Category: KevinMD

What do the Challenger disaster and medicine have in common?

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff, resulting in the death of the entire seven-person crew. The subsequent investigation revealed that a joint in the right solid rocket booster failed during liftoff, w…

Understanding 6 trends shaping health care through gastroenterology

If you throw a pebble today, it’s likely to land on an article that talks about how artificial intelligence and its brother — machine learning — are changing health care. Yes, I get it broadly. But I was curious to explore how exactly health care…

3 tools doctors can use to prevent burnout

It was a beautiful warm mid-July morning in Minnesota. And I was taken by surprise by my feeling of complete and utter contentment. I was with my family bicycling around a lake on a smooth groomed gravel path surrounded by trees, ferns and so many shad…

A pediatrician’s tips for your kids’ snacking habits

Parents often ask me about snacks for their children once they are eating table food. Should they even give them snacks? If so, what kinds are good for them, and how often? In general, after age one I recommend three kid-size meals and 1 to 2 snacks to…

An orthopedic surgeon’s guide to tennis elbow

As a sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon, I often see patients with complaints at their elbow. One of the more common diagnoses is tennis elbow, otherwise known as lateral epicondylitis. Surprisingly, most of my patients with this condition don’t even …

Want to find the best doctor? Don’t rely on price tags.

Say you want to know which baseball players provide the most value for the big dollars they’re being paid. A Google search quickly yields analytics. But suppose your primary care physician just diagnosed you with cancer. What will a search for a “high …

How telemedicine is increasing diversity in clinical trials

An important part of advancing medical research and drug development is making participation in clinical trials easier and more inclusive. To develop treatments that work on men, women, and children of all ages and different ethnicities we need to have…

All corners of the world meet in the hospital

The pediatric emergency department’s fluorescent light cast its glow on our heads, drifting and drooping, at 3 a.m. Torn between taking a chance on rest and anticipating the next fever, headache, abdominal pain, wheezing or rash that came through the d…

The consequences of celebrity endorsements in health care

“Try this,” whispers Kate Winslet as I wander past the Lancôme counter. “Your glowing skin will thank you.” The consequences of a celebrity endorsement are seemingly harmless when it comes to revamping a makeup routine, but what happens when this type …

Does a work-life balance really exist for young mothers pursuing a medical career?

As our society’s awareness of mental-health issues increases, the idea of balancing personal and professional life has become a central topic of conversation. It cannot be disputed that finding a healthy equilibrium is especially important for mothers …