The Podcast by KevinMD
Episodes
A new approach to Medicare for all
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why should we reform the health care system to a physician-led approach? How will that look like? Would a Medicare for all system cure what ails the s...
In the age of misinformation, here's how physicians can help
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"There are two battles waging from the COVID-19 virus this year: the obvious fight for human life but also the attack on science. During philosophical...
Meet the physician who became a life coach
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"For the past six months, I've spent my free time becoming a certified life coach. I'm a hospitalist, but a little more than a year ago, I was introdu...
Genetic testing: Could there be unintended consequences?
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Both clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing have become significantly less costly and more common, providing people with access to a wealth ...
Locum tenens contracts: Maximize opportunities and minimize risks
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Locum tenens means 'to hold the place of, to substitute for' and locum tenens contracts are a common form of agreement for physicians who provide tem...
Bridging the COVID-19 health recommendations divide
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Misinformation about COVID-19, if propagated, can be deadly. The stakes are high. Physicians need to have a voice in this discussion and work towards...
Patients without traditional support systems, and the doctors who stereotype them
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"When doctors ignore the evidence showing that a support system doesn't have to be traditional in order to be effective, that's not a medical judgment...
Is now the time for single payer?
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Single payer is the solution. And the time for it is now. A single-payer system would guarantee health care coverage immediately to every American. S...
Why cultural competency courses should be requisites for medical school
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Doctors are people, and people are capable of prejudice and discrimination. But, in medicine, there is no place for prejudice and discrimination beca...
When physicians get sick: We are just as human as the patients we treat
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"My experience with recent knee surgery that left me significantly disabled for over a month brought this to my attention yet again. I was completely ...
COVID-19 is rattling the nerves of preemie parents
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"With COVID-19, all of those memories have come flooding back. It is as if I am back in the NICU staring at that tiny infant and worried that she woul...
A palliative care physician's brain bleed
12 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As a runner, my pulse rests around fifty, but the ICU team had worried when it dipped to thirty-five, and my blood pressure hovered around ninety ove...
COVID-19 reveals gaping holes in locum tenens contracts
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I called the locum agency in the morning to air my concerns. To their credit, they admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event for ...
Health care should be apolitical, but it isn't
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"COVID-19 is a tragedy that could have easily been prevented if our leaders cared more about the well-being of their citizens instead of economies, st...
Anesthesia touches nearly every area of medicine
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I suppose those of us between zero and ninety-three are blessed in our own way as well. We are here, swirling in a jumble of the inconsequential and ...
Many medical marijuana program websites are silent about possible risks
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"There are roughly 221 million people — including 48 million kids — in states where marijuana has been named a medicine. These include patients wh...
Rural communities have unique vulnerabilities worsened by the pandemic
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"While Imperial County faces a confluence of vulnerabilities that have led to its susceptibility during COVID-19, it is not alone. Like an insidious u...
Medicine's culture forces us to ignore our health
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Physicians are steeped in a noxious culture that seems to be averse to creating healthy physicians. We ignore mountains of evidence that show exercis...
Recognizing childhood stress is so important. Here's why.
05 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Advocate for the children in your community. Studies show that one of the most powerful buffering factors for kids experiencing toxic stress is havin...
A journey from security guard to nurse, and why nurses don't get the credit they deserve
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The pharmacy department plays a vital role in hospitals. They prepare and dispense medications. Sometimes the pharmacist will receive an order from t...
Blowing the whistle on health care fraud
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Fraud in the health care industry is a fact of life. In 2016 alone, the federal government estimated that improper payments by Medicare and Medicai...
An infectious disease physician says: Wear a F-ing mask
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"In honor of one of the great classic novels, Go the F**k to Sleep, I would like to present to you my literary work: Stay the F@$k at Home. To the hea...
Virtual care needs to be designed for equitable usage and accessibility
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Although technology and disruptive innovation theoretically diminish systemic barriers and geographic isolation, in practice, they frequently widen c...
Making a career change for better work-life balance
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Is it possible to have it all? Can you have a job that you love, helping people and using your brain and hands all at the same time; plus, a family...
Estate planning and personal finance tips for physicians
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"With COVID-19 raging through the nation, and limited supply of PPE at hospitals, doctors and other critical care personnel are at high risk due to th...
How to help families struggling to find their way in a foreign culture
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We are blessed to work in a clinic that has a very large immigrant population. Over the years, we have cared for those who speak over 80+ languages w...
AI-powered, digital voice assistants in the exam room
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Building great tech for doctors is no different from ventilator technology. In some scenarios, you will want to talk to the EMR like you talk to Siri...
How COVID-19 impacts rural America
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We all knew this pandemic was going to change how we practiced medicine, but I, personally, was not prepared for how much it would challenge the 'wor...
Physician personal development and growth
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"COVID-19 has given all of us the opportunity to live in extremely challenging times. We can choose to run away from this challenge or decide to ackno...
Challenges female physicians face in medicine and the strength of vulnerability
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I know I am not alone in my thoughts; I am just echoing sentiments of other female physicians. We are mothers, wives, patient advocates, and educator...
Remembering Kobe Bryant and what basketball can teach us in medicine
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Through my coaching of girl's basketball in California's Central Valley, my daughter and I were fortunate enough to know Kobe as a mentor and coach, ...
Now is not the time for medical students to be spectators
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It is time to stop being spectators. We are at a critical turning point in our fight against this disease, and our actions now will determine whether...
Why physician advocacy is so important
22 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We need to stay healthy for our patients, but also for ourselves and our families. We need to mobilize the faction not just with regard to this pande...
Pediatric practices face financial strain
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Physicians are trained to do what is best for their patients and to do no harm. Independent practices have sat quietly watching, feeling hopeless as ...
Do patients addicted to drugs truly have capacity?
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We care for patients suffering from addictions every shift and are often the only care providers they can turn to. Despite our best efforts, we are o...
Why telemedicine needs to be a permanent part of Medicare
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"While preparing to assist our patients in the emergency rooms and dedicated COVID-19 wards, our clinic continues to triage patient concerns, creates ...
A medical student graduates with a lack of closure
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I initially fell into the dangerous grief and shame spiral. I shoved these feelings of loss deep down and let shame bubble up. How could I legitimize...
A psychiatrist's telemedicine experience
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I propose Zooming while driving be added to the DSM criteria for ADHD. I have gotten a new glimpse into the world of some of my patients. One patient...
Why it's so important for medical students and physicians to write and share their stories
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I wrote a 55-word story in solidarity with my medical students and colleagues I had invited to share their lived experiences during COVID-19 on our S...
A need to deregulate buprenorphine prescriptions
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"With COVID-19, we have both the unique opportunity and need to deregulate buprenorphine prescriptions. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...
Medical education and engaging children in wearing masks
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Children are being encouraged to take on the superhero persona and help protect others. They do this in true average-person-as-the-superhero style ...
Palliative care during the pandemic
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We are health care workers. We are doctors, advanced care practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and so much more. We are on the frontli...
Coronavirus exposes income-driven health inequality
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It's maddening to see the differences in health outcomes between the rich and the poor. Even more unsettling is reflecting upon the psychological pai...
How to manage pandemic anxiety
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since the coronavirus outbreak, reports of anxiety have increased, especially among physicians. Physicians face numerous stressors, including fears of...
Gender inequities and being a physician-mom
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds day by day at an exponential rate, we as doctors have been called to duty in unprecedented ways. Speak with any phys...
Flattening the curve of COVID's emotional impact
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Based on the evidence of the effects of trauma, we can predict that our health care teams, patients and families will exhibit signs of this assault t...
A screenwriting dermatologist shares the importance of creativity in medicine
08 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Someday, I suspect I will recount this time of fear with mixed emotions. Sadly, there are people who have died and more to come, and this time will...
COVID's impact on the Hispanic community
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"All of our patients, but especially our most vulnerable Spanish-speaking patients, need to hear concrete, meaningful, and practical instructions on h...
A COVID-19 conversation with 2 cardiologists
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Trainees like myself travel great distances from home in pursuit of higher edification. Yet the coronavirus makes us worry about the aged family we l...
How medical students can contribute during the pandemic
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We do not have to continue to blame external forces for the stresses upon us now. By organizing, mobilizing, and finding solutions to the problems fa...
It is not OK for physicians' anxieties to harm their patients
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It is OK to be scared, but it is not OK to let our own anxieties harm our patients. As we tackle the numerous crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic...
Doctors shouldn't feel ashamed for wanting to protect themselves or their family
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Although I personally hope to continue to be at or near the frontlines, I understand those that are in a compromised position, and they shouldn't fee...
Patient no-shows often have complicated reasons behind them
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I typed up a brief response to the no show memo, hit reply, and then deleted the original message. It's not that I am a fan of wasting time and resou...
Practice empathy and compassion for the critically ill and dying
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It seems as though the looming reality for many of us is that we will have patients who need ventilators, and none will be available. It seems like w...
If you want to be a physician-inventor, here's what you should know
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"If you have an employment agreement with a provision on intellectual property, have it reviewed by an attorney before you begin applying for patents....
Pain management's painfully fine line
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I find that managing chronic pain can be a bit of a dance between myself and the patient. Sometimes a little bit of a compromise. I always tell my pa...
A physician embraces the power of the word, "and"
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I struggle for words to describe life in the season of COVID-19. Depending on the day, I need at least a few adjectives: 'peculiar,' 'fine, all thing...
How physicians can share health information and manage dissent online
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am both hopeful and inspired as well as disappointed. I see those angry that their ideas or opinions conflict...
What physicians today can learn from the history of surgery
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Billroth spent long hours dissecting cadavers and planning on surgical interventions. He was able to pioneer abdominal surgery with careful preparati...
Physicians and the psychological trauma of COVID-19
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As COVID-19 devastates America and the world, I hope that fundamental change to our health care system results from its horrific exposé. Without COV...
Social isolation in the elderly
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"COVID-19 has rapidly spread across the nation, leading to the implementation of stringent social distancing guidelines by local and regional authorit...
Why storytelling and writing are so important in medicine
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"They needed the final story to let go of her body, yet retain her spirit. Looking back on it, that's when I saw the greatest honor of all — the eve...
Tips for applying to medical school in a pandemic
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"If you are finding yourself with trouble studying or focusing due to the state of the world, or due to changing circumstances in your own household, ...
Meet the physician who left concierge medicine
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Much is written about the advantages for primary care physicians and patients of working within a retainer model, direct primary care, concierge-type...
Obesity and the diet-microbiome connection: a conversation with a gastroenterologist
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What should patients know about diet and its effects on the microbiome? How should primary care clinicians address diet and its effects on the microbi...
A physician's struggle with mental illness
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Was I that different? I had severe anxiety necessitating medication, compounded by stress, my own narcissistic tendencies, and a series of life choic...
How this physician discovered the power of mindfulness
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Could COVID-19 be an opportunity that brings the plight of health care professionals finally to the forefront? Protect us so we can protect you. Do...
How hospitals allocate scarce resources
18 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We are grateful to be avoiding the need to use draconian measures for resource allocation. We have been afforded the blessing of lead-time here in Lo...
Infection control lessons that we have learned so far
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it's already very clear that the infection prevention community in the U.S. has never faced such an...
Essential physician speaking tips and the power of story
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"People remember stories in your speech. The rest fades away. I learned that pearl of wisdom from studying great literature and telling personal stori...
How to handle family and parenting stress as a physician
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Being a parent in the middle of a pandemic is not easy. Sheltering in place with canceled daycare, school, and college, while also being a doctor or ...
Real estate investing for physicians
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Many physicians are looking for alternative sources of income and are looking for ways to diversify their investment portfolio from the volatility of...
A medical educator shares his love for medicine
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Each patient I have seen over these four decades has made me a better doctor. Books do not impact long term memory the way a real patient can. I once...
A psychiatrist explores the mental health of physicians
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We know that the past two months haven't been easy. We know about the sleepless nights, anger, tears, depression, and anxiety. We know all of this be...
Strategies to foster meaningful connection during telemedicine visits
11 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health care, with telemedicine emerging as a strategy to reduce risk exposures for patients and clinicians. Video v...
What we can learn from a palliative care chaplain
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Faced with the prospect of not being able to provide all COVID-19 patients with the life support that they may need, physicians and nurses are workin...
A physician who treats depressed, anxious, and suicidal teens
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"After almost 30 years in this profession, I have come to the conclusion that there is some truth to that, as no day or week passes that I do not have...
What is the medical basis of vampires and other medical myths?
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Where did the myth of vampires come from? Like many myths, it is based partly in fact. A blood disorder called porphyria, which has has been with us ...
Physician-moms carry the weight of the world on their shoulders
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As women physicians, especially physician-moms and women physicians of color, we have handled and achieved more than the vast majority of the populat...
What is the current state and future of psychiatry?
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the challenges facing psychiatry? How does psychiatry need to innovate the continue to thrive? What is the future of psychiatry What's your #...
A view from an infectious disease physician in Texas
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Death is not meant to be rushed. Saying goodbye shouldn't be rushed. Celebrating a life once lived cannot be rushed. And yet, we must. Taking a momen...
A public health update on COVID-19
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Over the last 100 years, the U.S. has had to respond to five avian flu pandemics. The most severe was the 1918 avian influenza infecting 1/3 of the w...
Pandemic behavioral health tips from a psychiatrist
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The unparalleled and pervasive nature of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic has touched all of us in some way. There is limited, albeit growing, research...
This is a time for national unity, not sensationalism
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Recent articles have accused some physicians of hoarding medications for themselves during our international medical crisis. Authors such as these sh...
Spare older anesthesiologists COVID-19 coronavirus risk
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"This pandemic presents a unique opportunity for senior anesthesiologists to see the benefit of accommodating the health care needs of our workforce. ...
How writing inspires this physician
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Being present is a wonderful thing. It relieves stress caused by focusing on failures of the past and worries of the future. Both realms are unreacha...
Marriage and parenting tips in the year 2020
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Recently, I realized that something needed to change in my family life. With three busy daughters at three different schools who participate in multi...
Telemedicine pitfalls and direct primary care in the year 2020
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"All too often, physicians and other health care providers have tried to do the right things for our patients to ultimately have had our hand slapped....
What's to blame for the obesity epidemic?
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Obesity is a topic that literally hits home for me. For the past two years, the website WalletHub has voted the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission TX metrop...
In these times of crisis, remember the Golden Rule
27 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We are in the midst of a crisis in humanity. While we are still dealing with COVID pandemic and its deleterious health, economic and societal consequ...
How a physician finds laughter during this dark time
27 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"With my passion for writing and connecting digitally with others in health care and the general public, this 'downtime' has allowed for an expansion ...
An emergency physician explains the importance of being fragile
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I had been trained to be this way. No panic, just a calm journeyman's approach to any affliction, like a mathematician working an equation. Years of ...
How racial issues affect both doctors and patients
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do racial issues affect patients' physical and mental health, and how do we address them during regular visits? For those without the lived experi...
Why physicians need to diversify their incomes
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Physicians have struggled and sacrificed to develop the clinical judgment and skill needed to provide competent clinical care. They have undergone ov...
Will telemedicine make us better diagnosticians?
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Sitting in front of my laptop with both of us on the screen, I can maintain decent eye contact even if I look something up or type something into the...
Physician finance tips in the year 2020
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Physicians are finding out that their jobs aren't as secure as they thought. Many have taken salary acts, are furloughed, or worse, laid off completel...
Heroism and a global health COVID perspective
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We desperately want to be part of it. For most of us, this pandemic has tapped at a foundational, altruistic urge to do our part. Our friends and lov...
How the pandemic is affecting the residents
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"When the director of my general surgery program asked for a report on how the pandemic was affecting the residents, I queried my colleagues, promisin...
Coping with fear as a physician
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Few physicians feel properly prepared to face the fear caused by this pandemic. I certainly did not. However, we continue to show up every day for ou...
Breaking bad news to patients when they are alone
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Today, we got called on a patient in the ICU who recently had a new brain mass removed surgically. The specimen came back positive for an aggressive ...