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We welcome Sara Pastoor, a family physician, and delve into the pressing issue of the primary care crisis in the U.S. health care system. With projections showing growth in the market for health administrators, we discuss how …
Rescuing primary care: the role of health administrators [PODCAST]
Despite advancements in health information technology (HIT), the prevalence of diabetes in the United States continues to be high and is the seventh leading cause of death. Diabetes management in underserved communities has challenges concerning health care access for high-risk groups, often resulting in debilitating health outcomes worsened by adverse socio-economic consequences. Optimal HbA1c levels, controlled for by risk reduction, are essential. If diabetics encounter barriers to health care services, …
Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities
In a growing social media world population, one cannot ignore the technological invasion of the medical world. From the discovery of penicillin to electronic medical records and the digital health revolution, real medical revolutions are not too many.
However, social media is disrupting the medical ecosystem and how we practice medicine. Information to the public is moving from a “push system,” where the teacher or the publisher decides what information to …
From penicillin to digital health: the impact of social media on medicine
As anyone in health care knows, a strong nurse-physician dynamic is critical to achieving successful patient outcomes. To provide a quality care experience, it is essential to have a clinical team that knows how to collaborate to achieve that goal. If we don’t know how to work together, or how to coordinate our care, it’s going to be very difficult to maintain a safe environment for the patient.
Nurses are at …
Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic
The global health care sector has undergone a digital revolution, with telemedicine at the forefront of this transformation. Telemedicine offers promising opportunities to enhance patient care, reduce costs, and expand access to health care services. However, its widespread adoption faces several challenges that must be addressed for its full potential to be realized. This article discusses the barriers to telemedicine adoption and provides strategies for successful implementation by health care …
How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles
Some grim news has emerged revealing the sad decline in the health of the United States. America saw its most significant 2-year fall in life expectancy, 2.7 years, in almost 100 years. This has led to U.S. life expectancy being at its lowest since the mid-1990s. This unprecedented fall requires deep examination.
While COVID is a major cause behind this decline, another …
Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy
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We are joined by Ketan Kulkarni, a physician entrepreneur. We dive into the often-used but loosely defined word “success.” With the constant bombardment of images of success through the media, it’s easy to feel lost and unclear …
Redefining success: a journey of self-discovery and fulfillment [PODCAST]
Inflation and rising interest rates have given way to a record high of $930.6 billion in credit card debt.
I am among many people who have gone into credit card debt by spending too much on health and wellness.
Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is not the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBD is …
Yoga and self-care won’t cure my Crohn’s disease
As oncologists, we encounter numerous patients on a daily basis and form emotional bonds with many of them, especially if they survive long enough and continue to see the same doctor for several years. This bond can grow so deep that we feel their pain, cry with them, and sometimes even realize that some of our patients are our soulmates.
According to Wikipedia, a soulmate is a person ideally suited to …
The patient who became my soulmate
The state of health care in the U.S. is widely considered to be inadequate. I recently learned in an online class that family doctors in Canada only have 10 minutes per patient. I am unsure who sets or enforces this rule and it is unclear why anyone would choose such a job. As an introvert, I understand the toll of being present for others all day, but 10 minutes to …
Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians
A 2021 Merritt Hawkins article reports increasing physician shortfalls in the U.S. while pointing out that almost 50 percent of all currently practicing physicians are older than 55. In some medical specialties, the “greater-than-55” physician numbers are between 60 to 90+ percent.
Similar findings have been confirmed in an updated January 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review article. These recent reports estimate that there will be a …
Can AI solve the physician shortage crisis?
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In this episode, we welcome Diana M. Girnita, a rheumatologist and founder and CEO of Rheumatologist OnCall. We discuss the challenges facing patients with arthritis and the shortage of rheumatologists. Despite the growing need for specialized care, …
Breaking barriers in arthritis care with telemedicine [PODCAST]
It was a hot day in Northern California, and my clothes were covered with the red dust of summer. At age 9, I couldn’t take a step on our property without grasshoppers launching themselves from the dry wheat grass. Colorful ladybugs were also out in force. I searched everywhere for a container to keep my prized bugs, but my efforts were to no avail. I headed for Mr. Maryfield’s trailer, …
Life as a physician is sometimes like a runaway trailer
Fainting, or syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness when the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen. Many things, including dehydration, low blood sugar, or anxiety, can cause it. As all doctors know, a common trigger for fainting is seeing blood or a needle.
Emotional fainting is very common in humans, especially in younger people, but it is extremely rare in non-human vertebrates. Fainting may be a response that Homo sapiens …
What causes fainting and how to prevent it during needle procedures
An excerpt from White Coat Ways: A History of Medical Traditions and Their Battle With Progress.
So, who wrote this immortal Hippocratic oath: Hippocrates or one of his Hippocratic followers? Though no one knows for certain, the answer is potentially neither. The most compelling evidence for this argument is that the …
The controversial origin of the Hippocratic oath
December 20, 2012, started like any other day as an OB/GYN when I was called to do a precipitous delivery. I immediately saw that the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low, and I knew I had to act quickly. Several nurses helped me maintain the patient’s position to get a vacuum on the baby’s crowning head. While placing the vacuum, the patient kicked me in my brachial plexus, and my …
From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury
According to the Commonwealth Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the health care system in the United States continues to rank the highest in health spending, has the highest rates of avoidable deaths, and rates of infant and maternal deaths compared to other high-income countries. These countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, …
Breaking down the barriers to effective bar-code medication administration
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In this episode, we have Fayne Frey, a dermatologist and author of The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream.
We delve into the world of skincare and the billions of dollars …
Uncovering the truth about skincare: a dermatologist’s perspective [PODCAST]
Life is often viewed as a competition where resources and opportunities are limited. This is especially true for health care professionals, who must navigate the delicate balance between their professional responsibilities and their personal lives. The challenge becomes even greater when factors such as competition among family members and the rise of artificial intelligence threaten to disrupt the traditional roles and relationships that have defined humanity.
Geography plays a significant role …
Navigating life’s zero-sum game: the struggles of competitive health care professionals
America, we have a beef problem! The inflation rate is high, and the inflation on beef is even more outrageous. At the time of this article, inflation hovers around 8 to 9 percent, while beef is priced at least 15 to 30 percent more than before COVID-19.
We are undoubtedly seeing corporate greed from the meatpacking companies as they have driven up prices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers don’t make …
The locums industry has a beef problem
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