In elementary school, my teachers always told us it was important to understand math because “you won’t always have a calculator in your pocket.” That sentiment hasn’t aged well, given that my iPhone and Alexa are always within …
Category: Conditions
Why doctors must stop ignoring unintentional weight loss in patients with obesity
When so many children and adults struggle with obesity, it’s easy to see why weight loss is often celebrated. Unfortunately, health care professionals sometimes apply those same social narratives to clinical decision-making, and the consequences …
Why hospitals are quietly capping top doctors’ pay
Are 10 percent (or 25 percent) of all the physicians in your specialty breaking the law? Of course not! Who would think such a thing? Your friendly neighborhood “nonprofit” hospital, that’s who! I have been reviewing physician employm…
Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in emergency department triage
The ED is swamped with new patient arrivals. As a result, the 20-year-old who told the triage nurse he is having difficulty breathing waits an hour before his turn in the triage room. The emergency department technician hands me the ECG—sinus tachycard…
Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk
“My PSA came back at 6.2 — does that mean I have cancer?” It’s one of the most common and emotionally charged questions I hear in the clinic. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, once celebrated as a breakthrough in early cancer …
Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering
Canada is one of the few countries permitting Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) for individuals with non-terminal chronic pain. While this respects individual autonomy, it also introduces a duty of care: We must ensure that death is not chosen because…
America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within
‘The Pitt” was compelling TV. As an emergency nurse educator for a Stanford campus in Northern California, there is one thing that is required viewing for my new graduate nurses: The Pitt. The ambitious series did an admirable job portrayin…
Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival
She was 68. Diabetic. Living alone with chronic osteoarthritis. Like many patients, she carried a story more complex than any preoperative checklist could capture: a long history of opioid dependence, obesity, limited mobility, and no one at home to he…
Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails
What is psychotherapy? Psychotherapy is a talking process between a patient and a psychotherapist. Psychotherapy makes connections among feelings, thoughts, impulses, and behaviors to understand what works and what gets in the way of meeting life’…
How oral health silently affects your heart, brain, and body
The mouth is connected to the body by blood vessels, lymphatic pathways, and the immune system. Ignoring oral health means risking more than a toothache — it could mean risking your life. When most people think of oral health, they think of teeth, cavi…
