friends when returning to work. Maybe in clinic visits with your patients. Definitely among celebrities and on mainstream media. And maybe you’ve even said it yourself. ”

“My sister suffered with postpartum.”

“I was just diagnosed with postpartum.”

“My wife had to seek help after we realized she was experiencing severe postpartum.”

Yet the word postpartum simply means: the time after childbirth. In the medical community, “postpartum” most often …

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Postpartum does not equal depression

How a ruptured spleen saved a life

Sid Schwab, MD

Physician

February 17, 2024

Of the many thousand operations I did in my surgical career, most were life-improving rather than life-saving. To me, life-saving implies immediate or imminent risk of death: gunshot wounds, stabbings, gastrointestinal bleeding or perforations, punctured lungs, and cracking a chest in the ER for a stab wound to the heart. Potentially life-saving but less dramatic is removing a malignancy that, untreated or treated later, would likely have killed the person.

Most …

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How a ruptured spleen saved a life

Breakthroughs in liver cancer treatment [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 16, 2024

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

We sit down with health care executive Eugene Chan to explore the rising rates of liver cancer worldwide and the potential game-changer in its treatment: monoclonal antibodies. Join us as we delve into the factors contributing to …

Blame game in U.S. health care: Who’s responsible and what’s the solution?

Alejandro Badia, MD

Policy

February 16, 2024

The perception that our U.S. health care system is broken has become nearly fact among health care workers and the public alike. Many other countries are facing similar challenges, beyond the recent spotlight on our Canadian and British friends across the pond. The issue remains: Who are we to blame and more importantly, what can we do about it?

The angst is typically directed at insurance companies or government interference. Many …

The unseen battle: America’s veterans and the crisis of chronic pain

L. Joseph Parker, MD

Meds

February 16, 2024

Since the Civil War, there have been seventy-four wars and conflicts America has fought in. But as bad as previous wars had been, there has never been anything in American history like the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While America’s direct intervention against Germany and Japan lasted less than five years, the war on terror went on for decades. Extended time in extreme circumstances will cause extreme adaptations in the human …

We need to step up for Black mothers

Toni Brayer, MD

Conditions

February 16, 2024

I started my day today (ironically, Martin Luther King Day) reading another tragic story about a young Black mother who hemorrhaged to death after giving birth in a large public hospital in Brooklyn.

Statistics tell a shocking story. The maternal death rate increased by 79 percent from 2018 to 2021. Women of color had even worse numbers, with the maternal mortality rate among Black women increasing from 37 per 100,000 in …

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We need to step up for Black mothers

Building credibility in digital health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 15, 2024

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Join David Lee Scher, a cardiologist and digital health consultant. We’ll explore the ever-evolving world of digital health, discussing topics such as problem-solving in health care, building credibility in digital health technologies, the power of digital partnerships, …

Steps to take so that a medical malpractice lawsuit is decided from unbiased opinions

Howard Smith, MD

Physician

February 15, 2024

Today, the conventional rules that medical experts use to evaluate the merits of a malpractice lawsuit are established by attorneys, not doctors. These rules are based on inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is acceptable except for one thing; it forgives threats to validity. Although the premises are true, the conclusions are influenced by bias. The rules are as follows:

There are four categories of evidence:

The disputed treatment represents a medical error.

…

From pain management to Port au Prince: a doctor’s journey in disaster relief

Francisco M. Torres, MD

Physician

February 15, 2024

As medical doctors, we think we can help alleviate physical suffering in almost any situation. When the 2010 earthquakes shattered Haiti’s capital, I felt compelled to help. I had extensive pain management experience and training as a physiatrist. I thought I was ideally suited to lend a hand. At the time, this all seemed obvious. But I had never been in a disaster zone before, which made me hesitant.

Still, my …

Government neglect and the erosion of private medical practice

Curtis G. Graham, MD

Finance

February 15, 2024

Who could imagine that physicians born with an enigmatic passion to be in a position where the health of our civilization depends on them would be caught in so many obstructive and despicable circumstances that have led to increasing attrition of physicians in clinical medical practice. It is not so much about the overwhelming challenges that physicians are expected to overcome, but far more about the fact that our government, …

High-deductible plans and chronic conditions [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 14, 2024

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In this episode, we sit down with Shirin Hund, an internal medicine physician, to explore the impact of high-deductible health plans on individuals with chronic medical conditions like diabetes. Shirin discusses the financial barriers these patients face, the consequences for medication adherence and health outcomes, and the need for legislative changes to improve access …

Psychodermatology: A skin-brain axis exists, so what are you doing about it?

Erika Balfour, MD

Conditions

February 14, 2024

Skin and mental health are intertwined. This is evident embryologically, as we know that the skin and brain are derived from ectoderm, forming a skin-brain axis. Furthermore, scientific pathophysiology has shown that conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis are directly influenced by mood.

Whether you are a patient, a provider, or an aesthetics professional, be aware that treating skin should also include treating mental health when needed. Ignoring that …

The top 3 factors influencing how patients choose your health care practice

Marita McCahill, MBA

Finance

February 14, 2024

When building your practice, knowing what factors influence how patients find you and ultimately choose to be treated by you is critical. As a health care provider, you focus on treating patients and providing the best care possible. The business side of health care may be of less interest to you. However, to effectively grow your practice, it’s essential to know how new patients find you and why they chose …

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