Using inquiry-based stress reduction to treat medical malpractice stress syndrome

Physician
July 11, 2022

“Your worst enemy cannot hurt you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.”
– The Buddha.

On her 44th birthday, Dr. Maya Williams took in all she had accomplished: her recent partnership in her radiology practice, two beautiful middle-school daughters, and the enduring marriage to her medical school sweetheart.

It was devastating when she opened a registered letter outlining a malpractice case against her later that day. Allegedly, she had failed to communicate …

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Roe v. Wade: Share our experience and be part of the solution

Policy
July 11, 2022

Although this is a politically charged topic in our space in medicine, this isn’t political. For many of us, it’s doing our job — taking care of a patient’s mental and physical health. Making sure they are safe and doing no harm. Living in the Midwest, I had the realization today that in the near future, I will need to refer a patient in need of some reproductive services out …

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Physicians and patients are now pawns in a political game

Policy
July 11, 2022

This morning I had a migraine. I should have known it was coming. I now have complex migraines and was having word-finding difficulty yesterday, which is a harbinger for me. How could I have known that my soul had known before my mind had, that it had known we were about to rip away a standing protection for half of the U.S. population and dress it up as a state’s …

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An example of medical-legal consulting [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 10, 2022
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“To a reasonable degree of medical probability, it was my opinion that the long hours the client spent typing, in addition to the poor ergonomics of his workstation, contributed to him being pre-disposed to a cervical injury sustained after lifting heavy boxes for …

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How physicians are mishandling technology

Tech
July 10, 2022

Physicians are getting their asses kicked by technology, but this is reversible if they integrate technology as they do laboratory science.

Medicine needs specialized doctors who only focus on technology. This will combat burnout and take control of a system that has no other incentive to adapt to clinical needs.

In 2013, I graduated medical school and went to Silicon Valley to acquire high-tech skills.

During med school, an investigation …

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Monkeypox: Have we learned anything?

Conditions
July 10, 2022

Perhaps I am being pessimistic, with a “glass half full attitude,” but please hear me out. I am optimistic, but I am also realistic, and I pay attention to trends and behaviors in people. When monkeypox was first mentioned in the Canadian media, it was seen as low risk for spread. I laughed and groaned simultaneously. I remember those exact words when public health officials first acknowledged COVID. The concerns …

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When is enough … “enough” in your career?

Physician
July 10, 2022

We spend so much of our lives chasing a sense of doing “enough” and being “enough.”

Though I anticipate it’s been years in the making, I feel like I woke up one day and just had enough. This time, it wasn’t in a hopeless way. It was more of an awakening and permission to stop running on the treadmill to nowhere.

At first, I felt a wave of grief as I let …

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Allow yourself a moment to focus on yourself, not the next patient [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 9, 2022
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“Allow yourself a moment to focus on yourself, not the next patient. Take a drink of cold water, go to the bathroom, and maybe take a lap around the room. Physically relax those tensed muscles.

This will allow you to start the journey of …

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Not a cancer survivor, not a cancer previvor: Am I a cancer preventer?

Conditions
July 9, 2022

I recently had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with an esthetic flat closure (no reconstruction). My decision took months of questions, discussion and reflection. My journey began during the final four weeks of 2021.

It included: four mammograms, four ultrasounds, three MRIs, two needle biopsies, two radioactive seed placements, two excisional biopsies (aka lumpectomies), two surgeon visits, and scheduling a prophylactic mastectomy.

Thankfully, I am currently cancer-free and have a greatly reduced risk …

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NLP and AI technologies streamline tedious health care processes to enable faster care

Tech
July 9, 2022

Two years after the global pandemic totally rewrote the health care playbook, hospitals, health systems, facilities, and providers are still striving to find some semblance of normalcy. Challenges present before the pandemic weren’t solved during the all-hands-on-deck mentality during wave after wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Obstacles such as outmoded workflows remain to be solved—and the time is now. Federal funding proved a lifesaver for health systems during the worst …

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It’s time to prevent the exploitation of sick people for profit

Physician
July 9, 2022

As a former emergency medicine doctor with ABEM certification, I anticipate questions about why I sought medical care. At this point, my problems are complex, and I need someone with a clear head to weigh in. At every encounter (and there have been nine or ten in three weeks), I have been both shocked and disappointed, as it seems patient well-being is barely a consideration in health care settings in …

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A shortage of geriatric doctors [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 8, 2022
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“Policymakers and educators can introduce incentives and new educational programs to recruit more physicians to fill the care gaps for elderly patients. Perhaps one solution is raising Medicare reimbursements to doctors at the same rate that private insurance pays. Another avenue might be …

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A doctor for LGBTQ+ health needs

Physician
July 8, 2022

As a queer, nonbinary, poly, and kinky person, medicine has been a challenging field to fit into, both as a patient and a physician.

While a first-year med student, I was misdiagnosed and inaccurately treated for an STI due to my physician’s biased and discriminatory views. A week after my painful injection, I had to go back and ask why I wasn’t getting better. He then – in his office, not …

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Military physicians leaving the military

Finance
July 8, 2022

Military physicians leaving the military have several issues that should be carefully evaluated before executing a contract with a civilian employer.

First of all, the income is definitely going to be higher than the military physician salary. Much like a physician coming out of training, military physicians should ask whether the salary is fair, not if they will be making more than they currently earn. Medical Group Management Association (“MGMA”) benchmarks …

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2 questions you should ask when choosing a surgeon

Physician
July 8, 2022

If you or a loved one needs surgery, you’re very likely terrified. You also may be shopping around to find a surgeon. Of course, you’ll want the best. (I’ve never heard someone say, “I’d like the most average surgeon I can find.”) There are lots of factors to take into account. But here are two questions you might not otherwise have thought to ask:

1. When you sit in the surgeon’s …

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Regulate your nervous system to improve your physical and emotional well-being [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 7, 2022
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“It makes sense that the body’s reaction to the onslaught of perceived threats would have a detrimental effect on physical and mental well-being. Perceived threats trigger the exact same physiological response as actual threats, activating a fight, flight or freeze reaction. It’s the …

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If it’s not clinically pertinent, then stay out of my uterus

Physician
July 7, 2022

“Stay out of my uterus” is a rallying cry for women defending reproductive rights. But it’s more than just that.

Patient 1: Female went to urgent care for back pain, had a negative pregnancy test, and saw a physician who prescribed a muscle relaxer. In the end, he asked her when she would have a third child. The patient, a physician, was taken aback but answered, “I’m not.” The doctor then …

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Novavax may be able to provide equitable access to another vaccine alternative

Meds
July 7, 2022

On June 7th, 2022, the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in adults by the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the United States Food and Drug Administration. The vaccine has already been authorized in many other nations, including Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and more, making the U.S. one of the last major nations to approve the vaccine.

The technology behind Novavax differs from the already prominent …

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6 changes that could lower the risk of developing prostate cancer

Conditions
July 7, 2022

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in people with a prostate. Some risk factors associated with prostate cancer can’t be mitigated. Those factors include older age, a family history of prostate cancer, and race (Black men have double the risk of developing prostate cancer compared to white men).

There are, however, lifestyle changes that men can make that may reduce prostate cancer risk. Diet …

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Be skeptical of certificate of need laws [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 6, 2022
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“Certificate of need (CON) laws purport to lower health care costs, increase patient access and ensure quality by managing the distribution of private resources, but none of these gains has materialized. A joint report from two federal agencies—the Federal Trade Commission and the …

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