Primary Care

The solution to a crumbling primary care foundation is direct primary care

Policy

December 14, 2022

In a report published by the Commonwealth Fund and released in August 2021, the performance of the U.S. health care system was compared to that of other high-income countries. The results were stunning: despite investing far more of its gross domestic product in health care, the U.S. ranks dead last overall and last on access to care, administrative efficiency, health equity, and health …

What my 10 year old is teaching me about boundaries [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 12, 2022

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“As I’ve been coaching physicians, I’ve realized that many of us have a tendency to just ‘grin and bear it’ when it comes to the challenges and stresses of the medical profession. We often tell ourselves that …

Perfectionism will kill you

Jean Paul Brutus, MD

Physician

December 11, 2022

Every doctor wants to be perfect. We want to make sure our diagnosis is perfect. Our treatment plan is perfect, and our outcome will be perfect. Patients want the perfect doctor. They want us to get it right on the first try, each and every time. The problem is perfectionism, as hard as we try to achieve it or wish for it, is not attainable. Perfectionism will kill you.

How female social conditioning leads to burnout

Claudine Holt, MD

Physician

December 10, 2022

There has been a lot of talk about physician burnout over the past few years, and as an occupational medicine physician, I’m happy to see that conversation is taking place. For too long, we just saw burnout as an acceptable hazard that just comes with the job.

But it’s become clear to me that there’s a big missing piece in the discussion of burnout — particularly when we try to answer …

How medicine is broken

Janet Tamaren, MD

Physician

December 10, 2022

I read KevinMD regularly. I see a lot of stories about how broken medicine is: how doctors are retiring, leaving early because they are overworked or underappreciated, or being manipulated by corporate medicine. All these complaints are valid. There are also articles about how residency is brutal and causes mental distress to trainees, with the onerous hours and unrealistic expectations. That, too, is true. Medical training, at least in my experience, is …

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How medicine is broken

An empowered woman’s guide to better health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 9, 2022

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“It is well known that men and women have different communication styles, and learning how to effectively communicate with each other is important. This is one of the main focuses of our book, which aims to give …

Sexual health is health: It’s time to embrace that in medicine

Toyin M. Falusi, MD

Physician

December 9, 2022

For many of us, while in medical school and residency, sexual health history was mostly taught from a disease standpoint. If a patient had a complaint about sexual dysfunction, had a symptom or concern about a sexually transmitted infection, needed contraception, or had specific questions related to the reproductive system, then we took a sexual history. Sexual health history taking in many programs is limited to an elective in the …

How women manage and mismanage their health [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 6, 2022

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“Shame has no place in illness or in health. The first step to eradicating shame is to openly speak up about symptoms and concerns and for health care providers to commit to acknowledging and interrogating the needs …

You’re not being frivolous. You’re being fabulously human.

Kricia Palmer, MD, Allied ASID

Physician

December 5, 2022

[Frivolous: not having any serious purpose or value]

For years, I’ve noticed something that’s bothered me. I see it almost daily within social media women’s physician groups. The post starts with, “I know this is a frivolous question, but …” What follows are questions about topics ranging from cosmetic recommendations to travel advice.

Questions like:

“Where can I find concert tickets?”

“What color should I paint my bedroom?”

What do you all think of this …

The unstoppable momentum of a medical “fact” with no source

Katrina Firlik, MD

Physician

December 3, 2022

When I started my company in 2009, personal experience was a driving force in identifying the problem I wanted to help solve. As a neurosurgeon, I often treated patients who were neurologically devastated by acute bleeding in the brain after years’ worth of poorly controlled high blood pressure. In many cases, when I asked the family why the patient quit taking their hypertension medication, they described the patient as “not …

Bring the real You to your workplace

Randall S. Fong, MD

Physician

December 3, 2022

Life is short, so make yours extraordinary. Capitalize on what makes you, YOU, and be your own unapologetic self.

The Almighty designed us as unique but imperfect and flawed individuals, prone to sin and blundering error. But that’s the great part of being human; we’re expected to sin, blunder, and make mistakes. We’re made to err for the sake of learning and growth; otherwise, we’d wither into uninspiring nothingness. Keep this …

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Bring the real You to your workplace

Why even doctors need regular doctor visits

Zahid Awan, MD

Physician

December 1, 2022

After a great game of doubles tennis, a good friend brought up a recent visit with his primary care physician while sitting with friends, trying to cool down. He expressed appreciation for his position but complained about the need to see his doctor every three or six months, all the while acknowledging various medical problems being addressed.

This led to general comments by several non-physician friends about how they feel that …

Has medicine lost its why?

Bevan Choate, MD

Physician

November 27, 2022

From the halls of ancient Greece to the heights of television screens, the myth that the physician is more god than mortal has stood the test of time. As such, we are held to moral and superhuman standards no matter how tough things get. And thanks to our friend Hippocrates, we are oath-bound in our virtues to help anyone in need; while putting OUR personal needs aside, of course. Many …

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Has medicine lost its why?

Why every doctor needs a translator

Heather Hansen, JD

Education

November 25, 2022

Twenty years as a medical malpractice defense attorney has given me a superpower. I’m an extraordinary translator. In the courtroom, we occasionally hire translators to interpret when a witness speaks a language other than English. They help the jury understand the witness and collect the information they need to make a decision. But we need someone able to translate for the jury when a physician starts speaking “medicine.” This also …

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Why every doctor needs a translator

The physician’s real problem isn’t burnout

Reeta Achari, MD

Physician

November 25, 2022

I read an article recently suggesting that physicians were burned out from hearing about burnout. The proposed solution was to create systemic changes to help alleviate the burden of complexities of care that have polluted health care delivery. The solutions involved adding a team of individuals, including nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, pharmacy assistants, and other physician extenders.

Once again, rather than focus on the physician-patient relationship on which medicine is based, …

Why HIV and COVID-19 vaccine screening should go together

Maranda C. Ward, EdD, MPH

Conditions

November 22, 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans got accustomed to regularly answering a series of questions about our risk of exposure to COVID and our possible symptoms. For more than two years, our country remained laser-focused on this protection, demonstrating our health care system’s ability to mount a strong response to a public health crisis. So why haven’t we taken similar precautions in the face of other crises, particularly HIV?

For too long, …

Medical support staff is neglected, disrespected, and mistreated

Leah Wilson, NP and Diana Lemly, MD

Physician

November 21, 2022

Medical support staff is leaving in droves and leaving patients’ health at greater risk. Calls and messages to doctors’ offices have surged as patients try to access care. Wait times skyrocket to book visits.

News stories about the current state of the health care system typically focus on the plight of doctors and nurses. Studies detail the “Great Resignation” impairing the health care industry–a new report published …

How can doctors slay their Goliaths?

Justin Berthold, DO

Physician

November 21, 2022

An excerpt from Doctor and Goliath.

We’ve all heard about David and Goliath, correct? In one of the most epic underdog stories ever written, a young boy defeats a giant Philistine warrior. But how did that happen? What tools did David employ to win his battle? Was it the five round …

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How can doctors slay their Goliaths?

The slow death of primary care: a Canadian perspective

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Physician

November 20, 2022

Loss of autonomy, gaslighting, abuse, exploitation, and hypocrisy are all strong words. Just writing them brings to my mind the harsh reality of my experience and the collective experience of others who have dared to speak up. These words come to mind when I think about primary care in Canada. I recognize similar sentiments are heralded by my U.S. colleagues and those in the United Kingdom.

The system is failing. …

Ambulatory medicine today: Focus on what you can control

Robert Murry, MD

Physician

November 20, 2022

Patient volume has recovered across the country, and most medical offices are back to a steady state of care delivery—but ambulatory care has changed irrevocably. We’ve entered a phase shaped by crisis and marked by even more intense cost pressure and consolidation. What steps can independent medical practices take now to help ensure stability and prosperity moving forward?

Offer employees a more rewarding work experience.

The great resignation—unprecedented turnover in the labor …