Primary Care

How motivational interviewing transforms patient care and outcomes

Physician
January 27, 2025

Dr. Steven Pearce, Dr. Bruce Berger, and I had an inspiring discussion about motivational interviewing. Bruce offered specific and practical suggestions for clinicians to help patients explore their motivation for treatment adherence. Steven responded, “I’m thrilled. I’m sitting here saying I can’t wait for him to give me more examples because I’m going to go use them in about an hour!”

Dr. Steven Pearce is a practicing gastroenterologist and creator of …

Read more…

From the waiting room to billing: How small changes improve patient care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 26, 2025
YouTube video

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

Denise Reich shares powerful insights as a patient advocate, highlighting the importance of front desk staff, accessibility, accurate billing practices, and the impact of small changes on patient care. This episode dives into …

Read more…

What early retirement taught me about burnout and purpose [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 25, 2025
YouTube video

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

Susan Landers shares her heartfelt journey as a neonatologist navigating the challenges of burnout, the rewards of practicing medicine, and the complex emotions surrounding early retirement. From her intimate experiences in the NICU …

Read more…

How the patriarchy shaped medicine and why it’s time for change

Physician
January 24, 2025

Journalist Te-Ping Chen wrote about the nature of a physician’s career in a recent featured article in The Wall Street Journal where older physicians criticize the younger generation as being less committed to their patients. The article is titled: “Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That’s Not the Job.”

The major point of discussion was the definition of a career in medicine as a “calling” versus a “job,” …

Read more…

How to thrive as a physician during the U.S. health care collapse

Physician
January 24, 2025

Yes, I said it. Health care is a dumpster fire—a meme-worthy catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s the chaos that future comedians and historians will roast with gusto, leaving us shaking our heads in embarrassed agreement. My somewhat cynical sense of humor is helping me mentally process the dumpster fire that is the current U.S. health care system. But as bleak as it feels, there’s a glimmer of hope. When health …

Read more…

How integrative medicine saved a family doctor [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 23, 2025
YouTube video

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

Jeffrey Gladd shares his transformative journey from burnout to a thriving career in integrative medicine. Discover how shifting from treating symptoms to addressing whole-person care changed his life and practice. From battling burnout …

Read more…

How to use biomarkers to boost your healthspan and longevity [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 22, 2025
YouTube video

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

In this episode, John Thomson Smith, a physician executive, explores the science of longevity and the critical role of healthspan in living a vibrant life. He discusses how tracking key biomarkers, such as …

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…

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…

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…

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…

The mission to make health care equitable and accessible for all

Physician
January 15, 2025

In the fall of 2004, everything changed. I became a father for the first time. I had completed four years as a practicing primary care doctor at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California in the Department of Adult Medicine. I had my first op-ed piece published – “How to make your health insurance count as if your life depended on it” – as I was working hard on a book …

Read more…

ADVERTISEMENT

Rewriting the narrative on stress, burnout, and resilience [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 14, 2025
YouTube video

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

Radiologist Robyn Tiger shares her journey from childhood tragedy to a career dedicated to healing and self-discovery. Robyn recounts how the loss of her father to suicide sparked her passion for understanding the …

Read more…

How poor communication is killing patients and burning out doctors

Physician
January 14, 2025

As an emergency room physician with 20 years of experience, I’ve witnessed countless moments where patients come to the ER not because their symptoms demand urgent care, but because they lack understanding about their own medical conditions. These are not isolated incidents—they’re a systemic failure in communication that contributes to patient distress, health care inefficiency, and physician burnout.

This week alone, I had two particularly heart-wrenching encounters:

A 65-year-old man with metastatic …

Read more…

How a network of changemakers is revolutionizing health care [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 12, 2025
YouTube video

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

Join us for an inspiring conversation on transforming health care with Kim Downey, a physician advocate and physical therapist; Dawn Ellison, an emergency physician; and Denise Wiseman, a health care executive. Together, they …

Read more…

The ER doctor who became the new PCP

Physician
January 10, 2025

I am a family physician by training, and I thank God every day for that foundation. About a decade ago, I transitioned to emergency medicine, thinking I’d left primary care behind. Back then, primary care problems—hypertension, diabetes, routine medication refills—would occasionally show up in the ER, but they weren’t the norm. Fast forward to today, and they’ve become a central part of my shift.

It’s not because people suddenly decided the …

Read more…

Why older adults are skipping doctor visits and how we can change it [PODCAST]

Podcast
January 9, 2025
YouTube video

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

Join us as we explore the challenges of health care non-compliance among older adults with gerontologist Michael Pessman. We discuss the underlying factors driving resistance to medical advice, the importance of rebuilding trust …

Read more…

Strategies for patient-centered and employee-focused care

Podcast
January 8, 2025
YouTube video

This article is sponsored by NRC Health.

In the evolving landscape of health care, our consumers, patients, and workforce are undergoing significant demographic changes. At the heart of these changes are generational differences in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. These generational influences don’t …

Read more…

102
pages