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FDA loosens AI oversight: What clinicians need to know about the 2026 guidance

Policy

January 18, 2026

On January 6, 2026, the FDA announced revised guidance that loosens oversight for certain AI-enabled digital health products, most notably clinical decision support (CDS) software. The goal was to cut unnecessary regulation and promote innovation, accelerating time-to-market for tools positioned as clinical assistants rather than autonomous decision-makers.

At first glance, the change looks pragmatic, even overdue. For years, developers and clinicians alike have complained that prior FDA interpretations forced artificial …

Why the U.S. health care system is failing patients and physicians

John C. Hagan III, MD

Policy

January 18, 2026

United States (U.S.) health care, once a citadel of innovation and quality, has sadly devolved into a complex, frustrating, and frequently inaccessible system. It is so disorganized and inefficient it might not even meet the definition of a “system.” U.S. health care fails to address the needs and expectations of patients on many occasions and in many ways. For most of my career, I have considered U.S. health care the …

Focusing on outcomes over novelty prevents AI failure in health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 17, 2026

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Health care executive Dave Wessinger discusses their article “How to adopt AI in health care responsibly.” Dave explains why organizations must move beyond the hype of artificial intelligence to focus on measurable …

What is the minority tax in medicine?

Tharini Nagarkar and Maranda C. Ward, EdD, MPH

Education

January 17, 2026

“Oh, good, there’s our diversity in the slideshow!” said my supervisor. I was a college student leading a mentorship program for community youth at my predominantly white university, and I was one of two students of color on the leadership team. We were putting together a grant presentation, and in our slide deck there was a slide entitled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” which addressed in detail the program’s awareness of …

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What is the minority tax in medicine?

Putting health back into insurance: the case for tobacco cessation

Edward Anselm, MD

Policy

January 17, 2026

As major public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and state health departments face reductions in scope and resources, a unique opportunity arises for health insurers to take a leading role in improving public health, while also enhancing their own reputations and financial sustainability.

Consider tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, …

Why Brooklyn’s aging population needs more vascular health specialists

Anil Hingorani, MD

Conditions

January 17, 2026

When I began my surgical training in the 1990s, vascular surgery looked very different than what it does today. At that time, only a small number of physicians specialized in treating blood vessel diseases, and even fewer practiced in Brooklyn. I chose to complete my education and surgical training here in New York so I could stay rooted in the community I care most about. As the second board-certified vascular …

Escaping the golden cage of traditional medical practice to find joy again [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 16, 2026

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Urologist Tracy Gapin discusses their article “Is your medical career a golden cage?” Tracy explores the paradox of achieving professional success while feeling trapped in a demoralizing and insurance-driven health care system. …

Why pediatricians are key to postpartum depression screening

Mikenna Reiser

Conditions

January 16, 2026

When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer changed from ballerina to teacher to everything in between. One thing remained constant: I wanted to be a mother. I have narrowed my career aspirations to becoming a physician, but my desire to be a mom has been unwavering. In a climate where maternal mental health is so misunderstood, I constantly wonder what support I will have …

Prostate cancer genomic testing: a physician-patient’s perspective

Francisco M. Torres, MD

Conditions

January 16, 2026

I’ve spent my entire professional life practicing medicine, guiding patients through uncertainty, and translating complex science into actionable information that could be clearly understood. I thought I had a solid grasp on what it meant to face illness. I thought I knew how to navigate the medical maze and interpret all the jargon.

Nothing prepared me for the moment when I became a patient.

The diagnosis was prostate cancer.

Suddenly, I wasn’t the …

Why every physician needs a sabbatical (and how to take one)

Christie Mulholland, MD

Physician

January 16, 2026

In the first episode of The Pitt season 2, Dr. Robby reveals he’s taking a three-month sabbatical, his last shift before heading to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Canada. For a primetime medical drama to feature a physician stepping away for three months signals something important: Sabbaticals are entering the cultural conversation about how doctors survive in modern medicine.

But here’s what the show doesn’t tell you: Most physicians can’t …

Retail health care vs. employer DPC: Preparing for 2026 policy shifts

Dana Y. Lujan, MBA

Policy

January 16, 2026

Recent federal policy discussions have introduced a framework that would place health care affordability dollars into individual-controlled accounts rather than routing them through insurers or employer benefit plans. Still at the framework stage and requiring legislative action, the architecture being explored signals a potential shift in how health care purchasing power flows through the system.

Whether or not this specific framework advances, the direction of travel is clear. Health care …

Taiwan’s “Yi-Dong-Yang”: a preventive aging model for super-aged societies

Gerald Kuo

Conditions

January 16, 2026

In Taiwan, the year 2026 marks our transition into a “super-aged society,” where more than 20 percent of the population is over 65. Yet what strikes me most is not the demographic milestone itself, but what it does to the dinner table.

During Lunar New Year gatherings, I often observe a tense choreography among middle-aged children. Who will take father to his cardiology appointment? Who will accompany mother during the day? …

The moral injury of “not medically necessary” denials

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

Physician

January 16, 2026

The first denial arrived not with cruelty or malice, but with a phrase so familiar it barely registers as language anymore: “not medically necessary.” The cancer drug, recommended by oncologists and supported by evidence and standard of care, was rejected. No phone call. No physician-to-physician conversation. Just an automated letter and a bureaucratic pause inserted into a life that no longer had room for delay.

The family appealed. They fought. They …

What is palliative medicine and why is it so misunderstood?

Patricia M. Fogelman, DNP

Conditions

January 16, 2026

After years of leading palliative medicine departments, as a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, I’ve had countless conversations that start the same way. A colleague in the hallway says, “Oh, palliative care—that’s so important. You all are so nice.” Or a hospital administrator tells me, “We wish we could give you more, but resources are tight right now.” Or my personal favorite: “Palliative care is …

Capping student loans destroys the rural medical pipeline [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 15, 2026

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Kenneth Botelho, founding director of the doctor of medical science (DMSc) program at The College of St. Scholastica and a physician assistant, discusses his article “Federal graduate-loan caps threaten rural health care …

Is physician unionization the answer to a broken health care system?

Allan Dobzyniak, MD

Physician

January 15, 2026

Can there actually be a medical profession with physicians as only employees in an industrialized corporate or socialized system with a union representing their collective interests? Does it matter, and should it matter? Are there still alternatives?

Asking another party, specifically the government, to solve major predicaments consuming the profession is not a plan. Worse, it is a clear sign of dependency and weakness. There is no other entity that can …

Will AI replace primary care physicians?

P. Dileep Kumar, MD, MBA

Tech

January 15, 2026

Primary care providers and primary care medicine are on the downswing in the U.S., burdened with increasing demands of documentation and numerous complicated quality programs in the face of rapidly diminishing reimbursements. While the tribe is disappearing fast, enter its newest nemesis: artificial intelligence (AI).

You might wonder why AI is detrimental to primary care and primary care physicians. The common notion is that physicians, including primary care physicians, will be …

The decline of professionalism in medicine: a structural diagnosis

Patrick Hudson, MD

Physician

January 15, 2026

Most physicians sense it, even if they struggle to name it.

Something fundamental has changed in medicine. Not the science. Not the patients. Not even, at root, the doctors themselves. What has changed is the status of medicine as a profession, and with it, the psychological footing that once made the work bearable.

For much of the last century, medicine functioned as a profession in the classical sense. That meant more than …

The patchwork era of medical board certification

Brian Hudes, MD

Physician

January 15, 2026

The phrase “board-certified” once carried a universal meaning. A physician had met rigorous training and testing standards and could practice confidently anywhere in the country. That clarity has faded. Today, certification and recertification requirements differ not only by specialty but also by which board you happen to fall under. What was once a single national standard has splintered into a patchwork of rules, fees, and timelines that seem designed less …

Physician suicide represents a silent epidemic demanding urgent reform [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 14, 2026

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Psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article “Physician suicide prevention: a call to action.” Muhamad opens with the tragic losses of Dr. Nolan R. Williams and Dr. …

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