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Ending the opioid crisis starts with physicians

Amy Baxter, MD

Conditions

July 11, 2023

A recently published opinion article by opioid advocates attempts to assuage physicians’ prescribing guilt, arguing “doctors prescribing to their patients did not create the U.S. opioid crisis.” As lawsuit after lawsuit concludes, Purdue Pharma, Johnson and Johnson, and blindered distributors and pharmacies share the blame for propping up pills for profit. Physicians may inflate home narcotic quantities for convenience, but with rare prosecutable exceptions, not monetary gain. But the …

Our institutions have given up on the COVID-19 pandemic. We should not.

William Zhu and Gregory Jasani, MD

Conditions

July 11, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic is over. On May 5, The World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency. The U.S. followed suit on May 11, allowing the public health emergency declaration to expire.

The pandemic did not end because of vaccination efforts nor from acquired herd immunity. The pandemic is over because of the capitulation and resignation of public health authorities as they concede …

How COVID-19 unleashed the power of microservices and container-based solutions

Mike Hines

Tech

July 11, 2023

Our reaction to COVID-19 brought us a very sudden socially distanced, remote-working, touchless economy, in which the majority of our daily interactions needed to be remote interactions. Some industries adapted easily (think tax preparation), and some, like health care where personal contact is often mandatory, struggled to find solutions. However, health care IT departments adjusted quickly and deployed a truly impressive array of low and no-contact services. The solutions ranged …

What do doctor and nursing burnout, the COVID pandemic, and the Easter Bunny have in common?

Anonymous

Physician

July 11, 2023

Question: What do doctors and nursing burnout, the COVID pandemic, and the Easter Bunny have in common?

Answer: Not a damn thing.

For the past few years, any article on medical labor shortages, disgruntlement, or changes in employment, such as the rise of travel nurses or locum physicians, invariably cited the same cause: COVID.

But to get to the real cause of what’s going on, you have to go further back. Much further …

Medical conferences: Upholding ethics and safety amidst freedom of conscience laws [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 10, 2023

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In this podcast episode, we have Christian John Lillis, executive director of the Peggy Lillis Foundation for C. diff Education & Advocacy. Christian shares his experiences as a patient advocate and discusses the challenges he faces at …

What Lucille Ball and Einstein can teach us about overcoming burnout

Miguel Villagra, MD

Physician

July 10, 2023

In the demanding health care industry, physicians are frequently susceptible to burnout. The constant pressures, long hours, and emotional toll can be detrimental to one’s health. To support physicians on their path to wellness, we have compiled a collection of motivational quotes that can change their perspective and help them achieve their goals. In addition to these powerful quotes, we’ve included suggestions for cultivating growth and overcoming burnout. Discover the …

Uncovering the truth about genetic mutations and weight loss

Franchell Hamilton, MD

Conditions

July 10, 2023

“I do not feel full even after I eat” is what I heard from so many of my patients. Even after bariatric surgery, this feeling of fullness would go away initially but then it would come back, and they found themselves again overindulging. Why does this happen? Brain studies have shown that obesity impairs the dopamine signaling in the brain that tells the brain it is satisfied after nutrients enter …

How artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming dermatology diagnosis and treatment

Hannah Kopelman, DO, MBA

Tech

July 10, 2023

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is no less than a modern revolution. As we progress in the digital age, the capabilities of AI continue to expand, facilitating advancements in countless fields. One such field is health care, where AI has the potential to significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficiency. A shining example of this is the utilization of large language models, such as OpenAI’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), …

Modern medicine is disappointing to many of us at the later end of our careers

Danielle Reznicsek, MD

Physician

July 10, 2023

I graduated from medical school in 1995. I completed an internal medicine and pediatrics residency in 1999, after which I spent three years in private practice, then moved on to a hospitalist practice for the next four years. From there, I transitioned to an ER job, where I have been for the last seventeen years.

In the ER, my role initially involved expeditiously seeing patients and only performing what was absolutely …

Long-term illness: Healing, thriving, and reclaiming your life [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 9, 2023

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

Join neurologist Juliet Morgan and internal medicine physician Meghan Jobson as they discuss their book, Long Illness: A Practical Guide to Surviving, Healing, and Thriving. From autoimmune diseases to chronic pain, they share their expertise on navigating …

Accessing needed pediatric mental health care was difficult before the pandemic and is now at crisis levels

Victoria Chen and J. Wesley Boyd, MD, PhD

Conditions

July 9, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit kids hard. Their mental well-being was already tenuous before the pandemic, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated what was already a crisis of anxiety, depression, and suicidality among youth. Getting treatment for adolescents with mental health issues was difficult prior to the pandemic. We have recently published a study in Psychiatric Services that shows that currently obtaining an appointment with a child psychiatrist is very difficult …

How observing patients’ walks can reveal hidden ailments

Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD

Physician

July 9, 2023

On the first day of class, one of my medical school professors limped in, stopped, and then proceeded to teach us specifically what ailment a patient has that causes their limp.

He went on to explain, “By the time you finish this didactic course in orthopedics, you will be able to diagnose a patient’s problem just by watching them walk!”

At the beginning of each class, the professor would limp in and …

Should physicians defend their “Dr.” title amidst changing entitlements?

Deepak Gupta, MD

Physician

July 9, 2023

In these uncertain times regarding entitlement, physicians find themselves unsure whether they should continue defending their use of the title “Dr.” There are instances where teachers can hold the title of Dr., as can individuals with PhDs. Additionally, nurses can also obtain PhDs and subsequently be addressed as Dr. Given the evolving climate of reducing privilege, should physicians still assert their entitlement? It is believed that patients desire to know …

A physician’s journey through intimate partner violence [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 8, 2023

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

Join us on this episode as we welcome Chloe N. L. Lee, a psychiatry resident, to share her harrowing experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). Chloe opens up about the abuse and challenges she faced in breaking …

The hidden consequences of fraudulent and poor-quality medical research

Martin C. Young, MD

Physician

July 8, 2023

Recent years have seen an increasing recognition of fraud, deceit, and other maleficence in scientific research, including medical research. The extent of this is truly frightening and has led to increasing international efforts to detect and address it. As of September 2020, the site Retraction Watch listed over 24,000 papers in its database, many of which were retracted due to deliberate fraud. It is unknown how many individuals, who received …

Life and death in the ICU: a night of heroism, tragedy, and budgetary battles

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

July 8, 2023

ICU: Our acuities were high, and staffing was low. Our ICU, with 24 beds, was already full. The staffing situation for that night was so poor that instead of our RNs having a 2:1 patient-nurse ratio, we were forced into 3:1 assignments.

Despite the challenging circumstances, we couldn’t have asked for a better team of ICU nurses. They were the best in their field, supported by two dedicated Respiratory Therapists assigned …

Revealing the hidden impact of skin conditions

Dr. Natasha Khalid

Conditions

July 8, 2023

During my internal medicine residency, I rotated through various subspecialties, but the one that always gave me thought-provoking perspectives at the end of the day was dermatology. I was very excited to work in derma and learn how to treat basic clinical conditions like acne, hair fall, dermatitis, etc., at the back of my hand. However, my daily clinics opened my eyes to a new Pandora’s box of issues in …

Unveiling the rise of deaths of despair [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

July 7, 2023

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Join us on this episode as we welcome Mohammed Umer Waris, a family medicine resident, to discuss the alarming rise of “deaths of despair” and its impact on life expectancy in the United States. Umer sheds light …

The truth behind overpriced medical laser devices: What physicians need to know

Emil Shakov, MD

Physician

July 7, 2023

The medical aesthetic field is experiencing significant growth, with an expected market valuation of billions by 2023. As the demand for non-invasive aesthetic procedures rises, physicians are increasingly enticed by medical laser devices. However, this industry is plagued by underhanded sales tactics and excessively priced equipment, leaving physicians at a loss.

The overpriced landscape of medical laser devices. Medical laser devices, although technologically advanced and effective, are notorious for their exorbitant prices. …

The epidemic of narcissistic abuse in the medical field

Karla Lester, MD

Physician

July 7, 2023

I didn’t go through that to go through this.

“She doesn’t know how to work within a system,” said Snakeskin Shoes.

Narcissists grow and thrive in children’s hospitals. Their strategy is to inflict moral injury upon physicians by gaslighting and silencing those who speak up for patient safety or for themselves, while also controlling a false narrative about them.

Snakeskin Shoes, the former VP of marketing and communications, is a poster boy narcissist. …