Kevin R. Campbell, MD
Kevin R. Campbell is a cardiac electrophysiologist.
Conditions
Obesity and obesity related illness accounts for an enormous health care expenditure in the US today: approaching 150 billion dollars annually. In an era of health care reform and cost containment, preventative medicine is essential to success. Rather than rearranging…
Obesity and obesity related illness accounts for an enormous health care expenditure in the US today: approaching 150 billion dollars annually. In an era of health care reform and cost containment, preventative medicine is essential to success. Rather than rearranging networks, separating doctors from patients and limiting choice, our government may be more effective in reducing health care costs by focusing on slimming waistlines throughout the US.
According to a recent …
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Reduce health costs by preventing childhood obesity
Meds
Research and development is critical to battling disease. Now, more than ever, technology can rapidly impact a patient and their disease process in a very positive way. The process of developing a new drug or device is expensive and can…
Research and development is critical to battling disease. Now, more than ever, technology can rapidly impact a patient and their disease process in a very positive way. The process of developing a new drug or device is expensive and can be very time consuming. As government funding for projects continues to decline, more funding is coming from private sponsorship according to a recent New York Times piece.
Another critical source of …
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Negative results from clinical trials need to be reported
Physicians
Communication is critical to success in medicine. Our patients depend on us to help them understand their disease and the risks that it may pose. In previous blogs I have commented on how vital effective communication can be in determining…
Communication is critical to success in medicine. Our patients depend on us to help them understand their disease and the risks that it may pose. In previous blogs I have commented on how vital effective communication can be in determining outcome — much of my writing has focused on the success associated with outpatient doctor-patient relationships. We now know that when doctors and patients engage, patients become invested in their …
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A hospital stay provides new insights into the patient experience
Physicians
In medicine today diagnostic testing and advanced imaging is readily available and widely utilized in most every clinical setting. Many physicians have given up the stethoscope and physical exam in favor of an echocardiogram and a CT scan. Fear of…
In medicine today diagnostic testing and advanced imaging is readily available and widely utilized in most every clinical setting. Many physicians have given up the stethoscope and physical exam in favor of an echocardiogram and a CT scan. Fear of missing something pervades every emergency department and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary testing costing billions of dollars in healthcare expenditures.
Of course, the driving causes of increased testing …
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Test overuse: Why does it happen and what can we do about it?
Tech
Applications for mobile devices are commonplace. These small but often sophisticated programs are quite varied and allow for anything from vehicle GPS navigation, taxicab or car pickups in New York City or rating wines and restaurants. As with most new…
Applications for mobile devices are commonplace. These small but often sophisticated programs are quite varied and allow for anything from vehicle GPS navigation, taxicab or car pickups in New York City or rating wines and restaurants. As with most new gadgets and technologies, medicine and healthcare provide many opportunities for expansion and use. When we examine the available applications found at Apple’s App Store, it is evident that medical mobile …
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Mobile applications can revolutionize preventative care
Policy
Due to the ineptness of the Obamacare team and the debacle that has ensued, the botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act has dominated the political and medical headlines since October. However, other health care changes are on the horizon…
Due to the ineptness of the Obamacare team and the debacle that has ensued, the botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act has dominated the political and medical headlines since October.
However, other health care changes are on the horizon (and have gone virtually unnoticed by the public) that have the potential to further disrupt our ability to treat patients. In fact, the technical and time consuming aspects of
…
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On the heels of the Obamacare rollout comes ICD-10
Policy
This week in the New York Times, Drs. Scott Gottlieb and Ezekiel Emanuel make the case that there will not be a physician shortage as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Both have extensive experience in policy and…
This week in the New York Times, Drs. Scott Gottlieb and Ezekiel Emanuel make the case that there will not be a physician shortage as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Both have extensive experience in policy and have held respected positions in government.
Based on a projected need of nearly 90,000 more physicians by 2020, I have difficulty seeing how a shortage will not occur. The …
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Why a physician shortage is inevitable
Physicians
By its very nature, medicine involves close personal contact with others. Communication with patients, families, staff and colleagues is essential to success. All physicians have different ways in which they communicate -- some more effective than others. The best communicators…
By its very nature, medicine involves close personal contact with others. Communication with patients, families, staff and colleagues is essential to success. All physicians have different ways in which they communicate — some more effective than others. The best communicators are able to inspire, engage, and cultivate trust. Everyone is born with different skill sets and communication styles may vary widely.
Recently, I came across an article in Inc.com that discussed …
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How charisma can improve patient care
Physicians
Just as elite athletes are born with amazing skill, elite surgeons and doctors in other procedure-based specialties are also equipped with innate abilities that others do not possess. Surgical skill is often difficult to quantify. Certainly, outcomes data can be…
Just as elite athletes are born with amazing skill, elite surgeons and doctors in other procedure-based specialties are also equipped with innate abilities that others do not possess. Surgical skill is often difficult to quantify. Certainly, outcomes data can be obtained and reputations are formed over time. Years of training allow the truly gifted surgeons to develop their skills and perfect their craft.
However, all surgeons are not created equal. During …
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Will video replays lead to safer surgeons?
Physicians
Have you ever taken note of how much you or a colleague says “I” versus other pronouns? The pronoun that you choose in conversation may very well provide insight into your psyche and may determine your effectiveness as a leader.…
Have you ever taken note of how much you or a colleague says “I” versus other pronouns? The pronoun that you choose in conversation may very well provide insight into your psyche and may determine your effectiveness as a leader. Current research has indicated that the frequency at which an individual uses the pronoun “I” speaks volumes about their self confidence, level of empathy and perceived status within an organization …
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We must pay careful attention to the pronouns that we use
Physicians
Recently I read an interesting article on leadership published at Inc.com. Although most of the journal is focused on those in business, many of the pieces on leadership are very applicable to those of us in medicine. In this article,…
Recently I read an interesting article on leadership published at Inc.com. Although most of the journal is focused on those in business, many of the pieces on leadership are very applicable to those of us in medicine. In this article, author Curt Hanke writes about the inspiration and leadership positives found in the three simple words: “I don’t know.”
On first blush, we may think that a leader speaking these words may no longer …
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Admit when you fall short: The power of “I don’t know”
Policy
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is implemented, many physicians are beginning to take stock in their own professional and personal lives. The practice of medicine is a privilege but it is also an occupation that can consume nearly all…
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is implemented, many physicians are beginning to take stock in their own professional and personal lives. The practice of medicine is a privilege but it is also an occupation that can consume nearly all aspects of a physician’s life. In the past I have struggled with my own “work-life balance” and I have shared my thoughts on burnout in my previous blogs.
As a …
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Will the Affordable Care Act worsen physician burnout?
Physicians
In today’s health care environment, we are all driven to see more patients in less time and do more with less support. Obviously most of this is financially motivated -- the delivery of medical care had unfortunately become more of…
In today’s health care environment, we are all driven to see more patients in less time and do more with less support. Obviously most of this is financially motivated — the delivery of medical care had unfortunately become more of a business than an art. As more physician groups are now owned by hospital systems, the “bean counters” and administrators are now …
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Doctors can learn from how nurses provide care
Physicians
We all try to do our very best for our patients. Often the decisions we make have profound impacts on outcomes. Medicine is not always cut and dry, and many times gut instinct and judgement calls must play a role…
We all try to do our very best for our patients. Often the decisions we make have profound impacts on outcomes. Medicine is not always cut and dry, and many times gut instinct and judgement calls must play a role in choosing therapies for patients (especially when made in the setting of best available data). As it is in most professions, Monday morning quarterbacking frequently occurs in medicine as well. It is …
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Doctors shouldn’t criticize other physicians in front of patients
Physicians
Just as in marriage, the ability to communicate is essential to any successful doctor-patient relationship. In fact, the most successful doctor-patient relationships are a lot like a marriage. Both parties must be willing to listen, to negotiate and to support…
Just as in marriage, the ability to communicate is essential to any successful doctor-patient relationship. In fact, the most successful doctor-patient relationships are a lot like a marriage. Both parties must be willing to listen, to negotiate and to support each other’s decisions. Outcomes improve significantly when patients are engaged in their own healt hcare. Engagement only occurs when doctors and patients are able to effectively work together to solve …
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Choosing a doctor is like choosing a spouse
Tech
Technology in medicine advances at a rapid pace. In the US today most patients have access to mobile phones, smartphones and tablets. Medical device makers continue to innovate and create ways in which these technologies can be used by patients…
Technology in medicine advances at a rapid pace. In the US today most patients have access to mobile phones, smartphones and tablets. Medical device makers continue to innovate and create ways in which these technologies can be used by patients and physicians to monitor complex biologic machinery such as implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers at home — without the need for …
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Does home monitoring make a difference in cost and outcomes?
Social media
Recently, there has been a great deal in the press surrounding organ transplantation. Sarah Murnaghan, the courageous little girl with end stage cystic fibrosis, captured the nation’s attention as she waited for a life saving lung transplant. The organ transplantation…
Recently, there has been a great deal in the press surrounding organ transplantation. Sarah Murnaghan, the courageous little girl with end stage cystic fibrosis, captured the nation’s attention as she waited for a life saving lung transplant. The organ transplantation and procurement system in the US today is not without flaws. Organs are at a premium and finding the best way to allocate them to matched patients who …
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The effect of Facebook on organ donor registration
Education
It is unfortunate, but now medicine is on the clock. We now must not only battle disease, but we must also battle time. Physicians are asked to do more in less time. Innovations such as EMR (which in theory are…
It is unfortunate, but now medicine is on the clock. We now must not only battle disease, but we must also battle time. Physicians are asked to do more in less time. Innovations such as EMR (which in theory are supposed to increase efficiency) sometimes actually slow clinical practice to a halt.
Additionally, ongoing debate exists as to how best train medical residents and prepare them for the practice of medicine. …
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Medicine is on the clock: An unfortunate reality
Policy
It is clear that healthcare in the US is more costly than in any other place in the world. We spend 18% of the gross domestic product on healthcare and our outcomes are no different than those of other industrialized…
It is clear that healthcare in the US is more costly than in any other place in the world. We spend 18% of the gross domestic product on healthcare and our outcomes are no different than those of other industrialized nations who spend less than half that amount. How did we get here and what are we to do about it?
Recently, an article appeared in the …
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American’s health cost problem has no easy fixes
Policy
As Americans we spend more money on healthcare per capita than any other nation in the world. We have the latest medical innovations and for decades have been able to provide cutting edge therapy without regard to cost. However, as…
As Americans we spend more money on healthcare per capita than any other nation in the world. We have the latest medical innovations and for decades have been able to provide cutting edge therapy without regard to cost. However, as a profession, doctors are not doing nearly enough when it comes to prevention of disease. Certainly, costs will be reduced if we are able to prevent chronic illness and associated …
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The powerful effects of culture and lifestyle on health
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