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From grief to gratitude: How writing changed my life

Physician

March 14, 2023

Dan died, and I became a writer. I didn’t know it, but I did. Back then, I wrote one story, almost by accident, trying to make sense of my personal chaos. That essay chronicled a small-town doctor losing a beloved middle-aged friend who was rapidly fading from pancreatic cancer. It felt like being dropped into a horrible Lifetime movie come to life, where one day in August 2016, Dan developed …

Beyond textbooks: the importance of empathy in medicine

Michael J. Collins, MD

Physician

March 14, 2023

An excerpt from All Bleeding Stops.

Megan continues to take his blood pressure every few minutes. With growing tenderness Denis watches her fidgeting with the IV, biting her lip, eyes flitting from one machine to the next, desperately seeking the reassurance she knows will never come.

She thinks she’s not a good doctor because she hasn’t memorized enough textbooks or performed enough …

From tragedy to advocacy: a journey through medical errors [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 13, 2023

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

In this episode, Alisa Sano, a public health research assistant, shares her personal story of loss and the impact of medical errors on families.

We will explore the complexities of the health care system, including the “swiss cheese …

Unintended consequences of Health Care Quality Improvement Act: a violation of physicians’ civil and constitutional rights

Farid Gharagozloo, MD & Rainer Gruessner, MD & Robert Poston, MD

Physician

March 13, 2023

The Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, as well as the Human Rights Campaign for the LGBTQ+ community, are a few examples of where American democracy and values have triumphed in restoring dignity and civil and constitutional rights to marginalized individuals. Although much work remains to be done, the enlightenment brought about by these movements will undoubtedly continue to strengthen American democracy. However, it is concerning that during the …

We need a new approach to Black mental health

Jameta Nicole Barlow, PhD, MPH

Policy

March 13, 2023

In recent weeks, an outpouring of new research has highlighted the severity of the Black mental health crisis. One new poll shows that 77% of Black and Latinx women face mental health barriers related to racism. Another new study found that Black women are undertreated for depression. Yet another shows that even vicarious experiences of racial discrimination increase anxiety. All this is on top of research showing …

ChatGPT: How generative AI is revolutionizing health care

Robert Pearl, MD

Tech

March 13, 2023

Over the past decade, I’ve kept a close eye on the emergence of artificial intelligence in health care. One truth remained constant: Despite all the hype, AI-focused startups and established tech companies alike have failed to move the needle on the nation’s overall health and medical costs.

Finally, after a decade of underperformance in AI-driven medicine, success is approaching faster than physicians and patients currently …

Healing from the pandemic: a journey to recovery

Susan MacLellan-Tobert, MD

Physician

March 13, 2023

While it appears we are on the downhill slope of COVID-19’s integration into everyday life, burnout rates are rising, and organizational trust is taking a nose-dive. Aren’t we supposed to be in the post-disaster recovery phase? What is the bottleneck holding us back from moving toward our new horizon? On the surface, issues like operating losses, staffing shortages, and scarcity of supplies appear to be a few of the big …

Be like Mike (Jordan) and build your personal doctor brand

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

March 13, 2023

Gatorade’s commercial featuring Michael Jordan from 1992 and its catchy song, “Like Mike,” is now part of pop culture history. The lyrics were likable. “I dream I move, I dream I groove, like Mike, if I could be like Mike, oh if I could be like Mike.” Let’s face it, growing up, many of us dreamed to be like Mike. As their first athlete endorser, Michael Jordan elevated the Gatorade …

The holistic solution to obesity: Addressing mind, body, and behaviors for lasting weight loss

Roopal Lalaji, PsyD

Conditions

March 13, 2023

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro. These names have entered our common parlance within the last year via news articles, television stories, and celebrity exposes. Everyone from Hollywood to your neighbor seems to be on medication for weight loss or trying to find a way to access one via their medical provider, from primary care physicians to dermatologists. The widespread demand for these medications has resulted in a shortage for those who could …

A personal journey through hospital-acquired psychosis [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 12, 2023

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

Join us for a touching and insightful episode with Natasha Khalid, a geriatrics fellow, as she shares her personal experience of dealing with ICU psychosis in a loved one. Natasha takes us on a journey through her …

The secret to success in medical school: self-awareness and courage

Kaelor Gordon

Education

March 12, 2023

Self-awareness and courage. Out of all the information and knowledge you gain during medical school, from a personal development standpoint, I would say that self-awareness and consistent courage are what make the difference between a good student and an excellent student. As a third-year medical student, I can confidently say that beginning medical school with these traits and continuing to keep these traits close during medical school will take you …

Loving our pets through loss: Coping with the death of a family member

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

March 12, 2023

My husband passed away six months ago, and it is quite evident to me that not only do I miss him, but so does our dog Grace. She adored Bill and would scamper to find him if I directed her to “Go find dad!” I no longer use the word dad, as that sets her off on a sad but fruitless chase around the house.

Very soon after Bill died, it …

The paradox of health IT: Improving care, impeding communication

Juan Pablo Zhenlio, MD

Physician

March 12, 2023

Advancements in health IT have created ease and efficiency in delivering health care that has never been seen before. Electronic ordering and prescribing have reduced medication errors from misinterpreting handwritten information. The interoperable transmission of critical patient history, lab work, and digital imaging from one hospital to another has reduced costs and unnecessary extraneous tests. Virtual care and telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized how patient encounters are …

Sleep matters: Addressing the neglected vital sign

Emily Kahoud

Conditions

March 12, 2023

It wasn’t until I reflected upon how many times the highway rumble strip had potentially saved my life that I sought the help of a physician trained in sleep medicine. Prior to that, no doctor had ever asked me about my intractable insomnia.

Sleep is increasingly being recognized as an underappreciated vital sign. An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans may have a sleep disorder, and according to the Centers …

The rise of chatbots for patient empowerment

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Tech

March 12, 2023

Giving patients the information, abilities, and resources they need to actively participate in their care is at the heart of the critical health care concept known as patient empowerment. Health care professionals can increase patient involvement, boost health outcomes, and maximize the use of health care resources by empowering people. In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in using technology to encourage patient empowerment. Chatbots, in particular, …

An inside look at the orphan drug revolution [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

March 11, 2023

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

Join us as we explore the history and evolution of the orphan drug revolution with James Geraghty, a health care executive. Discover how the pharmaceutical industry of the 1970s, driven by a pursuit of predictable profitability, led …

The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

Catherine Hennessey, MD

Physician

March 11, 2023

As an OB/GYN, I know that medication abortion is safe, commonly used, and effective. Women’s rights, family building, and abortion are recognized in many international human rights documents. The United Nations’ 1966 Human Rights Treaty states that all people have a right to the highest attainable standard of health. The ability for someone to choose when and if they want to have a child is the basis of the Reproductive Justice framework and is paramount …

Help is out there: a waitress’ story of hope and inspiration

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

March 11, 2023

I treat myself to the same restaurant for breakfast once or twice a month. There she is again, the same waitress with those same sad eyes. She knows my name, but I don’t know hers. Sometimes she has a bruise on her forehead or bruises up and down her arms, and I can see through her makeup.

My heart aches because even though I don’t know her, I know her. It’s …

The collaboration between radiologists and clinicians for optimal diagnostic outcomes

Houda Bouhmam, MD

Physician

March 11, 2023

When I was doing my transitional year in internal medicine, I was essentially bullied for going into diagnostic radiology by my co-residents and the internal medicine attending doctors I worked with. They used to tell me that my “forever job” would be to sit on a chair in a dark room and dictate “correlate clinically” all day long. And I would immediately argue: No! That’s terrible! I would never do …

A hands-off approach to medical exams is potentially deadly

Deborah Herchelroath, DO

Physician

March 11, 2023

My mother passed away in early December. She had been battling Alzheimer’s disease for several years. Her communication was poor due to the disease. The caregivers in the memory care unit where she was located stated that she had been vomiting the night before her death. The next morning, she was moaning, and they believed she was in pain. An ambulance was called, and she was taken to the local …

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