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Being defensive: Evolutionary healthy or modernly inconvenient?

Conditions

January 12, 2024

In the world of medicine, we often encounter the term “defensive” used in various contexts – from patient interactions to professional evaluations. However, it’s crucial to reevaluate our understanding of this term and its implications on our practice and relationships.

Labeling a reaction as “defensive” carries a subjective judgment, often seen as problematic or negative. “Defensive” is often equated to a “bad” and “problematic” reaction or behavior. “Defensive” is a judgment, …

5 days, 5 minutes: life-changing daily habits for health care professionals

Scott Ellner, DO, MPH

Physician

January 12, 2024

It’s no secret that health care workers are some of the most stressed and burned-out professionals in the workforce. Health care was a tough job even before we had to bear the brunt of the worst of the pandemic. Even now that we’re nearly four years out from the initial outbreak of COVID-19, we’re still contending with a myriad of challenges, such as mental health disorders and ever-diminishing staff.

Amidst …

From denial to redemption: a physician’s Medicare battle [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 11, 2024

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We sit down with Catherine L. Chen, an anesthesiologist and health services researcher. Join us as she shares her personal story of facing a Medicare Part B enrollment denial for her mother during a vacation in Hawaii. …

The virtuous yellow brick road in medicine

Christopher Nyte, DO

Physician

January 11, 2024

Studies involving the virtue ethics of a sound medical practitioner have provided insight into the nature of ethical demands on the physician as a moral person. Kotze et al., the authors of “Virtue in Medical Practice: An Exploratory Study,” agree that thinking about virtues contributes to doctors’ and medical students’ thinking about common moral dilemmas in medicine. However, they also acknowledge that the question of what virtuous medical practice …

2024: Is it time to (re)negotiate your physician contract?

Contract Diagnostics

Finance

January 11, 2024

Most of us fall short of making New Year’s resolutions.

The reason is simple: unrealistic goals. Negotiation or renegotiation of your physician contract is attainable. Your income is paramount to financial freedom, job satisfaction, and avoiding burnout risk and stress.

Hospital or practice employment has increased among physicians. The motivations include financial stability, lower risk, steering clear of managing employees, running a business, and negotiating rates with insurers.

What do physicians look for …

Shielding physicians: the untold story of legal preparedness

Jay K. Joshi, MD & Ron Chapman II, JD

Physician

January 11, 2024

Federal and state regulators have intensified the scrutiny of physicians in recent years in response to mounting overdose rates and the corresponding rise in mortality. Many in health care see this as a good thing. They would be wrong.

Look no further than the many physicians who were acquitted or exonerated after being charged with prescription-related crimes. Their plight tells the untold story of the collateral damage inflicted on medicine as …

Breaking the silence on caregiver stress [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 10, 2024

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Join R. Lynn Barnett, a patient advocate. We’ll explore the world of caregiving, its challenges, and the profound impact it has on individuals and families. Discover valuable insights on caregiver stress, self-care, and the importance of respite …

America’s health care safety net is in danger

Donna Grande

Policy

January 10, 2024

A new health crisis is looming on the horizon in the United States, and it will affect the most vulnerable people. I am not talking about another pandemic, the downstream impact of delayed preventive screenings, or even the ongoing substance use crisis. I am talking about the endangerment of America’s health care safety net, including the providers that serve marginalized communities.

Safety net providers are primarily in unserved and underserved communities, …

Palliative care and the garden of hope

Leah Couture, MD

Physician

January 10, 2024

My grandmother had a beautiful garden that she expanded through years of effort in her terraced backyard. Despite rocky soil and areas of deep shade, her flowers blossomed, and the garden thrived. I do not know if her skills as a gardener were innate or learned through trials and failures, but I know my garden could certainly benefit from her guidance now.

In the medical field, there is a long-held misconception …

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Palliative care and the garden of hope

Physician burnout: the hidden quality metric [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 9, 2024

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Join Trina E. Dorrah, an internal medicine physician. We explore the concept of integrating physician burnout as a quality metric in health care. Discover why Trina believes this change could revolutionize the American health care system, potentially …

Thriving, not just surviving: Cracking the formula for physician well-being

Miguel Villagra, MD

Physician

January 9, 2024

In the relentless world of health care, where long hours and high-stress situations have become the norm, finding happiness can often feel like an elusive goal for physicians. The pursuit of professional excellence and the demands of patient care can overshadow the importance of personal well-being and happiness. But what if we could shift the narrative from merely surviving the daily grind to truly thriving within it?

This journey to happiness …

A call for equity: fair compensation and overtime pay for resident physicians

Ali Duffens, MD

Physician

January 9, 2024

Amidst significant rises in resident unionization, a policy shift is warranted to guarantee equitable compensation and overtime pay for resident physicians contending with demanding 80-hour workweeks. On October 13, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom made history by signing California Senate Bill No. 525 (SB 525) into law. This monumental legislation will increase the minimum wage for California health care employees to $25 per hour. While SB 525 addresses the …

Navigating medical uncertainty: a patient’s perspective [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 8, 2024

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Join Ana María Caballero, a poet, artist, and author. Ana María delves into her book, A Petit Mal, and we delve into an unexpected encounter in the emergency room, with Ana María shedding light on both the …

Bridging the health care divide: All our actions matter

Matthew Lewis, PhD, MTS, Alexander Mansour, MPH, and Sarah Smithson, MD, MPH

Physician

January 8, 2024

Much has been written on the social divides laid bare and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, the more divisive punditry and polemics have receded along with the COVID-19 mandates. And yet, as professionals in health care who have worked in direct patient care and in support of our clinician colleagues, we still see a broad gap separating the culture and worldviews of the people in health care and the …

I discovered the Holy Grail for doctors

Tod Stillson, MD

Physician

January 8, 2024

A recent post on KevinMD resonated with me, probably because I am a doctor who grew up in a rural area and returned to a small-town practice in my home county. Like the author, I experienced the suffocating grip of traditional hospital employment as it slowly drained the life out of me.

Before burnout consumed me, I took proactive steps to start a micro-corporation and transitioned …

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I discovered the Holy Grail for doctors

The beautiful exhaustion of primary care

Ryan McCarthy, MD

Physician

January 8, 2024

I’ve been reflecting lately because, honestly, I feel like I am—finally—good at primary care. With experience, patience, and, dare I say, wisdom, I experience satisfaction, knowing I can do this job. I’m the real McCoy. Or, in my case, the real McCarthy. And despite this, maybe because of this, the effort required often leaves me incapable of doing much else.

At 47 years old, having survived a pandemic, having found my …

Addressing physician burnout differently [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 7, 2024

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We have a conversation with Claudia Finkelstein, an internal medicine physician, as she reimagines the concept of physician burnout. Join us as Claudia introduces her alternative model for addressing burnout and discusses the multifaceted factors contributing to …

Leaders advise us to accept it as a job norm: violence and abuse in the health care workplace

Harry Severance, MD

Physician

January 7, 2024

Violence and assaults against health care workers are now reported at an all-time high. While health care workers comprise just 13% of the U.S. workforce, they experience 60% of all workplace assaults. Health care has been declared America’s most dangerous profession due to workplace violence. Health care and social service industries experience the highest rates of injuries caused by workplace violence and are five times as likely to suffer a …

Are convenience stores making addiction convenient?

Katherine Pannel, DO

Policy

January 7, 2024

It is not breaking news that we are currently in the midst of a mental health and substance use disorder crisis. We saw a record number of overdose deaths in a 12-month period from May 2022 to May 2023. According to the CDC, overdose deaths totaled more than 112,000 during that period. There has been an all-hands-on-deck effort to curb these deaths with efforts aimed at decreasing supply, educating the …

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