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Laughter is the best medicine (but use it wisely with patients)
According to The Onion founder Scott Dikkers, “Comedy is meant to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.” As physicians, our patients are the “afflicted,” so how can we use comedy to comfort them? Before we get to the how, let us start with the why. Why make patients laugh? Because laughter is the best Read more… Laughter is the best medicine (but use it wisely with patients) originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 1, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Otolaryngology Source Type: blogs

Palliative and hospice care in hospitals and clinics: the good, the bad, and the ugly
I walk into the patient’s hospital room during evening rounds. He looks pale and tired, having recently completed a round of chemotherapy for his stage IV pancreatic cancer. His wife is at the bedside, scared and concerned about her husband’s rapid decline. I sit down to discuss goals of care when the patient immediately says, Read more… Palliative and hospice care in hospitals and clinics: the good, the bad, and the ugly originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 1, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors:
I found myself compelled into the complex world of health care advocacy under extraordinary circumstances last year when I went to my university administration to request a table to do a free speech petition because of a personal and troubling experience. My mother, a respected pediatric intensive care doctor, had been abruptly terminated from her Read more… Hospital retaliation and my fight for patient rights originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 1, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Hospital-Based Medicine Source Type: blogs

A surgeon ’ s journey with Taylor Swift [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us as we sit down with Andrea L. Merrill, an assistant professor of surgery, to explore the powerful intersection of music and surgery. From her early days as a trainee to navigating the challenges of being a female surgeon, Andrea Read more… A surgeon’s journey with Taylor Swift [PODCAST] originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 31, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Podcast Surgery Source Type: blogs

From numbness to empathy: a reflection on medical practice
I’m not sad – I’m numb. My friend, a seasoned internal medicine resident, revealed a chilling truth after grappling with eight patient codes – three lives eluded salvation. The gravity of his words froze me. When did the mourning for human existence transform into a necessity to numb our very core? I found myself pondering Read more… From numbness to empathy: a reflection on medical practice originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 31, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Education Medical school Source Type: blogs

The unspoken skill of touch in health care
What drew me to spending my gap year as a medical assistant was the advertised “direct patient care experience.” While patient care is my favorite part of the job, it comes with its own unique challenges for a first-time health care worker. An unexpected challenge that I had to overcome with patient care was learning Read more… The unspoken skill of touch in health care originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 31, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Education Medical school Source Type: blogs

Low-frequency ultrasound for pain relief [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We welcome L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we delve into a study that explores the potential of low-frequency ultrasound waves in pain management. Joseph will guide us through the intriguing findings of this study, shedding light on how targeted Read more… Low-frequency ultrasound for pain relief [PODCAST] originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Podcast Pain Management Source Type: blogs

Microskills to be a team player: workplace violence
A patient, intoxicated with alcohol, comes into the emergency department complaining of chest pain. The nurse and the ECG tech need help as the patient is yelling, flailing his arms, and trying to stand up out of bed while stumbling. The nurse puts a blood pressure cuff on his arm and a pulse oximeter probe Read more… Microskills to be a team player: workplace violence originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Source Type: blogs

The battle of the bulge: The struggle is real
The economic impact of obesity looms large, casting a shadow over both individual well-being and national prosperity. Beyond the personal struggles and societal pressures surrounding weight management, the financial ramifications of obesity ripple through health care systems, labor markets, and various sectors of the economy. In the United States alone, the annual health care costs Read more… The battle of the bulge: The struggle is real originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Obesity Source Type: blogs

Beyond safety whistles and pizza: On National Doctor ’s Day and every day, physicians deserve humanity
Recently, on an average workday, my hand brushed against the small safety whistle clipped beside my ID badge. Most days, I don’t even remember the whistle is there, a “Happy Doctor’s Day” gift from a few years ago. I dutifully clipped it on, but I can’t say it makes me feel safer. I remember shrugging Read more… Beyond safety whistles and pizza: On National Doctor’s Day and every day, physicians deserve humanity originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs

Lessons for a doctor on the Ski Patrol
Is the scene safe? This is the first thing that you, as a member of the National Ski Patrol, need to ask and assess when coming upon a scene. As a doctor, I can tell you: they do not teach you this in med school. When becoming a doctor, you learn how the body works Read more… Lessons for a doctor on the Ski Patrol originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Source Type: blogs

Patient engagement: Can tech help? [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join Joshua Reischer, a physician executive, as we delve into the complexities of modern health care delivery. Explore the challenges physicians face in obtaining essential patient information, the frustrations experienced by both patients and providers due to outdated processes, and the Read more… Patient engagement: Can tech help? [PODCAST] originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 29, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Podcast Health IT Source Type: blogs

Addressing mental health in the medical field
In the heart of a bustling hospital, where the relentless pace of saving lives never wanes, lies an unseen battle that rages quietly within the souls of those who care for us. Health care professionals, heralded as heroes, especially in the wake of a global pandemic, face an array of mental health challenges, often overlooked Read more… Addressing mental health in the medical field originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 29, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Psychiatry Source Type: blogs

Real pain deserves real treatment
When a patient comes to us and describes confusing symptoms that don’t seem to fit into any immediate category, we can see it in two different ways: as a challenge, we can rise to, a riddle to solve … or we can see it as an opportunity to denigrate the patient, to imply that they Read more… Real pain deserves real treatment originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 29, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Rheumatology Source Type: blogs

How my sister ’ s rights were taken away, like thousands of others with developmental disabilities
Teresa has Down syndrome and was 49 when the capacity assessment took place in Ontario. I saw her as happy, healthy, and active. She enjoyed living nearby with my 91-year-old father, who often said, “We’re a team. We help each other.” But that’s not how the social worker saw her. Teresa didn’t understand what the Read more… How my sister’s rights were taken away, like thousands of others with developmental disabilities originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 29, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Neurology Source Type: blogs