Why health systems must renegotiate contracts to survive

Policy
January 22, 2025

Providers must stop subsidizing payors’ profit margins. Consider UnitedHealthcare, which boasts a 6 percent margin on revenue (equivalent to $22 billion), while hospitals manage a slim 3 percent margin, and physician practices often struggle to stay financially viable. This imbalance underscores the urgent need for hospitals, health systems, and physicians to negotiate rates that not only cover their costs but also generate margins sufficient to offer competitive salaries and reinvest …

Read more…

Grief and climate change: a year of lessons we can’t ignore

Physician
January 22, 2025

This wasn’t the article I had initially planned to publish. I had intended to discuss the health care system, calling it a “proverbial dumpster fire.” But in a year marked by relentless challenges, the metaphor feels too raw, too real, so I will save that for a later date. Parts of the country are literally on fire, with Los Angeles and nearby areas battling raging infernos that have torn families …

Read more…

The miracle of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a physician’s unforgettable journey

Meds
January 22, 2025

Even a half-century later, a physician cannot forget the first death of a patient under their care. It happened for me during my postgraduate medical training in the 1970s in an academic medical center hospital in the western half of the United States.

She was a delightful young married woman who was the mother of three small children. She was admitted to the hospital for recurring seizures. Her workup revealed a …

Read more…

How AI is transforming medicine faster than ever before

Tech
January 22, 2025

Since the release of large language models such as ChatGPT in November of 2022, medicine has been transformed in ways previously unimaginable by using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to solve problems. The use of natural language processing (NLP) in a transformer model allows physicians to explore the massive amount of data in a patient’s electronic medical record to identify key opportunities to improve patient care. In addition, machine …

Read more…

How sleep affects your fertility and boosts reproductive success [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 21, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We dive into the powerful connection between sleep and fertility with guest Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist. Discover how sleep impacts reproductive hormones, gamete quality, and the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). …

Read more…

Beyond the stethoscope: the AI-powered revolution and personalized medicine will shape the next era of U.S. health care

Tech
January 21, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming health care, with a particular focus on enhancing patient care through precision medicine, advanced ultrasound guidance, and real-time treatment adaptation. These innovations promise a future where personalized treatment plans, more accurate diagnostics, and optimized care are not just possibilities but routine practice. Health care professionals are beginning to see the benefits of AI in real-world settings, and the potential for improving patient outcomes is nothing …

Read more…

How natural disasters reveal resilience and the power of community

Physician
January 21, 2025

Watching the images of fires burning in and around Los Angeles is very triggering. I’m sure it is the same for other Western North Carolinians. It has not been that long since Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding that devastated our communities, and it is not over for us.

At first, you are energized to do what needs to be done in the moment. But then, you are left with emptiness, exhaustion, …

Read more…

Murder of an insurance titan: the case for health care reform

Physician
January 21, 2025

Agatha Christie was onto something when she stated, “The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.” Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of the United Health Care insurance company, was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan on December 4th in broad daylight. His assailant, Luigi Mangione, has become a media-fueled darling, with multiple documentary projects already underway to explore the complexities of his crime. …

Read more…

You could soon be taking (or prescribing) a drug developed by AI

Meds
January 21, 2025

Across industries, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we approach innovation, and the life sciences and drug development sectors are no exception. This transformative technology is reshaping the way researchers discover and develop new products, particularly in the quest for groundbreaking treatments. While an AI-derived drug may feel like a distant reality, the integration of cutting-edge science, biomathematics, and computational power is accelerating the pace of discovery and testing. These advancements …

Read more…

How postmortem brain research is changing autism science [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 20, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We explore the groundbreaking efforts to advance autism research through postmortem brain tissue donation with David G. Amaral, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Learn how brain donation provides unique insights into the …

Read more…

How a nurse’s journey through trauma inspires hope and kindness

Conditions
January 20, 2025

A former ICU nurse and close friend told me tonight that she wanted to start the new year on a positive note. I nodded, trying to absorb her optimism, but deep down, it felt like an impossible belief to hold onto.

Earlier in the evening, I finished watching Selena: The Series on Netflix. Tears streamed down my face, not just for Selena but for all those whose greatness was taken too …

Read more…

Sweden’s controversial COVID-19 strategy: lessons from higher mortality rates

Conditions
January 20, 2025

Sweden is being touted as an example of a successful fight against COVID-19 without imposing strict social isolation measures. While it is true that Sweden was one of the few countries that did not impose severe lockdown protocols and procedures, how did Sweden fare regarding various COVID-19 outcomes?

First of all, it is not true that Sweden took a totally relaxed approach to COVID-19 by keeping all establishments open throughout …

Read more…

Are doctors a dying breed?

Physician
January 20, 2025

Doctors are worried, and rightly so. Recent rapid strides in artificial intelligence threaten to remove the need for doctors to a significant extent. There is an oft-discussed scenario that in the next two to three years, well-trained nurses or other mid-level providers, assisted by artificial intelligence, will be adequate to provide most medical care. So, are we going to see widespread unemployment among medical professionals?

The answer is complex. A recent …

Read more…

ADVERTISEMENT

How to find your purpose in a joyful way [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 19, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jordan Grumet, internal medicine physician and host of the Earn & Invest Podcast, as we explore insights from his groundbreaking book, The Purpose Code: How to …

Read more…

Finding voices with AI: a call to developers, administrators, and corporations to support ethical speech therapy

Conditions
January 19, 2025

As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve dedicated my career to helping people find their voices—sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Whether I’m working with children struggling to develop language, adults recovering from strokes or traumatic brain injuries, or older adults managing degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, the goal is always the same: to connect, to communicate, and to live fully. Communication is fundamental to being human. Yet, when it’s lost, regaining it becomes a …

Read more…

The heart of family medicine: a doctor’s journey of compassion and care

Physician
January 19, 2025

After 30 years of practice and expertise in family medicine, with two specialties—one in Romania in general and preventive medicine for four years, and another in family medicine with Michigan State University for three years—I had my first forced vacation. Three weeks ago, I had a total hip replacement, which went excellently. I’m in great shape, but staying home 24/7 is something new. I discovered that the day feels much …

Read more…

How a systems approach can revolutionize pain and depression treatment

Conditions
January 19, 2025

As a health care writer and patient advocate for over 27 years, I have interacted with thousands of patients who experience chronic severe pain, caregivers who support struggling family members, and clinicians who treat painful conditions. Depression and anxiety are very common in these patients and may significantly complicate treatment.   Untreated depression – or under-treated pain – can cause increases in healing times, suicidal ideation, and Read more…

States have the power to influence health care

Policy
January 19, 2025

Individual states in the United States can significantly shape key health care areas through policy.

In early 2024, a KKF analysis indicated that Americans collectively held around $220 billion in medical debt.

North Carolina has one of the highest percentages of adults facing medical debt, at 13.4 percent. On July 1, 2024, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) …

Read more…

How to set boundaries and rediscover purpose in health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 18, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We dive into the critical issue of physician burnout and the challenges facing primary care providers with family physician Santina Wheat. Discover practical strategies for reclaiming joy in medicine, setting boundaries, and rediscovering …

Read more…

What if the solution for physicians’ struggles was right in their faces, yet remains unrecognized?

Finance
January 18, 2025

Nothing is more of an insult than suggesting that the 1.2 million very intelligent practicing physicians in our nation, whom we trust to keep us healthy, have never come up with a revolutionary cure for what has now become health care and physician crises. Who knows better about the actual practice of medicine and the multiple problems and challenges they face daily than physicians themselves?

The mental function of due diligence …

Read more…

611
pages