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Doctors: We must fight against frivolous lawsuits

Physician

April 13, 2023

Lawyers assert that they never file a frivolous lawsuit. All malpractice claims are legitimate because there is a reasonable suspicion of fault when a case is filed.

On January 21, 2022, at 11:40 a.m., I received a call from my attorney, who represented me in a frivolous malpractice lawsuit, informing me that I was unconditionally dismissed. I never doubted that dismissal with prejudice was inevitable.

For a lawyer, a …

Strategies for effective patient communication: a guide for physicians with the aid of ChatGPT

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

April 13, 2023

Effective communication is the cornerstone of the patient-doctor relationship, fostering trust, empathy, and understanding between both parties. As a physician, honing your communication skills helps to facilitate accurate diagnoses and treatment plans and improves patient satisfaction and adherence to medical recommendations. This article will explore strategies to help you communicate more effectively with your patients as a health care professional and discuss …

Why doctors are experts at dissociating

Christine Gibson, MD

Physician

April 13, 2023

When you think of the word dissociate, it likely conjures up images of someone stumbling up a beach with no recollection of their life before being washed up on shore. Sure, dissociative amnesia is a (rare) phenomenon. But dissociating is not.

In fact, doctors are trained to do it.

When I was in clerkship in Toronto, Canada – I started working night shifts. Learning to ignore my body’s signals that it was …

Read more…

Why doctors are experts at dissociating

Physicians: Don’t believe these career transition myths

Jawaria Suhail, MD

Physician

April 13, 2023

Are you a physician looking to explore nonclinical career options and make a fresh start? While the thought of transitioning away from your current job might be daunting, these five myths about career transition should not hold you back – there are actually many opportunities available for advancing professionals like yourself who have the courage to seize them. By shifting our perspective on traditional notions of success and progression, we …

Hospitalsplaining: a lawyer’s perspective on condescension in the medical field

Dennis Hursh, Esq

Finance

April 13, 2023

It will come as no surprise to anyone reading my articles that hospitals can be extremely condescending to physicians. As a physician’s lawyer who spends his days reviewing and negotiating physician employment agreements, I am also frequently “treated” to this phenomenon.

My firm has coined the phrase “hospitalsplaining” to describe how hospitals routinely talk down to physicians and their lawyers. A recent example illustrates the problem nicely.

We were reviewing a …

Psychological safety: the unspoken key to health care success [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 12, 2023

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

In this episode, we are joined by clinical psychologist and health systems leadership consultant, Nicola F. De Paul, to discuss the importance of psychological safety in health care environments. Nicola shares her personal experience of addressing psychological …

I’m not so different from Lionel Messi – and neither are you

Lauren Tien

Education

April 12, 2023

In the United States, 16,783,000 viewers watched the 2022 World Cup final. That number doesn’t include me, who inconspicuously watched the match over the shoulder of a stranger sitting one row ahead of me on a flight — a traveler who had the means to purchase the plane’s Wi-Fi while I, a student surviving on loans, do not. So, let’s set the record straight and revise the number of viewers …

How AI can help alleviate the strain on the medical system

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

April 12, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on the health care system and its professionals. With an increased demand for nursing staff during the crisis, many young nurses entered the workforce to fill the gap. However, this new generation of nurses has brought a set of expectations and attitudes that are now putting a strain on hospitals and impacting physician salaries. …

6 ways ChatGPT can help you succeed in medical school

Drew Bergman

Education

April 12, 2023

Medical school can be a daunting journey for many aspiring physicians. As I look back now at the beginning of my 4th year, this has certainly been the case for me. With an overwhelming amount of information to learn and retain, students often find themselves struggling to keep up with the pace of the curriculum. Although somewhat mitigated by USMLE Step 1 transitioning to pass/fail, students are also pressured to …

Jimmy Carter’s end-of-life decision: Respecting patient autonomy and the importance of hospice care

Paul B. Hofmann, DrPH, MPH

Conditions

April 12, 2023

A KevinMD article about Jimmy Carter’s end-of-life care decision, “The heartbreaking story of Jimmy Carter: a call for Medicare reform in end-of-life care,” indicated that the former president’s decision was heartbreaking. However, I have a different view. In my opinion, the 39th president, at age 98, made an autonomous and well-informed decision.

On February 18, The Carter Center announced in a statement that “after a series of short hospital stays, …

Is it time to say goodbye to medical school rankings?

James Goldchild

Education

April 12, 2023

Premeds, don’t let them mislead you again.

It was once said that if we were 30 percent less intelligent, we would likely become happier. Sadly, awareness precedes intelligence. There is terrifyingly little strength involved in witnessing any tragedy that would either take a very long time to unsee or would stick with us to the grave. Around January, we heard the shot go around the world; 11 …

From community to corporation: the transformation of primary care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 11, 2023

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

In this podcast episode, we have Michael Fine, a family physician and author of On Medicine as Colonialism, sharing his insights on the changing landscape of primary care. He reflects on his experience of practicing in a …

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome: Understanding a rare disorder and supporting patients and families

Christian Hardoy

Conditions

April 11, 2023

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical features, including intellectual disability, growth retardation, and distinct craniofacial and limb abnormalities. Named after Dr. Jack Rubinstein and Dr. Hooshang Taybi, who first described the syndrome in 1963, RTS remains an area in which the medical community has limited understanding, diagnosis, and treatment options. Improved awareness and research efforts are needed …

Why health care careers are essential in the age of AI: Encouraging our children to pursue the irreplaceable human touch

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

April 11, 2023

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have left many parents questioning the best career paths for their children in a world increasingly influenced by automation. One field that continues to be indispensable, despite AI’s growing presence, is health care. The unique qualities of human empathy, critical thinking, and adaptability remain essential in this sector, ensuring that health care professionals retain a …

Transforming birth: How advocacy and sharing stories can shape policy and empower families

Tiffani Marie, PhD

Conditions

April 11, 2023

Musical genius and mogul Rihanna recently graced the Oscars stage for her second performance after the birth of her son, with a baby bump indicating her second pregnancy. She described her first birth as “blessed” and “beautiful.” While many expecting parents long to describe their birthing process similarly, there are realities within the medical system that complicate this narrative for those who are not celebrities. When my partner and I …

Revolutionizing women’s health: a community-based approach

Reetu Syal, MD, MBA

Physician

April 11, 2023

I’m building a platform for people to talk about all things women’s health. It serves the needs of education and awareness, peer support, and community building. These are all things I have wanted to offer, but until now, I didn’t know how to do so.

It started with trying to figure out how to leverage and embrace technology to bring my knowledge to patients. Every day I give the same information …

A medical advocate’s role in the COVID ICU [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

April 10, 2023

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

In this episode, guest Sara L. Merwin, co-author of The Informed Patient: A Complete Guide to a Hospital Stay, shares her experience helping a family navigate their loved one’s hospital stay during the height of the COVID …

The surgeon-anesthesiologist relationship: Learning to work together in the OR

Nicole M. King, MD

Physician

April 10, 2023

Last week I walked past him sitting outside of the OR. It was morning, before all of the first start cases, but he had been there all night. I already knew this. Two back-to-back transplants overnight. He, a surgical fellow, me, a critical care anesthesiologist who was a surgical resident over a decade ago. I could see the circles under his eyes that seemed to take up over half of …

Uncovering the controversial debate surrounding climate change

Martin C. Young, MD

Physician

April 10, 2023

In a recent posting, “The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools,” the author concluded that climate change is “here and undeniable” and, based on her experience of wildfires, that the cataclysmic consequences are already upon us.

Many would disagree, including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Ivar Giaever who, on resigning from the American Physical Society (APS) in protest, wrote: “In the APS it is OK to discuss whether …

Advocacy and collaboration lead to major patient safety benefits on sterile pharmaceutical compounding: a review of USP’s revisions to Chapter <797>

Elizabeth Rebello, MD

Meds

April 10, 2023

In November 2022, revisions to the United States Pharmacopeia’s (USP) General Chapter <797>, a standard for sterile pharmaceutical compounding – defined as the process of “combining, admixing, diluting, pooling, reconstituting, repackaging, or otherwise altering a drug product or bulk drug substance to create a sterile medication” – were published. USP <797> plays a major role in guiding …

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