Finding emotional presence in a dehumanizing system: a physician’s journey

Physician
February 23, 2023

Virtue and self-sacrifice were supposed to be my protection. As a first-generation immigrant, the necessity of hard work had long been ingrained like a birthmark. I never questioned the belief if I overworked and overprepared, I would fulfill my responsibilities, be accepted, and become worthy of happiness. By the time I finished medical training, I had checked off the first two boxes, but worthiness? Fulfillment?

I never considered asking those questions …

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Candy weed: no protection for marijuana child poisoning

Conditions
February 23, 2023

Timmy’s eyes were rolling side to side in his head as his limp body did not respond to his mother’s calling. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted to the ICU. The 4-year-old ate one of his mother’s cannabis-infused, rainbow-sherbet-flavored gummies and ended up with marijuana poisoning and in a coma. There is no antidote to THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis, so Timmy had to wait and detoxify …

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Voices unheard: the plight of patients and clinicians in the health care system

Policy
February 23, 2023

“The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.”
– William Osler

I hear a voice in the still of the night when all the sounds of the world have been hushed. It should be a time of peace and rest for me, but instead, concerns and fears rise to the surface. Who …

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Saving lives, one heart at a time: the fight against women’s heart disease

Conditions
February 23, 2023

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease killed 314,186 women in 2021. This means that approximately one out of every five female deaths was due to heart disease, with the worst mortality burden on African American women.

It is abundantly clear that we are not where we need to be in terms of …

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Certified, but denied: the impact of board certification on patient care [PODCAST]

Podcast
February 22, 2023
YouTube video

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In this episode, we’re joined by Emmanuel K. Konstantakos, an orthopedic surgeon, and Jeff Morris, an attorney and CEO of the American Board of Physician Specialties. They discuss the ongoing debate about physician board certifications and the …

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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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