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The paradox of treating pain in a system too full to manage it

Physician

February 15, 2022

My 13-year-old daughter was writhing on the floor from pain in her back and belly, a fever, and intermittent chest pains. She was two days out from a spine surgery intended to fix an 8-month-old gymnastics injury. She couldn’t take any steps on her own, and it was a three-person project just to get her from the couch to the chair.

“Go to the ER,” the hospital answering service said.

I tried …

Beyond Jimmy Buffet: The new medical conference

Pat Rich

Education

February 15, 2022

The new reality of medical conferences shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic requires a new language and a fundamental rethink to make these major showcases of medical organizations and societies a place where physicians and patients can share their experiences and perspectives.

We can no longer characterize medical conferences as – in the words of an old Jimmy Buffet tune – “a Holiday Inn full of surgeons” who meet there every year …

Kids are not OK: Health care is failing them

Andrew Hertz, MD and Keili Mistovich, MD, MPH

Physician

February 15, 2022

Our medical system is failing our children. The rate of chronic diseases in children is skyrocketing. Obesity has increased. Behavioral health issues are at new highs, making suicide a leading cause of death in children. During the pandemic, rates of pediatric preventive health visits, vaccinations, and screening tests have decreased, thereby losing opportunities for early intervention.

These failures were evident before COVID …

Recognizing high functioning depression

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Conditions

February 15, 2022

High functioning depression (or HFD) is the mental health diagnosis given to an individual who exhibits symptoms of high-level depression but manages to maintain overall functionality in life. An HFD person will often engage in activities that would be considered “normal” and healthy for a typical person, maintaining a job and even social relationships (though they may not appear as close and involved as typically expected). However, they might find …

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Recognizing high functioning depression

Fund this: Policies can fill medical funding gaps for all [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 14, 2022

This episode is sponsored by Athelas, the number one provider of remote patient monitoring.

“Instead of trying to earn a spot on a talk show to help a person dealing with costly treatments for illness, perhaps it is best to lobby policymakers to pass legislation that impacts big …

A random act of kindness on a plane

Daniel P. Kraft, MD, MPH

Conditions

February 14, 2022

My wife and I were on a short flight from Rome to Brindisi in the region called Puglia in the southern part of Italy last year.

As we were starting to taxi down the runway, I heard a child crying a few rows behind us, but it was very different from a baby’s or a normal child’s crying. It reminded me of when I have experienced autistic children screaming, usually from …

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A random act of kindness on a plane

Losing our most valuable non-renewable resource: physicians

Elham Raker, MD

Physician

February 14, 2022

Suppose you have watched the news, been on social media, or have had any conversations with others. In that case, it should not be a surprise that health care workers are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted and extremely burned out.

We are currently entering our third year of a global pandemic. So, burnout physicians are not a big surprise, especially when doctors’ opinions are marginalized over political beliefs about a virus. …

A love letter from your doctor

Eve Makoff, MD

Physician

February 14, 2022

You know who you are.

I’m writing to tell you no matter how wrenching our time was together, or messy, or scary, or short were the hours, I love you. I cherish you. And no matter how hard I tried, it was you who gave more. Because you let me in when I showed up unannounced in my pale blouse and loud heels.

You might have been curled up …

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A love letter from your doctor

Autism spectrum disorder and the masks we wear [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 13, 2022

This episode is sponsored by Athelas, the number one provider of remote patient monitoring.

“In the ongoing saga of the pandemic, there is the debate whether to wear a mask or not. These are physical masks that temporarily hide our face, but we all wear another type of …

Dog poop, the social contract, and pandemic behaviors

Therese Zink, MD, MPH

Physician

February 13, 2022

Dogs have been part of my extended family for most of my sixty-plus years. With a dog comes poop.

It doesn’t really matter on a farm, but in the city, there is an expectation, a social contract of sorts. In the public parks and boulevards, the dog owner is expected to scoop the poop.

While some dog walkers dutifully pick up their dog’s poop, others don’t bother, and before I know it, …

Stand and deliver: Health care systems need to serve up health equity missions

Terry Gallagher, DNP, APRN, Christina Manheimer, DNP, APRN, and Angela Moss, PhD, APRN

Policy

February 13, 2022

One year after the White House instated an executive order focusing on health equity and support for underserved communities, changes are in progress. But even with the positive news that the Omicron surge has peaked with the seven-day case average dropping, gaping holes in health disparities are still unanswered.

Some hospitals and health care systems such as CoxHealth have hired diversity, equity, …

9 medical student tips to prepare for the Match

Diego Razura

Education

February 13, 2022

Medical students are quickly familiarized with which specialties are most competitive when they finish their first year. The prior year’s Match statistics can make the process seem daunting. As if the enormous amount of material to be learned is not enough, students also face the anxiety of adequately preparing for a coveted residency position. There might be additional stressors for a medical student in a small city or rural area …

Eating disorders are mental health illnesses that don’t have a certain “look”

Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD

Conditions

February 13, 2022

A few days ago, I talked to a mentor and brought up my anorexia recovery journey. Using my voice after years of suffering in silence has been instrumental in releasing myself from the inner torment while trying to create purpose from the pain. When I mentioned my struggle with anorexia, the mentor responded, “How are you doing, now?” followed by one of my most dreaded comments: “I mean … You …

Why is Covaxin not in the FDA’s toolbox? [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 12, 2022

This episode is sponsored by Athelas, the number one provider of remote patient monitoring.

“As a clinician who has received two Pfizer doses and a booster without any side effects, I wholeheartedly embrace vaccination to solve this pressing public health crisis. The key is for policymakers to …

I am not leaving medicine because I like the clinical practice part of my job

Barbara Lazio, MD

Physician

February 12, 2022

The headlines read “Why Healthcare Workers are Quitting in Droves,” “Docs are Leaving Practice,” and “Physician burnout declared a public health crisis.” The side-gig, financial independence retire early (FIRE), and non-clinical career posts pop up in my daily professional media feeds. Believing in the power of suggestion, I wonder if I should start looking for career number two.

Start. That’s a joke. …

Mildred Mitchell-Bateman, MD: an icon in psychiatry

Courtney Markham-Abedi, MD

Physician

February 12, 2022

New Haven, West Virginia, is a small town nestled in Appalachia and located approximately eight miles from the juncture of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. Newspaper articles from the 1950s and ’60s suggest that the town’s demographic makeup and surrounding area as nearly 97 percent Caucasian.

In 1926, as commissioned by West Virginia, a psychiatric facility was opened and named The Lakin Hospital for the Colored Insane. In the tradition of …

What do physician coaches do, and what can they do for you?

Dinah Miller, MD

Physician

February 12, 2022

When was the last time someone sat down with you to talk about what you want from your career? Let me ask this differently: When was the last time someone sat down with you and listened while you talked about what you want from your career? If your answer is yesterday, or last week, or last month, or anytime in the last year, and you love what you do without …

Farmer Jesty’s bold experiment

Rod Tanchanco, MD

Conditions

February 12, 2022

An excerpt from First Patients: The incredible true stories of pioneer patients.

Unfazed by the village doctors’ refusals, the parish deacon forged ahead. Dr. Andrew Bell–preacher, educator, and doctor, possessed the temper and energy of a combustion engine. Nothing would stop him from carrying out his plan to vaccinate the three …

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Farmer Jesty’s bold experiment

Physician informatics and the chief medical information officer [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 11, 2022

This episode is sponsored by Athelas, the number one provider of remote patient monitoring.

“At the beginning of my time as a CMIO, I needed to remain clinical to build camaraderie with my colleagues. This proved essential as the health system was going through a transition to …

Why is the world’s first universal coronavirus vaccine not in the FDA’s toolbox?

Tayson DeLengocky, DO

Conditions

February 11, 2022

Success in any project is based on using the right tool for the job. No tool would be more effective in the campaign against COVID than Covaxin, which has shown its value in India and other markets during recent months.

While mRNA vaccines were a promising option in the early stages of the pandemic, a study released by the CDC on January 19, 2022 showed that in two of the most …

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