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The story of a physician, after a year sober

Physician

November 17, 2022

My first COVID vacation last year was spectacular, except that I barely remember three days because I was drinking to the point of amnesia.

I am a physician from a multigenerational family of alcoholics, and I never wanted to struggle with alcohol use disorder. Instead, I discovered that I could avoid feelings of discomfort by overworking, achieving, and staying perpetually busy. Workaholism became my drug of choice. As an adult, I …

My 5-minute conversation with a suicide hotline expert

Farhan S. Imran, MD

Physician

November 17, 2022

Sandy was sent to me by her primary care physician for evaluation of anemia. As I reviewed her chart, I explained to the medical student that the blood work showed a lifelong benign condition called alpha thalassemia trait that she was born with. It had no potential to harm her. This would be a quick consult, meaning we would have some extra time to enjoy our lunch.

What it means to leave clinical medicine [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

November 16, 2022

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“Not too long ago, a circumstance occurred. I have experienced similar circumstances several times in my career. However, this time, my response was different. It was like a switch in my brain flipped. I was ready to …

Integrated care is the key to optimizing cancer outcomes

Chelsey Lindner, PharmD

Meds

November 16, 2022

The American Cancer Society released its annual report on cancer statistics, showing that we have made clear and significant progress in treating numerous forms of cancer. The overall rate of death has declined steadily since 1991, translating to over 3 million lives saved.

Despite this progress, I still see room for improvement in a care model where patients too often slip through the cracks.

The National Cancer Institute identified that …

Let’s focus more on caring, rather than coding

Jay Anders, MD

Physician

November 16, 2022

Risk adjustment is a statistical method used by health plans to predict an individual’s use of health care services and the associated cost of care. Unlike traditional fee-for-service Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans receive a flat monthly payment for the individual beneficiary’s cost of care, with payments partially based on risk score.

Higher risk scores mean higher payments, and plans have financial incentives linked to more thorough documentation (coding) of their …

Design thinking in health care: Physicians already have the training to be innovators

Sneha S. Jain, MD, MBA

Tech

November 16, 2022

Compared to the Silicon Valley world of moving fast and breaking things, health care change often happens slowly. Some of the reasons for the inertia of our industry make sense. Change impacting patients requires a vetting process to ensure we are creating net benefit.

But this inertia also exists partly because many believe our field is so uniquely complicated that it cannot be improved using lessons from other industries. But the …

Common open enrollment considerations for doctors

Shane Tenny, CFP

Finance

November 15, 2022

Similar to most financial topics, benefit elections are not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Open enrollment occurs at the end of each year and remains open for a month and a half. During this time, you can sign up for health insurance, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for health care and/or dependent care, health savings accounts (HSA), retirement plans, as well as other benefits. Be aware that employers often use the open enrollment …

Preparing for fall and winter: Importance of COVID-19 vaccination during the flu season [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

November 15, 2022

This article is sponsored by Novavax.

In this special sponsored episode. I’m joined by Dr. Filip Dubovsky, chief medical officer at Novavax, to discuss topics like COVID-19 and influenza in the fall and winter seasons, the importance of education to understand your vaccine …

Be a shining example for your weight loss patients

Heather Awad, MD

Conditions

November 15, 2022

How can you be an example of what’s possible for your patients on their weight loss journey? I got this question recently in a doctor’s social media group I like. The answer is simpler than you think. As their doctor, you aspire to perfection in your medical care for them, but you can be an example of what’s possible in weight loss as a plain regular human being. Sharing …

Why does it take 10 years to diagnose this common disease?

Christopher Sayed, MD

Conditions

November 15, 2022

Every day, patients with the same story walk into my office. Young people in their teens, 20s or 30s are exasperated and seeking help for constant painful boils that drain the pus in underarms, groin, and around breasts — a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This disease often makes their lives a nightmare. Despite being a more common condition than once thought, many patients see providers for 7 to 10 …

Keeping rural hospitals in the game [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

November 14, 2022

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“Without a strong rural health care system, our nation’s ability to expand and contract with surges in demand will become very limited. When hospitals work together, they can better ensure that no community is left without a …

The environmental impact of the diabetes epidemic

Dr. Syeda Fatima Murtaza, Ali R. Chaitou, MD, and Dr. Jobby John

Conditions

November 14, 2022

The superior doctor prevents sickness. The mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness. The inferior doctor treats actual sickness.”
– Chinese Proverb

The management of diabetes today requires an understanding of the concept of the circular economy in eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest level, and regenerating nature.

Today, we saw a 64-year-old woman for her follow-up visit to the diabetes clinic. She is our typical Oklahoma patient with …

If growing a hospital pediatric program was only this easy

David Epstein, MD

Physician

November 14, 2022

The goal of making a hospital pediatric program a greater presence in the community hinges upon two areas, building community and alliance with local pediatricians and creating more visibility in the public arena. Both are not mutually exclusive, and each affects the other. The goal is to create a positive experience for both areas that will enhance each individually as they connect with one another.

Unfortunately, if not done correctly, negative …

Physicians are only good for 90 days

Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Victoria Brown, MD

Physician

November 14, 2022

“Nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

Physicians are commonly offered one, two, and three-year employment contracts that appear ironclad and have automatic renewal clauses. The length of these contracts encourages us to believe we can confidently make major financial decisions based on expected income. Moreover, we want to believe that enduring years of training and oppressive loans have finally resulted in financial success. So, we read contracts hoping these agreements …

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Physicians are only good for 90 days

Urging patience with patient self-advocacy [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

November 13, 2022

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“I have come to appreciate why doctors find self-directed patients challenging, if not downright difficult. I wish all docs would engage with us, hear us out, and offer an explanation and further discussion when they disagree. The …

The powerful role of administrative leaders in high-value primary care

Sara Pastoor, MD

Physician

November 13, 2022

The market for health administrators in the U.S. is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, growing more rapidly than the average for all other occupations.

Traditionally, those in health administration work in hospitals, large health systems, health plan organizations, and consulting firms. However, health administration has the potential to contribute value to every component of the U.S. health care …

Investing today in early-career physicians’ unique needs fuels tomorrow’s health care leaders

Muhammad A. Farooq Anwar, MD, MBA

Physician

November 13, 2022

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

My physician grandfather believed medicine was the noblest profession, a career that combined making an honest living with a meaningful difference. Inspired by his passion, I followed in his footsteps, believing I was on the path to a lucrative life of helping people in need.

The reality has …

Negotiating a raise with the right compensation data

Kyle Claussen, JD

Policy

November 13, 2022

As a physician, do you know the average salary for your specialty and location? What about the average signing or relocation bonus? If you don’t know or are unsure of how to get that information, you are not alone.

In a society where most employees hesitate to openly share compensation numbers, it can be difficult to determine what you should be earning, physician or otherwise. Unfortunately, employers benefit much more from …

Health care is upside down [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

November 12, 2022

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“With regard to health care in the USA, the quote from Dickens is twice correct. We are in the best of times for knowledge, capability, and potential. We also are in the worst of times with regard …

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Health care is upside down [PODCAST]

How templates can make you a better doctor

Charles Tanguay, MD

Physician

November 12, 2022

“If it ain’t written down, it didn’t happen.”

We’ve heard that before. And it’s so true. Good medical documentation is essential because it reflects your clinical thought process. Your notes are crucial for continuing care, ensuring you are compliant with billing, and protecting you in case of a lawsuit. Your notes are the expression of your digital identity as a physician.

When I started using templates many years ago, the most obvious …