"Address the patient’s chief complaint first. In this case, the other symptoms were only side effects of the main problem. Pay attention to lab work. In this case, the elevated white blood count and the related blood culture results. Keep an open mind, broaden your differential and document your medical…
"Amazing pediatricians are back where I was years ago, with their C-suite asking for business plans for the medical side of their adolescent bariatric surgery programs. The reality is corporate health care has infiltrated pediatric health systems, and the C-suite looks at the medical component as a necessary evil to…
"Nearly three-quarters of consumers say they prefer texting with a business if an actual human is the returning texts — no bots need reply. But the rise of artificial intelligence has led to further advances in smart texting, including the ability to answer simple questions — such as “when is…
"I was first diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), on May 15, 2015, at 41 years old. I had my annual exam with my gynecologist and told him I felt a small, pea-sized lump under my right armpit close to my breast. He confirmed what…
"Automation and technologies can enable adherence, but true change happens when physicians and pharmacists work together in collaborative teams to achieve common goals: Better managed chronic conditions, fewer complications, and improved experience for patients and physicians." Tony Willoughby is a health care executive. He shares his story and discusses his…
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. "I cry often enough that my kids almost gleefully expect it, checking me for tears during movies or shows, shaking their heads in mock dismay when they see that their prediction is correct. I’ve cried many times at home, watching screens, reading books, talking…
"In early 2018 when I started full-time telemedicine, I was quite reluctant about losing the physical hands-on evaluation, especially the palpation, percussion, and auscultation components in the physical exam, and the holding hands, hugs, and handshakes of in-person visits. But thankfully, I remembered one of my favorite medical school professors…
"While you may not know exactly what your transition period will look like ahead of time, you can do your best to prepare for this change. By having a plan in place, you can make sure you are ready for the time between training and your new career so that…
"In the majority of robotic-assisted cases I perform, automated movements are particularly helpful in delivering gear – I can easily get balloons and stents around the C-shaped curve in the right coronary artery from the cockpit just like I would be able to if I were at the table. In…
"A prospect seeking a career in medicine must start with their own awareness of boundaries and perfectionism before entering the field. This inner work must be indoctrinated in schools and encouraged through residencies and mentorships. Furthermore, administration must model this and valued it as highly as continuing education, credentialing, and…
"He needed to be taken to the hospital to be pronounced, and he was put on a gurney. One frequently mouthed wish was to be taken from his home feet first. I stood beside him as he was placed in the ambulance. His soft, sweet smile told me everything I…
"As doctors, we are called to heal. We are called to serve. It’s in us. Our ability to heal and serve others does not have to be limited to the hospital and clinic walls. I want all our brilliant doctor minds to be part of the solution to the growing…
"If I knew back in training and practice what I know now, I would have looked for the support and mentoring that would have helped me to forge a path in clinical medicine. But I saw help as an admission of weakness. I felt too much shame and guilt to…
"I acknowledge that as a physician, I am overall financially secure. However, after jumping over multiple extra hurdles to prove myself throughout my medical career, I couldn’t help but feel I have been handicapped financially compared to my non-immigrant colleagues. While others are being celebrated for bridging the healthcare gap…
"Nineteen children were killed in a mass shooting in Texas. I have barely escaped the pandemonium of the pediatric emergency department to scarf down a bowl of pasta when I hear the announcement on the breakroom TV. My stomach drops. Again? How is it possible? I step back into the…
"Communication is both the sending and receiving of information. Data is as difficult to receive and act upon as the ingredients of a meal because much work is left to be done. Information is palatable, actionable, and leads to measurable results in the short and long term. Patient platforms ought…
"How would you like to see your career slip away from you as you gradually become less and less able to sleep, to rest, to feel awake, to feel like your memory is failing you, to be taking pills every night on call because your legs ache so badly, to…
"So don’t give up your eating window just yet! The good question I am hoping researchers will answer next: who loses the most weight? Is it the human who eats three meals and no snacks that include protein, fiber, and healthy fats, or the human who eats two or three…
"Today, I’d like to tell you the story of one who was exemplary. He was never late to work. He never came in and insisted on finishing his breakfast at his desk before rooming our first patient. He was so personable that they would pour their hearts out to him…
"From a place of personal accountability and commitment to system improvement, RaDonda Vaught’s conduct in the aftermath of this tragic event has been exemplary. She told what she knew, as soon as she knew it, to any stakeholder, for any purpose in hopes that understanding her actions, state of mind,…
"When most health care professionals hear the word 'malpractice,' they want to run the other way. This is understandable—but also a missed opportunity. We can leverage malpractice data to target and drive investment in patient safety efforts. Malpractice data shows us that good communication and teamwork are vital to preventing…
"Medical advances can often stir up ethical issues, which ripple into two courts: the court of law and the court of public opinion. These news articles described a public relations nightmare brewing at the National Pituitary Agency (NPA), which operated with NIH funding. Founded in 1963, the NPA had been…
"The federal 988 hotline represents a promising new approach to alleviating the nation's growing mental health crisis, but several key challenges loom that could derail this well-intentioned initiative. One significant information technology challenge the hotline will face involves how to uniformly store and interpret mental health data (more on that…
"We are busy people who have had much success; looking at our painful thoughts is not something we have had the need or opportunity to do. We may be a little anxious, neurotic, even, but we are respected, helpful, and successful. We tell ourselves that our anxiety is a small…