Obesity increased over COVID-19: Here’s why patients are worried

Conditions
April 28, 2023

Millions of Americans are more worried than ever about obesity. And millions are willing to consider weight-loss methods they never had before, including metabolic and bariatric surgery and anti-obesity medications. The reason: a pandemic that put those with obesity in its crosshairs. These are among the findings from a recent survey from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and NORC, an independent research organization.

Fears …

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Doctors and nurses are dying by suicide, as America’s health care workers call for change

Physician
April 28, 2023

In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 swept through hospitals in the tri-state area, Dr. Lorna Breen, a physician who served as the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, contracted COVID while caring for patients. Shortly after returning to work under relentlessly overwhelming circumstances, she died by suicide.

Dr. Breen had no prior mental health conditions.

As her story made national headlines, Dr. Breen’s death became …

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From helplessness to hope: a psychiatrist’s story of working with suicidal teens [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 27, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we are joined by Shivana Naidoo, a child psychiatrist, who shares a poignant reflection on her experiences with some of her most worrisome teenage patients. As she prepares to leave her job, she finds …

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America’s ailing health care system: How it’s failing patients and doctors

Policy
April 27, 2023

As painfully revealed by the coronavirus pandemic, the American health care system is ailing, plagued by the inefficiencies and greed of big business and for-profit medicine.   It is not unlike the virus, attacking vital organs one by one until the whole is weakened. In more grave cases, the severely ill can’t survive. In much the same way our health care system is killing Americans. The sickness is proving incurable, for …

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Revolutionizing crime-solving with AI: How ChatGPT-4 can unlock critical evidence in unsolved cases

Tech
April 27, 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly advanced in various fields, including health care, finance, and education. One of the most promising areas for AI application is criminology, which has the potential to transform how criminal investigations are conducted. The groundbreaking capabilities of ChatGPT-4 have the potential to revolutionize criminology by aiding forensic science, crime scene analysis, and criminal investigations in medical and non-medical …

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Why HIPAA isn’t enough to protect your health data

Policy
April 27, 2023

After all the hours spent in HIPAA training over the years, physicians and other health care workers might think of HIPAA as a powerful regulation. It’s true that HIPAA does require health care workers to follow a number of rules, with pretty harsh penalties for violations. But from a patient’s perspective, how well does U.S. law protect overall health information privacy? Unfortunately, not very well, and things are getting worse.

The …

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The struggle of internationally trained physicians in Canada

Physician
April 27, 2023

I moved to Ontario, Canada, a little less than a year ago, with a sense of adventure and a spring in my step. I was excited at the thought of being reunited with family, apprehensive about the hurdles in my path to becoming a practicing physician, but hopeful that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. There had to be.

I had been chief resident at an ACGME-accredited …

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Ensuring fair compensation and benefits in physician contracts [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 26, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we discuss the important factors that physicians need to consider when reviewing their employment contracts with guest Dennis Hursh, a physician contract attorney. From compensation to benefits, we dive into the details of what …

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A pediatrician’s view on critical self-talk among patients and doctors

Physician
April 26, 2023

A young teen patient, eyes averted, clutching a cell phone, sits in my office. It’s a scheduled annual exam, and the patient reports some ailments—fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep. Across the room, the parent sits in apparent composure, but as my eyes meet the parent’s gaze and hover here for an instant, I register pain, frustration, and desperation. The patient’s symptoms are not new, and there may have been calls …

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Revolutionizing patient care: the power of AI and GPTs in health care and combating physician burnout

Tech
April 26, 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) have made significant advancements in recent years, with potential applications in various industries. The health care sector stands to benefit significantly from AI and GPTs, as they offer promising solutions for improving patient care, diagnostics, and treatment. This article will discuss the role of leading AI models like Copilot Bing, Bard, BioGPT, GatorTron, and …

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What I’ve learned from 10,000 needle procedures

Tech
April 26, 2023

How can health care professionals put patients at ease before and during stressful procedures? A new virtual reality (VR) technology might be the answer for millions of patients with fears and concerns about visiting the clinic.

Needles are the most common office procedure, and needle fear is nearly universal in young children. Studies show nearly two-thirds of children and one-fourth of adults have a fear of needles. Poorly managed …

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Why poor diets are contributing to a surge in colorectal cancer cases among young people

Conditions
April 26, 2023

An alarming trend has emerged in my medical practice in recent years: I’m seeing more and more young adults with colorectal cancer.

When I began practicing as a family physician 21 years ago, I never saw patients in their 40s and 50s with the disease, much less ones in their 30s. Now, I diagnose two to three people in those age groups every year.

On the heels of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness …

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From reincarnation to meridians: Exploring the world of spiritual science [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 25, 2023
YouTube video

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Join us on this episode of the podcast, where we speak with Marc Nelson, a scientific researcher, about the growing field of spiritual science. Despite the historical divide between science and spirituality, Nelson shares how pioneering work …

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The secret side of a brilliant ICU physician revealed

Conditions
April 25, 2023

As I look at his obituary pictures, I can’t help but feel a sense of longing. I wish I could have known him – that other side of him that his family, friends, and colleagues are sharing in their photos. They’re all smiling and laughing, hugging each other, and radiating a genuine sense of happiness.

He was one of our main ICU physicians, a brilliant man who could meticulously turn a …

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5 pieces of advice every young doctor needs to hear

Physician
April 25, 2023

As I finish my 21st year of clinical practice, I have been reflecting a lot about my career. Several friends asked me for advice as their children begin medical school. Instead of repeating myself, I decided to make a list. Here are the five things I would tell my younger self.

1. Just apply. Recently, I attended a luncheon and sat next to a female physician. I hadn’t met …

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The truth about hard cases and abortion: Separating fact from fiction

Physician
April 25, 2023

Though celebrated by anti-abortion advocates across the country, the overturning of Roe v. Wade by no means closed the book on the abortion debate. However, it was a victory for both human rights and federalism. The decision reinforced that the U.S. is a constitutional republic composed of individual states, each with its own agenda. States are now individually empowered to enact abortion legislation anywhere along the human gestation cycle. As …

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Advancements in technology offer hope for those with Alzheimer’s disease

Conditions
April 25, 2023

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2020, approximately 5.8 million people in the U.S. were living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder affecting memory, thinking, and behavior. The prevalence of this disease is expected to continue to rise as the population ages. The number of people living with the disease is projected to grow threefold to 14 million by 2060. While there is …

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Processing grief: a vital step for health care workers during COVID-19 [PODCAST]

Podcast
April 24, 2023
YouTube video



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In this episode, our guest Susan MacLellan-Tobert, a pediatric cardiologist and physician coach, delves into the challenges faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being …

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The butterfly effect of financial decisions: lessons learned from Silicon Valley Bank

Finance
April 24, 2023

It is no longer news that Silicon Valley Bank has collapsed like a pack of cards. Quite unsettling is also the uncanny way the whole enterprise unraveled like a Ponzi scheme. Faced with uncertainty and a crisis of confidence, investors went on a withdrawal binge. But how does the crash of a bank for tech startups in Santa Clara, California, that caters to extremely high net worth individuals concern an …

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How lack of access to clean water is devastating developing countries

Policy
April 24, 2023

Maybe dogs aren’t the only ones drinking water from a toilet bowl. In the United States, we have easy access to clean water. We use culinary water to do our dishes, bathe, wash our cars, and even fill our toilets. Most Americans don’t ever consider the possibility of running out of drinkable water; the same can’t be said for the friends I made in the Philippines. Let me tell you …

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