Category: KevinMD

Why every physician should be on YouTube

If you talk to anyone you know, it’s very likely they will tell you that they are on some form of social media. Whether this is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or YouTube, most people are on at least 1 to 2 forms of social media these d…

Why every physician should be on YouTube

If you talk to anyone you know, it’s very likely they will tell you that they are on some form of social media. Whether this is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or YouTube, most people are on at least 1 to 2 forms of social media these d…

These leaders will not fix health care

We constantly argue about how to fix the U.S. health care system. But what we must understand is that the most important issue isn’t how to fix health care. The issue is how to get our Congress, the President, and the health care industry to allow anyt…

There is no such thing as medical swag

A recent excellent piece by Dr. Karen Sibert, an experienced anesthesiologist at my institution, raised some critical issues regarding how physicians are thought of by non-physicians, and how misguided that thought process is. Indeed, our stress levels…

Here are the common ways that doctors can practice medicine

When I finished my training, I wish that I had known all of the options I could practice medicine.  Most of us categorized our options as either “academic” practice or “private practice,” but in reality, these two options only cover the tip of the iceb…

What is “fair” payment for medical services?

I write this hoping to appeal to common sense. When are we going to stop putting the cart before the horse? 99 percent of the rhetoric surrounding health care costs centers on a “fair” way to pay for it, “fair” reimbursement levels, and who should pay …

Self-care for physician burnout: What does that mean?

They say you learn a lot from your clients. Not in anesthesia, where I frequently feel great empathy for my sick patients and their families. Our connection in the peri-operative environment is too short-lived for this, I believe. But in therapy, where…

One person’s wasteful medical spending is another person’s income

In a New York Times article, “The Huge Waste in the U.S. Health System,” it stated that the estimated waste is at least $760 billion per year: “That’s comparable to government spending on Medicare and exceeds national military spending, as well as tota…

Physicians need to acknowledge implicit bias

“Oh, you’re here to take me to my test.”  I have heard this too many times to count, and I have come to perfect my response. “No, I am not patient transport, your social worker, or your nurse. I am your doctor.” After a moment of confusion, I usually s…

Making America great again with harm reduction

I recently discovered a fact about the United States of America that should be a source of embarrassment for all Americans. What I found out is this: There is not a single safe injection site anywhere in the entire country. Safe injection sites save th…