The hormone nomenclature debate: Is a name change the key to patient safety?

Conditions
February 22, 2023

In the latest issue of Clinical Endocrinology News, I found an interesting article reporting a proposal to change the name of a hormone. The rationale for the proposed change was “patient safety.”

In 2009, a patient with known panhypopituitarism was admitted to a U.K. hospital for elective surgery. Diagnosis included panhypopituitarism with diabetes insipidus. The patient developed hypernatremia and volume depletion, tragically leading to pronounced hypotension and death.

The author attributes this …

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Nursing for change: Prioritizing Black nurses’ health and well-being

Policy
February 22, 2023

As we spend February reflecting on Black Americans’ history, humanity, and contributions, let’s also consider how to improve the systems and structures that impact Black lives moving forward.

We can start with health care. Retention and recruitment are challenging, especially for nurses from underrepresented groups in nursing, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

As a Black, Chicago-based nursing researcher, I see first-hand the changes needed to make …

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A tale of medical malpractice, the legal system, and a fight for justice

Physician
February 22, 2023

I have been fortunate in my forty-five-year medical career never to have been sued for the care I delivered to a patient. I attribute this, in part, to being a family physician and having ongoing relationships with my patients and, in part, to being willing to admit to my mistakes if I make them and things turn out badly. I see how gut-wrenching going to court is for doctors so …

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Healing clinician-associated trauma: a call for connection

Physician
February 22, 2023

Our modern existence is a state of perpetual disconnection.

Earbuds in. Staring down at our screens. Avoiding eye contact.

Disconnected from each other and ourselves, we go about our lives in adult parallel play.

Numbing any hint of uncomfortable feelings with more Netflix or scrolling.

The social, political, and health consequences of this existence have accelerated over the last three years. As a result, the physician-patient relationship is more fractured than ever. Physicians are …

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The rise of direct pay: a solution to the fragmented, impersonal and costly medical system

Physician
February 22, 2023

It used to be easy. You didn’t worry about your health care or how to pay for it. You had a family physician who cared for you in the office and the hospital. They coordinated every aspect of your care, including working with consultants. And after discharge, they would resume caring for you knowing what had occurred firsthand. That was then.

This is now.

Patients rarely see their primary care physician in …

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Biosimilars have saved patients billions of dollars and are changing the treatment landscape. Here’s how.

Podcast
February 21, 2023
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by Sandoz, a Novartis division, and global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars.

When I started working in the health care industry over 25 years ago, I was compelled by a passion to make a difference and improve the lives of those around me. Ultimately, that mission …

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The power of advocacy: a medical student’s journey to helping an uninsured immigrant

Education
February 21, 2023

It’s the day of my last case presentation for my neurology rotation. Hearing the subway doors shut, I run up the stairs just in time to see them close. Breathless, I walk to the center of the platform. Noting the next train isn’t coming for another seven minutes, I groan in frustration and pull out my notes to spend the time to prepare.

I see a woman approaching me from the …

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The middle road to childhood obesity treatment: Empowering kids with healthy habits

Conditions
February 21, 2023

The new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for childhood obesity have shifted from a “watchful waiting” method to “early and aggressive treatment.” Coverage of the guidelines in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and other reputable news outlets have readily accepted this new depiction of childhood obesity as a disorder in need of immediate, aggressive intervention and has given little or no attention to what …

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The consequence of neglect: the lack of business education in medical schools

Physician
February 21, 2023

Repeated media articles continue to inform the public that we don’t have enough physicians to handle our health care, and it’s worsening. We have at least 174 accredited medical schools in our nation that are still producing medical doctors and about 22,000 annually from all medical schools who enter a medical practice of some kind.

That must be a satisfactory number because they aren’t building medical schools much anymore. The existing …

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Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

Physician
February 21, 2023

During the COVID pandemic health care workers needed to work tirelessly to correct the false information that politicians easily spread through the country. The President made claims that the virus was not real, that physicians were getting financial kickbacks from using COVID on death certificates, and that health care workers were benefiting from the pandemic. Physicians, nurses, and staff needed to talk to patients about COVID, and it really took …

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3 hospitalists’ struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees

Physician
February 21, 2023

When I finished my pediatric residency almost 20 years ago, I embarked upon a career in general pediatrics because I didn’t enjoy any particular subspecialty enough to commit my career to it. After spending several years in a mostly outpatient setting (peppered with child abuse consults, circumcisions, and an unsatisfyingly small number of hospitalized patients), I knew I had to change and move across the country to pursue pediatric hospital …

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Jimmy Carter brings attention to hospice care: the compassionate side of modern medicine

Conditions
February 20, 2023

The recent decision by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to transition to hospice brings much-needed attention to this crucial part of health care. Hospice care is an essential and compassionate component of modern medicine, providing support and care to patients and families during the most challenging time of their lives. Historically, hospice care has been long stigmatized as giving up on treatment. However, the truth is the opposite. Hospice provides …

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Breaking the stigma: Making HIV and COVID screening routine in primary care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 20, 2023
YouTube video

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

In this episode, we welcome clinical research assistant professor, Maranda C. Ward, to discuss the importance of routine screening for both HIV and COVID-19 in primary care. During the COVID pandemic, we became familiar with answering questions …

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The rise of spiritual science: Uniting the soul and science

Conditions
February 20, 2023

Until recently, mainstream science has not recognized the field of spiritual science because the consensus has been that science and spirit (soul) are like oil and vinegar — they do not mix. Science is all about facts and evidence relative to the hypothesis, theory, and actual proof. At the same time, it is said that the spirit and the soul cannot be proven and are solely based on faith.

However, thanks …

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From AI to love: the key to a better future in medical education

Education
February 20, 2023

With the recent news of ChatGPT artificial intelligence successfully passing the United States Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE), we have been catapulted into a new era in medicine and medical education. What has always been regarded exclusively as a human skill and profession has now been demonstrated to be technically mastered by artificial intelligence. Rightfully, the detractors today will say that passing a board exam does not make …

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From toys to tragedy: the threat of button batteries to children’s health

Conditions
February 20, 2023

The Doctors Company

According to a study published in Pediatrics, it is estimated that between 2010 and 2019, more than 70,000 emergency department (ED) visits in the United States were related to battery ingestion, mouth exposure, and ear or nasal insertion among children under 18 years old. ED visits occurred more frequently among children ages five years and younger. Button-type and …

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Ensuring universal access and quality care: the advantages of a mixed health care system in Canada

Policy
February 20, 2023

Canadian physicians, like many other Canadians, generally support the country’s publicly funded health care system, which is designed to provide universal access to medical care.

However, despite its strengths, there are some areas where the public system falls short, and there is growing evidence that a combination of public and private health care could help address some of these shortcomings.

One of the main benefits of a mixed system, as seen in …

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Chris Hemsworth and personalized medicine: How genetic testing can impact your health [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 19, 2023
YouTube video

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

Today, we’re discussing the news about actor Chris Hemsworth and his genetic test results. Hemsworth announced that he is taking a break from acting after learning that he has a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Our …

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The Dark Knight of health care: a doctor’s tale of gift cards and patient satisfaction

Physician
February 19, 2023

I was surprised when I began receiving gift cards to a national chain of coffee shops in recognition of positive patient satisfaction comments from my emergency department patients.

Reviewing them in my provider report card genuinely felt good, especially when someone remembered my name in a follow-up phone call while saying something positive. Still, the token incentive met with disapproval for several reasons.

In particular, the most meaningful comments expressed gratitude for …

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The regret of leaving an old friend behind

Conditions
February 19, 2023

I once knew a lady who eventually died of pancreatic cancer. She must have been by then in her early seventies. Her name was Marilyn, and I went to grade school with her son Tom. we went back a long way. I guess I was in my early thirties by the time what happened, happened.

Marilyn’s husband, Forrest, had died a few months earlier. I knew him, too. She missed him …

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