Primary Care

Expanding health care access and equity through telehealth

Policy
October 22, 2021

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has been an amplifier and catalyst for numerous issues. The pandemic has impacted health care delivery significantly, and inequities for the Black community are more apparent. Federal and state rules for telehealth compliance/reimbursement were relaxed to preserve health care access during the PHE. While we are still in the data collection and observation phase, some concepts are clear: Telehealth positively impacts health care access, …

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Some health issues should not be evaluated in the office

Physician
October 18, 2021

I received a phone call from an elderly gentleman who was closer to ninety years of age than 80, was taking an aspirin, and had just suffered a fall and hit his head. He did not know why or how he fell. He asked for an appointment the same day to “check me out.”

My staff asked all the pertinent questions and immediately brought the information to me. After reviewing it, …

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Why storytelling is critical in medicine

Physician
October 14, 2021

I love stories, either told, written, or listened to. Songs tell stories, as does art. Blogs such as the rich content open so many doors for rich conversations. Telling stories is part of who I am. My father loved to tell them, as did my grandfather, whose name I took. They were called bull-sh*tters – and perhaps some refer to me that way at times. In medicine, I find storytelling …

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To the patient who left a negative physician review

Physician
October 1, 2021

Greetings. I write briefly to inform you I am aware of your Google Review placed nearly a week ago. I’m not upset, but I must say that I am rather surprised by some of the statements. It is germane to the situation when a patient expresses displeasure about his or her experience with our office that we all collectively learn from the experience to improve patient experience in the future. …

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Stigma and stereotypes have no place in medicine

Education
September 30, 2021

“He’s not even an MD, Jimmy. He’s a DO. This guy can’t even afford the good letters.”

“They’re basically the same, but they’re totally not. MD is Coca-Cola. DO is RC Cola.”

“A DO is like an off-brand doctor.”

These quotes came from Hasan Minaj’s interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. It spread like wildfire through the DO community. This is not the first time that DOs have been belittled by …

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The doctor is knitting

Physician
September 27, 2021

I gleefully rang in 2021, happy to leave 2020 and its troubles behind.  However, the promise of the new year did not bring the end of the pandemic or its pressures.  As I write this, I am perched on the precipice of another uncertain school year for my children.  The surge in work that the pandemic brought has not ebbed either. For doctors, the pandemic has brought unique pressure to …

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The art and uncertainty of triage

Physician
September 26, 2021

Last week, I became involved in two situations of pain between the eyes that seemed to potentially be presentations of very serious medical conditions.

Autumn took a call from her sister late on Friday afternoon. Her sister had been tested for COVID the day before and told Autumn she instantly felt a severe pain between her eyes and developed a nosebleed as soon as the nasal swabbing was completed. The nosebleed …

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A physician family’s adoption journey

Physician
September 25, 2021

A few years ago, a Chicago-area fertility clinic ran a series of radio ads at the same early hour each morning. For weeks, I woke to a woman’s energetic voice cutting through the fog of my semiconsciousness, announcing her gratitude to the center’s reproductive specialists. “Without them,” she proclaimed brightly, “my baby wouldn’t have my blue eyes and my husband’s wide smile.”

Ten years earlier, I myself had driven 20 miles …

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5 myths about compassion and patient rapport building in health care

Podcast
September 20, 2021
YouTube video

This episode is sponsored by the Rush University Series at The Podcast by KevinMD.

As we enter a year and a half into a worldwide pandemic, many of us working in health care are fatigued, over-worked, and burned …

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As doctor burnout climbs, can we save primary care?

Physician
September 11, 2021

It should come as no surprise that primary care physicians are looking for careers outside of medicine. That 40 percent of primary care clinicians are concerned their field won’t exist and that 21 percent plan to leave primary care in three years.

Doctor burnout has reached epidemic levels. Primary care physicians feel like mice on a wheel, running faster without gaining ground. If …

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Should you stay or leave medicine?

Physician
September 11, 2021

I left my primary care practice earlier this year to focus on life coaching. Why did I leave? Because I wanted to do more and make a bigger impact. I remember how eager I was to complete medical training as I approached the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought I could finally relax and enjoy life as an attending after all the delayed gratification from becoming a …

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The art of diagnosis

Conditions
September 10, 2021

Wood art

The taxing journey of going through an illness often has the turning point of hearing a “diagnosis.”

Diagnosis locks a person inside a sick body. Diagnosis is a label that dictates certain behavior in an individual and the whole circle of people around that person, including family members, workplace, health care providers, and insurance companies. Diagnosis is a journey from diagnostic …

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My journey to the root of empathy and why we must try to teach it

Physician
September 7, 2021

“Are there specific ways empathy will be tested in the standardized patient exam?” a medical school classmate of mine earnestly asked following a lecture years ago. I laughed, thinking that teaching empathy was impossible. As an optimistic and naive medical student, I had thought of myself as naturally empathetic. During those days, I was able to spend hours with patients, gaining their confidence while hearing their stories and concerns. I …

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The surprising power of family meals

Physician
September 2, 2021

I am a board-certified pediatrician, wife, mother of four, and host of a podcast.  I have been interested in nutrition and feeding practices for as long as I can remember.  In my practice as a pediatrician, I was constantly bombarded with parent concerns about children’s eating habits.  Commonly parents worried that their children were not eating enough, were eating too …

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Physicians are hurting. This is what makes them human.

Physician
August 30, 2021

It is said that everything that moves has a breaking point. Engineers understand this concept, and they have developed intricate methods to understand when metals will reach their breaking point if they sustain repeated back and forth stress.

It becomes crucial to understand that when metals break, the consequences have substantial implications as many industries rely on machines to be efficient and safe. If a machine shuts down due to the …

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How medical notes will change if patients get to see them

Physician
August 22, 2021

On April 5, 2021, the federal government mandated that health care providers provide free electronic access to patients’ clinical notes, as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. This includes 8 types of notes spanning outpatient and inpatient arenas. If providers/organizations do not comply with this mandate, they will be subject to fines due to “information blocking.”

This was borne from the OpenNotes movement – which declares itself to promote and …

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Getting messy in the game of health care

Physician
August 22, 2021

“We can’t sit in the stands – we have to get messy and play on the field.”

The casual observer, the season ticket holder, the player, and the coach have very different levels of knowledge, skill, and passion for a professional sport. The casual observer may be confused, not even understanding the fundamentals of the game. The season ticket holder likely has some experience with the sport, possibly playing as a …

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How to make LGBTQ+ patients feel welcome during in-person and virtual doctor’s visits

Physician
August 16, 2021

Although Pride Month is over, awareness and advocacy for equity among the LGBTQ+ community must continue to be prioritized. This is especially important in health care settings. Many LGBTQ+ people feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in doctors’ offices, and more than 40 percent have experienced discrimination in health care environments. As a result, LGBTQ+ people postpone or avoid care at a rate that is 2-3x greater than the broader U.S. population. …

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