Before delving into the heart of joy’s pursuit, it’s essential to grasp the complexities faced by medical professionals in today’s health care environment. The modern health care system, with all its advancements, presents unique chal…
Category: primary care
Inside Appalachia’s health crisis [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! We welcome Ryan McCarthy, an internal medicine physician, to delve into the multifaceted challenges of providing primary care in Appalachia. Ryan shares his firsthand experiences from Marti…
Physician burnout’s little voice [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Dike Drummond, a family practice physician, as he brings his rich experience and deep understanding of the medical profession to discuss a critical issue that touches many in the healt…
8 tips to engage patients, improve outcomes, and increase provider satisfaction
The media is full of stories about providers’ influence on the patient experience. Less common are articles about how patient engagement influences provider satisfaction—and the vicious cycle generated by lack of patient engagement, provider diss…
The lost dream of a small-town doctor
As a child, I was a daydreamer, especially in algebra class. Picture this: my teacher, reminiscent of Droopy Dog but on a heavy dose of barbiturates, droned on from the textbook. And just like that, my mind would escape – soaring out of the window of m…
A neurosurgeon’s quest to solve medication nonadherence [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik as she delves into the world of health care data and the importance of citing sources. Explore her journey from treating patients to becoming an entrepreneu…
A doctor struggles to provide mental health care in Appalachia
As a West Virginia primary care doctor, I frequently—read: daily—find myself in uncomfortable situations. A few recent events, however, are out of the ordinary, even by the standards to which I am accustomed. Though unique to Martinsburg, WV, I expect …
Health care’s hidden problem: hospital primary care losses
Health care is constantly evolving, and it’s no secret that many hospitals are bleeding money when it comes to their primary care practices. On the low end, a hospital loses $127,000 per year on a primary care physician. Anecdotally, a rural hosp…
Kintsugi: Embracing brokenness and empathy
In the Japanese tradition of kintsugi, broken things are repaired with gold joinery. The repaired object is even lovelier than the original. The breakage and repair become an acknowledged part of the object’s history. The scars and wounds are che…
Save time with these 4 charting tips
If you ask nurse practitioners how they spend most of their time at work, their answer will be “charting!” Not only do nurse practitioners (NPs) assess, diagnose, and treat patients, but they also have to document the findings. On top of th…
