Category: KevinMD

Cutting opioid use in half: a hospital’s pain management breakthrough

I’ve witnessed what’s possible when we rethink pain management. By implementing a multimodal assessment approach at my hospital, I achieved a 50 percent reduction in inpatient opioid use, measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). T…

Why cancer care remains inaccessible for India’s poor

Cancer is a disease that demands long-term, resource-intensive treatment, posing an especially heavy burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In nations like India, where a significant portion of the population comprises daily wage earners, …

Adventure as medicine: the wellness benefits of travel [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Physician Stacey Funt discusses her article, “The healing power of travel: How adventure transforms mind, body, and spirit.” Stacey explores how travel serves …

From retail to medicine: a doctor’s journey through burnout and bureaucracy

Long ago, before I started practicing medicine, I worked in the retail sector. I was 15 years old when I earned my first real paycheck. Surely, I worked other odd and end jobs before that first “real job.” I mowed neighborhood lawns, shovel…

Confronting the silent struggle: Physicians and the emotional toll of medical errors

If I were to bet that the majority of physicians are familiar with that pit in their stomach—that sinking feeling of dread that comes with recognizing things aren’t going well—I’d probably win that bet. Contrary to collective wisdom, Wu (20…

How social media is shaping teen mental health and what we can do about it

As social media’s influence has surged, so too has the debate over its effects on psychological well-being. Once envisioned as a means to connect communities and amplify self-expression, these platforms are now under scrutiny for their potential …

The hidden cost of health care: How rising debt threatens your access to care

Before a discussion of entitlements and welfare programs is started, a primer on the fiscal situation of the country seems appropriate. Service on the national debt is now second only to Social Security as a government expenditure. The debt is now abou…

Match Day 2025: Safeguarding the future of medical students amid crisis [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, “Match Day 2025: Protecting our students’ futures.” She explores the unprecedent…

When caring for pets becomes a life lesson

I had two bunnies over a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a proper environment for them, just a large cage in the courtyard. During the day, they would roam freely, and I would lock them in the cage at night for their safety. They were very…

Riding out a frivolous lawsuit: a physician’s experience with medical malpractice claims

On August 6, 2021, a medical malpractice lawsuit was filed against me. The case involved care I provided between June 29, 2018, and August 3, 2018, while I was an employee at a medical weight loss clinic in Bethesda, Maryland. I resigned from that clin…