Category: Conditions

A job behind bars

At least two million people in the United States are incarcerated in 122 United States prisons. Little is known about the prisoners themselves. Did their background condemn them to bad behavior? Or did they just make grievous mistakes? Do they suffer f…

U.S. adults should get routine anxiety screening. But then what?

For the first time, primary care physicians (PCPs) are being urged to screen their patients, above and below age 65, for mental health concerns alongside screening for physical health conditions. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has pub…

Communication protocols exist for a reason

An excerpt from The Mumbo Jumbo Fix: A Survival Guide for Effective Doctor-Patient-Nurse Communication. Team building is a popular trend in health care.  It promotes cooperation, trust and respect, improves communication, and enhances patient outcomes….

A physician in denial after being diagnosed with COVID-19

Over the last three years, we have faced the original COVID-19, followed by Omicron, Delta, and monkeypox. It is apropos that on the third anniversary of COVID-19, we are facing the tripledemic of COVID, influenza, and RSV. After almost three years of …

Cancer: Why silence and anonymity are also courageous

Recently, I found a lump that was diagnosed as breast cancer. It is Stage IA, with a high chance of cure, but of course, more information might change that sooner or later. I have entered the uncertain world of being a patient – before this, as a physi…

Enjoying the spirit of the holidays with fewer spirits

The winter holidays are almost here. And it’s the time of year when food abounds and alcohol sales double. So, in the spirit of wellness and health, I’m sharing some ideas for alcohol substitutes, safe drinking, and some general information…

Start walking to improve health and well-being

I just walked 120 km over five days on the South Downs Way along the southeast coast of the United Kingdom. It was a beautiful walk through the pastoral English countryside, culminating in the dramatic chalk cliffs near the coastal town of Eastbourne. …

Lack of innovation is leading to disparities in diabetes care

Having spent over 30 years of my career in diabetes, first as a practicing diabetologist and later as a diabetes researcher, I’ve met many people with diabetes. And while diabetes care has evolved significantly over my career, I’m amazed to…

The slow progression of aging: Let compassion reign

There is one guarantee in life: you will age, no matter how hard you try not to. Some age with more grace than others, and some age so quickly it’s astonishing. Aging can come quickly or slowly, it is not necessarily determined by your age but th…

With RSV, it’s time for primary care to step up to the plate

Every pediatrician is familiar with this endemic seasonal virus, expecting to see several cases in their office during the winter months and maybe even admit the occasional one for inpatient care. Even amongst the latter, most do well and recover witho…