The real cause of the opioid crisis isn’t what you think

Conditions
November 13, 2024

For years, the U.S. public has been hearing that prescription opioid pain relievers are always and forever a bad thing—and that doctors and big pharma companies are supposedly responsible for an epidemic of addiction and drug overdose-related deaths. However, these assertions are outright lies. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Veterans Administration know it.

The recent national opioid settlement is as bogus as a three-dollar bill—and …

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From handwritten notes to digital solutions: a journey in health IT

Tech
November 13, 2024

The journey of electronic health records (EHRs) mirrors my own professional transformation. As a practicing anesthesiologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in the early 2000s, I handwrote paper charts in an era when computers were already integral to other parts of the hospital.

Relying on manual notes was frustrating and inefficient, so I jumped at the chance to help implement Moffitt’s anesthesia electronic record system. This effort sparked an interest in health …

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How to survive the modern health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 12, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Rebecca Arnold, an author and certified executive leadership coach, to explore the emotional challenges faced by physicians experiencing disillusionment in the health care system. Rebecca shares insights on how …

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The role and pitfalls of health care artificial intelligence algorithms in closed-loop anesthesia systems

Tech
November 12, 2024

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have been advancing steadily in health care, and anesthesia is no exception. A critical development in this area is the rise of closed-loop AI systems, which automatically control specific medical variables using feedback mechanisms. The primary goal of these systems is to improve the stability of key physiological parameters, minimize the repetitive workload on anesthesia practitioners, and, most importantly, enhance patient outcomes. For instance, closed-loop …

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Trust in American health care: What’s driving the decline?

Physician
November 12, 2024

Trust is vital to the provision of quality health care. Quality outcomes have shown a correlation with exceptional health care experiences, with patients associating higher trust in health care professionals with “more beneficial health behavior, fewer symptoms, and improved quality of life.” Sadly, trust in American health care is on the decline. Stress placed on the health care system by the COVID-19 pandemic amplified growing concerns, with forty-eight …

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Why the RVU system is failing health care and how to fix it

Physician
November 12, 2024

In medicine, when something isn’t working, we tend to fix it. Whether it’s a treatment plan that isn’t delivering results or a clinical process that’s creating inefficiencies, we identify the problem, adjust the approach, and find a better solution. But when it comes to the RVU (relative value unit) system—the very framework that dictates how physicians are compensated—we seem to be stuck. Despite growing evidence of its flaws, its inherent …

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Pediatrician shortage reveals deeper health care crisis impacting all physicians

Physician
November 12, 2024

There was an article published recently addressing the shortage of pediatricians. Though the article focused on this specific shortage, it actually raised many additional questions regarding the physician workforce in general. It is difficult to disagree that continuing to decrease reimbursement, increasing maddening payment schemes, and increasing regulatory requirements to pediatricians and physicians in general will have predictable results. There will be physician shortages, and patient access will be compromised.

Hospitals …

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How alternative therapies could be the key to ending the pain care crisis [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 11, 2024
YouTube video

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We dive into the pain care crisis in the United States with Cindy Perlin, a social worker and chronic pain expert. We explore the epidemic of chronic pain, the limitations of conventional treatments, …

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The long walk home to a better health care system

Physician
November 11, 2024

Like him or not, Bruce Springsteen’s albums have served as the soundtrack to our lives, writing songs that are a reflection of ourselves, challenging our assumptions, and helping us make sense of our messy, chaotic lives. People from all walks of life and from all over the world have found meaning in his music. So, it was no surprise that several months prior to the 2024 presidential election, while on …

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How this young physician’s job search uncovered hidden sexism in health care

Physician
November 11, 2024

Sometimes in life, we experience feelings of desperation, uncertainty, confusion, or curiosity.

I was desperate and wanted to explore my options regarding employment after completing two fellowships, one in oncology and the second one in palliative care.

I don’t have many opportunities in my city due to the limited number of oncology centers. So I started considering other centers, especially in the surrounding cities.

I was thinking about the nearest city, which is …

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A doctor’s life-changing realization about empathy after becoming a patient [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 10, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for a conversation with Fazlur Rahman, a hematology-oncology physician and author of Our Connected Lives. In this episode, we explore how Fazlur’s journey from physician to patient transformed his understanding of …

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My book reviews for premed students

Education
November 10, 2024

As a child, I was always reading. As is the case for many people, I lost my literary passion in high school and college as my time was taken up by extracurriculars and doomscrolling on my phone. One thing I have thoroughly enjoyed about my gap years between graduation from college and matriculation into medical school is reconnecting with reading. I have read a wide variety of books, but below …

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A hike filled with color is mind magic

Physician
November 10, 2024

Sure, going on a hike is great exercise. Every step brings you closer to your healthiest body. But did you know, hiking confers brain benefits? What’s more, if you do it right, hiking is magic for your mind. If you’re feeling scattered and your mind is drifting without direction, a properly curated hike can lead you to the right mental path. The color of your hike (green, blue, or red) …

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Voices for the voiceless: lives lost in translation

Conditions
November 10, 2024

Too often, language and cultural barriers prevent diverse immigrant patients from receiving the quality treatment they deserve. Hospitals frequently fail to provide basic translation services that are efficient and culturally complementary for immigrant patients or fail to train health care professionals on how to incorporate these services into treatments. This lack of proper care for immigrant patients is a discriminatory, biomedical issue that robs them of their voice and rights.

Imagine: …

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How to fix our broken health care system from the inside [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 9, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Paula Muto, a vascular surgeon, who discusses the challenges she’s faced in a health care system on the brink of collapse. From hospital closures driven by private equity to …

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A fight against all odds: the story of a breast cancer fighter who became my inspiration, strength, and light

Conditions
November 9, 2024

I lost an inspiration—my relative (Dr. PBA), a dedicated and talented doctor, who succumbed after a long and courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer and brain metastasis. She was the driving force behind my passion for oncology research, especially in breast cancer. Her journey began with a late and missed diagnosis, leading her across borders in search of evidence-based care, from one health care provider to another, and through relentless …

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When a physician gets a rare disease diagnosis

Conditions
November 9, 2024

As an OB/GYN for the past 22 years, I have loved delivering babies, performing surgeries, and having long-term relationships with my patients. Now, I am on the other side of things, as a patient myself. I was diagnosed with adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) in April of 2023 at the age of 59.

APBD is an ultra-rare, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a deficiency of glycogen-branching enzyme. The result: an accumulation of …

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A physician’s perspective on the crisis in Massachusetts health care

Policy
November 9, 2024

I am a surgeon from a family of surgeons, all based in Massachusetts. Throughout my career, I have faced many challenges, both in and outside of the operating room. Like most doctors, I am saddened by the current collapse of our system in general and my own hospital in particular, which is facing closure due to mounting debt owed to private equity. For the record, I have been warning my …

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How better physician leadership can benefit our health care systems

Physician
November 9, 2024

All physicians are leaders, not just those with designated leadership titles, such as department chief, chief medical officer, or CEO. Leadership – i.e., influencing behavior to achieve a desired result – is foundational to the role of doctor.

But we aren’t routinely trained as leaders. More critically, as brand-new physicians, we aren’t explicitly told we are leaders. Typically, we think a “physician leader” is someone who has been promoted to an …

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How AI could disrupt the future of health care regulations [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 8, 2024
YouTube video

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We dive deep into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in health care with Muhamad Aly Rifai, a practicing internist and psychiatrist. We explore how AI is not only shaping clinical care but …

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