Category: KevinMD

Telehealth is the future but it is obscured by a dismal present [PODCAST]

“Will the unfavorable regulatory environment permit telehealth to flourish? Perforce we’re beginning to see a relaxation of restrictions that have hitherto obstructed progress.  Recently, federal officials approved interstate licensing, thereby p…

The science behind ending on a high note

This article is adapted from Called to Care: A Medical Provider’s Guide for Humanizing Healthcare. Imagine getting a call that your child has injured himself during football practice. Although you are up against a work deadline, you have to find …

Why we’ll never eradicate malignancy in medical training

For a bunch of folks striving to stomp out malignant processes in our patients, we sure tolerate a fair amount of destructive behavior among training programs. I’ll be the first to say I’m not the most delicate flower in the garden. Before pursuing med…

The issue of tie-downs in the emergency department

During a typically busy Saturday evening shift in the emergency department (ED), I am summoned to the trauma room for a “tie-down,” an agitated patient needing restraints. I find the entrance choked with police officers and push my way through to see t…

2 stories that remind us to find joy and creativity in our new normal

“Hope things go back to normal soon.” That was the text I received from a friend yesterday. It struck me in reading those words that I have stopped thinking or worrying about the end of the pandemic. In those first months, absolutely. Daily thoughts of…

A patient makes this doctor realize the preciousness of time

He was in his 30s, strikingly handsome with the short-cropped hair of a soldier. This was Ukraine, and it was at war with Russia. He was now part of that war, a war the rest of the world has forgotten or no longer cares about, even as its’ young men co…

Can what you eat worsen your ADHD? [PODCAST]

“Suzy was a bright and hardworking student. However, even though she was conscientious and generally cheery, her grades began to fall during her senior year, and she started to feel depressed. She also constantly had an upset stomach, which she h…

A patient’s COVID-19 reflections

In this age of the coronavirus pandemic, every moment of life takes on new meaning and importance. Decisions must be made based upon facts known, not assumed. Everything requires careful thought and planning, like a trip to the pharmacy for refills of …

How the pandemic affects children and teens with headaches and migraines

Children and teens with headaches and migraines have been affected in a variety of ways by these pandemic times. Thinking back, there has been a difference between last spring and this fall and the effect on my patients, particularly in the school envi…

The magic of medicine stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune is the kind of book that paints you into an entirely new, fantastical world, and you may find yourself wishing you never left. Our humble protagonist, Linus Baker, is an employee of DICOMY (Department in Cha…