The evolving role of physicians in health care

Physician
November 1, 2022

Health care has changed dramatically in the last decades, from the introduction of electronic medical records to the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for telehealth and virtual care options to the increased familiarity with digital therapeutics, etc. Just as the industry has transformed over time, the physician’s role has similarly evolved.

Traditionally, those of us who attended medical school have had just a handful of career options to choose from …

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Speak up for safety in health care

Physician
November 1, 2022

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

A nurse is assisting the attending physician in placing a central line in the intensive care unit.

It’s 3 a.m., and the attending is clearly tired, having admitted eight patients so far on her shift. The nurse notices the physician pushing her eyeglasses up her nose – after …

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A hospitalist’s struggle to find teamwork in academic medicine

Physician
November 1, 2022

After a couple of hours of back and forth, I can finally complete an oxygen assessment on a patient ready to be discharged home. The conversation had concluded on a somewhat sarcastic note. I was left feeling guilty of having almost coerced someone to stay beyond their designated duty hours to attain a desirable outcome for a patient. While this was not entirely true, the encounter had brought forth a …

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Can the Inflation Reduction Act build back medicine better and reduce climate change? [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 31, 2022
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“There is great hope for this bill to accomplish the stated goals in the medical and energy worlds. There are many excellent summaries regarding this bill, and I would urge any interested readers to find a review …

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So what if cry with my patients?

Conditions
October 31, 2022

Ashley, one of my colleagues, and I discussed whether or not a doctor, nurse, or other providers of care should cry or show emotion with a patient or client. We’re not speaking of meltdowns or becoming so emotionally involved that it impairs our judgment or makes it difficult for us to render effective care, but simply being able to show a human response in the presence of your patient at …

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Punishing doctors for spreading misinformation

Policy
October 31, 2022

When I was in high school, I read George Orwell’s 1984, a novel about a dystopian future where the government (a.k.a. Big Brother) monitors everything the citizenry says or thinks. Anyone deviating from government “doublespeak” is swiftly and severely punished. I recall my horror as the main character, Winston, a former government official who joins the anti-Big Brother underground, is arrested by the “thought police.” His mind is then reprogrammed …

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Provider me not

Physician
October 31, 2022

I am not your provider.

There are days I loudly scream silently within the profundity of my soul, “Lord, please do not let them call me ‘provider’ one more time.”

I do not merely present to you to give you something you can use for your own personal subsistence.

Provider comes from the Latin verb “providere,” which means “to foresee.” Our beloved and storied profession’s effective and evidence-based practice does not merely imply …

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A Hungarian Jewish man’s fight for freedom [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 30, 2022
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“Despite the terror of the Soviets, it was clear that not even their mighty tanks could eradicate the social tides that now, like a tsunami, could not be turned back. The power of the movement forced Ernő …

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Things to know before signing an academic physician employment agreement

Physician
October 30, 2022

If you are considering accepting an academic appointment, you need to be cognizant of the special issues involved in contracts in academia. You must know these things before signing an academic physician employment agreement.

An academic physician employment agreement is usually light on provisions.

Unlike most hospital physician employment agreements, an academic physician employment agreement tends to be very sparse on contractual provisions. Typically an academic physician employment agreement will just be …

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We need to stop treating diabetes (without a prevention plan)

Conditions
October 30, 2022

The recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics on declining U.S. life expectancy painted a bleak picture, fueled in large part by the impact of Covid-19, but not exclusively. Many of the contributing factors are deeply systemic – poverty and health disparities among them — but other longstanding health issues, including high rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, are contributing factors.

More than 34 million people – one …

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Why psychological explanations for long COVID are dangerous [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 29, 2022
YouTube video

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“Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and their allies will rally in DC, London, and Edinburgh this September to “demand bold, urgent governmental action” for the millions of people living with ME, long COVID, and other infection-associated, chronic …

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Who gets to graduate from medical school?

Physician
October 29, 2022

Getting into medical school is only the first step of an intense journey. Undergoing the admission process and being accepted into medical school can be an exceptional challenge, especially as a student of color, but it isn’t the only hurdle. In a previous article, I outlined the medical school admission process, its reliance on MCAT scores, and key experiences, which are highly influenced by unequally distributed opportunities. I also shared …

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Having more doctors to assess rare, multi-system illnesses

Conditions
October 29, 2022

From an Indian parable dated from before 500 BCE:

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable.” So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. …

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When patients want their doctors to heal [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 28, 2022
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“I think it’s much more likely that my patients — some of whom are terminal and facing their own mortality; others who are suffering through a multitude of side effects from their cancers or our treatments – …

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Building individual health equity

Policy
October 28, 2022

Buying health insurance is a lot like renting an apartment. Finding the perfect place is hard, and the price is always higher than you expect.  But if it is conveniently close to your employer and there are few other affordable options, you sign the lease and agree to all of the terms.  Only after a few monthly payments do you realize electricity, heat, water, and snow removal are not included. …

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Stop and smell the cadavers

Physician
October 28, 2022

Medical students are an odd bunch. At least in my day. Warning: The following may seem a little distasteful, violating the doctrine of proper decorum expected of medical professionals. I feel your anguish for those bent to the more sensitive side, but to sugar-coat a narrative only robs it of its essence.

I attended the Medical College of Wisconsin in the late 1980s, so what follows may not represent medical training. …

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Beyond comfort: a treatment for OCD and a recipe for a better life

Conditions
October 28, 2022

When I was a child, I recall my mother telling me that to live a successful life, you must do one thing every day that scares you. I remember not fully understanding this piece of advice’s magnitude or real significance, yet it still resonated. It’s funny, what stands out to us, what we remember, and why. Little did I know at the time that these words represented the very premise …

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A C-section is not a defeat

Conditions
October 28, 2022

“It was a cold night in October …”

I can now joke about that night with my husband and my best friend from OB/GYN residency. I had worked a Saturday 24-hour call shift, and as soon as I got home on Sunday morning, I began having symptoms that made me turn around and head right back to the labor and delivery unit …

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