In the fall of 2005, an invisible threat swept across the digital computer game World of Warcraft, spreading panic, overwhelming entire cities, and leaving countless players scrambling for answers. It wasn’t a new raid boss or a cunning video gam…
Category: Public Health & Policy
Why physicians must uphold their oath in challenging times [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, “Doctors, grounded in our oath, must act now more than ever,” reflecting on the physic…
The truth about FEMA: a lifeline in disaster response
We heard of Hurricane Irma only a handful of days before it smacked straight through 5th Avenue in my hometown. The predicted storm paths sent the hurricane sweeping through Miami—across the coast. When the storm path shifted, it was almost too late fo…
The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy
As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of heal…
Chainsaw politics may cut deeply into the fabric of health care
Federal downsizing, while touted as a means to streamline operations and eliminate bureaucratic waste, has significant and often detrimental consequences for the U.S. health care system. Two documents shed light on this issue from complementary perspec…
Curbing health care costs: 3 reforms for a more efficient system
The United States health care system is plagued by inefficiencies that drive up costs and limit access to care. The Department of Government Efficiency has a crucial role to play in addressing this challenge. As a physician, I often strive to practice …
How physicians can fight medical misinformation in the digital age
In 2019, a mother in the U.S. stood in a hospital, clutching her feverish toddler, tears streaming down her face. Just months earlier, she had declined the routine vaccination after reading an article claiming it was “full of toxins” and li…
How medicine is evolving: Bridging generational divides in the profession
I recently came across an ongoing “discussion,” or rather aggressive bantering, in an online physician platform regarding the old guard versus the alleged newer, more entitled, and lazy generation of doctors. Years ago, I would have more st…
Citizenship should not be a condition of treatment
The Hippocratic Oath does not require citizenship as a condition of treatment. The oath, which serves as a foundational ethical guideline for physicians, emphasizes principles such as doing no harm, maintaining patient confidentiality, and practicing m…
Murder, vitriol, and hidden costs: inside the health insurance industry’s biggest battles
With the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, many have expressed vitriol towards the insurance industry. Having worked in non-profit health care all my life, I decided in 2018 to switch to the “dark side,” or the insurance industry, out of …
