End the resident physician abuse now

--------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the stories you missed on KevinMD. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors [The missing piece to your EHR]( 6 ways to bolster the benefits of your EHR by improving communications in your hospital. [Get the eBrief now](. Top diagnosis pitfalls for cardiologists? [Worrying too much about unusual or unexpected cases]( instead of diagnosis fundamentals -- and [being too focused on a cardiac diagnosis]( and missing non-cardiac issues. [Is your hospital communication system trapped in the dark ages?]( Just like a medieval page boy, pagers are annoying and inefficient. This leads to delayed patient care, frustrated providers, and potential HIPAA breaches. Learn why you need to ditch your [Page Boy]( today. [Video]( See how Peninsula Regional Medical Center reduces code call activation from minutes to seconds. [Watch now](. --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Plus: Dec. 26, 2017 [End the resident physician abuse now]( Let’s talk about the cycle of abuse. No, I am not referring to the very serious issue of domestic violence. Instead, I am talking about the graduate medical education system. No one is a resident forever: the duration of each residency is predetermined with a wide range of three to nine years. The self-limited nature […] [10 most popular KevinMD stories of 2017]( I often say in my keynotes that KevinMD shares the story of the many who intersect with our health care system, but are rarely heard from. KevinMD has completed its 14th year as the web’s leading social media platform for these voices. Over 3,000 contributors power the site, and together, we are making our voice […] [Are we living in a medical Zombie Land?]( There is a strange and peculiar place in American society. Some say that when one enters this place, there are many odd-looking people walking about wearing white coats and wearing funny looking shoes. This place has a name. It is called Medical Zombie Land. Entering into Medical Zombie Land for the first time, it is […] --------------------------------------------------------------- [Physician Finance @ KevinMD]( Know as much about finance as you do about medicine. Featuring medicine and money's best. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Is smallpox set for a comeback?]( Until very recently, the pantheons of the world’s religions swelled with gods and divine beings to ward off calamities. And none loomed so large as smallpox. From the inky beginnings of civilization, the disfiguring disease slowly spread over the entire Eurasian continent and North Africa. In the last millennium, smallpox alone has caused 10 percent […] [How this doctor deals with loss]( Something was missing as I walked into the house, something was just not right. It took me a moment as I closed the door to realize. My greeter was not present. And then I remembered, she would not be coming to see me any longer. Her time with us had come to an end. And […] [Are post-apocalyptic disaster films inspiration for doctors?]( What would medical education that is relevant for the here and now — for America in the early 21st century — address? It is impossible to teach the content relevant for an entire career. It is important to educate practitioners able to adapt to the changing landscape of medicine. We must consider what the future […] [Telemedicine can increase access to medical abortions]( Telemedicine has created an environment where patient convenience paired with reduced costs and increased efficiencies have made a better health care experience for both patients and physicians. The technology might be able to improve rural health care systems by increasing access to patients who would otherwise have to travel long distances. Meaning those who would […] [Pop quiz: Do you know the tax implications of your retirement accounts?]( Pop quiz: Fill out the chart above. If this was too easy for you, move along, this isn’t the post you’re looking for. If you’re slightly unsure, either follow along or skip to the end. I’m going in order. Retirement accounts There are so many to “choose” from it seems slightly overwhelming at first. You […] [Are hospital ads just unregulated false hope?]( In a world where health care is defined by consumerism, positive health care campaigns like “Redefining Possible. The profound and unstoppable power of yes” and “Making Cancer History” have been directly targeting consumers in an effort to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Health care reform is partly responsible for the increase in hospital advertising, […] [What it’s really like in a post-baccalaureate program]( More than 15 percent of last year’s new crop of first-year medical students completed a post-baccalaureate program. These programs exist in two flavors: one type helps students who want to improve their undergraduate academic record, and the other helps those who want to redirect their careers toward medicine, like me. Both are growing rapidly in […] [Sutter Health’s antitrust case matters. Here’s why.]( In case you missed it: Sutter Health, the Northern California health system titan was recently sanctioned for intentionally destroying 192 boxes of material relating to its anticompetitive actions and alleged overcharges. The material, which amounted to 10 years’ worth of evidence, was initially slated to be destroyed in 2035. Sutter’s Vice President, Melissa Brendt, authorized […] [Can technology and the art of medicine coexist?]( While on the way to a national meeting on health and public policy, I ponder on what the practice of medicine has become and whether this meeting will provide any hope for improvement. It hasn’t been clear to me that those most responsible for public health policy are listening to doctors. Politicians have been leading […] [Debt is like poorly fitting shoes on numb feet]( With a society living on credit, a government deep in debt, eight years of desensitization during training (something unique to doctors), rising tuition, and falling pay — it’s no wonder doctors are having a major problem with debt. Where will it end? Debt has become the norm. Will Rogers summed up this pattern of high […] [Professionalism charters for health care organizations are needed now]( In a recent article in Annals of Internal Medicine, physicians from the University of Missouri described their experience helping to create a “professionalism charter” for health care organizations. As the authors note, the need for such a charter is heightened by the troubling health climate, with millions of patients at risk of losing insurance coverage, scores of […] [8 reasons burned out doctors refuse help]( Every day, I see and hear physicians sharing and complaining about how burned out they are. However, I am struck by the fact that while we coach our patients to get help when they are suffering, sick, depressed or in a state of hopelessness, we refuse to follow our own advice. Furthermore as physicians, when […] [The secret to a better life? Talk to strangers!]( Although I consider myself an extrovert, I find it more than a little intimidating to talk to strangers. Yes, like many of us, perhaps I was warned as a child not to talk to strangers. That may have had an effect, but I think it is most likely due to the fear of rejection. However, […] [Nurse practitioners will save primary care]( I enjoyed reading the article titled “Fix the pay imbalance between specialists and primary care physicians” by Zachary Janowski and learned a great deal about the factors that have led to the discrepancy in pay between primary care physicians and specialists. This article caught my eye especially because I just listened to the Freakonomics podcast […] [Myths debunked: Physicians’ incomes are too high and they are the cause of rising health costs]( It seems that whenever there is a discussion of health care costs in America, at least one critic pops up – usually more than one – who carps about physician fees, income, earnings, etc. and how they greatly impact rising health care costs. They don’t, and it is a false narrative to claim that they […] [MKSAP: 63-year-old man with mid-upper back pain]( Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 63-year-old man is evaluated for severe mid-upper back pain following a minor fall 1 day ago. He also notes progressive fatigue of 6 months’ duration and a 6.8-kg (15-lb) weight loss. Medical history is notable for an 80-pack-year smoking history, […] [‘Tis the season for safe anesthesia practice worldwide]( A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com. When seconds count, physician anesthesiologists make critical split-second decisions during surgery, procedures or emergent situations that save lives, but what happens when there is no physician anesthesiologist? This is the reality for 5 billion people worldwide. That’s not a typo. Five billion people worldwide lack […] [Should President Trump be tested for degenerative brain disease?]( When President Trump slurred his words during a news conference this week, some Trump watchers speculated that he was having a stroke. I watched the clip and, as a physician who specializes in brain function and disability, I don’t think a stroke was behind the slurred words. But having evaluated the chief executive’s remarkable behavior […] [Why doctors should practice active listening]( It was a busy yet mundane morning. I was returning to work after having a few days off. I commenced my day by perusing patient details while sipping on some coffee and reacclimating to the customary hospital cacophony. Some patients were critical, some ready to be released. It seemed like the usual assortment of diagnoses. […] [Doctoring or parenting? It shouldn’t be a choice.]( Every mama bear fiber in my being was screaming at me that I shouldn’t be there. The patient’s lips were moving, but the words were basically “wah wah wah” as if Charlie Brown’s teacher were speaking. All I could hear over and over in my head was the phone call from my youngest about his […] [How to create a household budget: a physician’s simple approach]( Learning to budget is scary. After all, it means you have to say NO to unnecessary purchases and keep your eye on long-term goals at the expense of short-term pleasure. There are a variety of ways to budget, ranging from the restrictive and somewhat impractical “envelope system” to the more vague and potentially ineffective “wing […] --------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the KevinMD e-newsletter. If a friend sent you this email and you want to subscribe, go to [KevinMD](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 173 Daniel Webster Highway Nashua, New Hampshire 03062 [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](