No politician has a realistic solution for health care

--------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the stories you missed on KevinMD. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors [EHRs do a lot to advance care]( but they don’t solve the challenges of care team collaboration. This eBook explores 6 proven ways to extend the value of your EHR. [Explore the ways](. Physicians face [challenges of cultural diversity]( in health care. Ensuring safe and quality health care for all patients requires physicians to understand how each patient’s sociocultural background affects his or her [health beliefs and behavior](. [Texting is used 5x more than phone calls](. So why are you still playing phone tag? Learn how texting is closing the communication gap between the [care team and your patients](. This [interactive eBook]( follows patient William Jones as he enters the ED with chest pains, weakness, and palpitations -- illustrating how a communication platform improves his experience and streamlines care team collaboration. [See how](. A personal subscription to [ClinicalKey]( equips you with the latest and most in-depth clinical knowledge, because you want to deliver unparalleled patient care. [Discover the power of ClinicalKey today](. --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Plus: May 23, 2019 [No politician has a realistic solution for health care]( If you live or work in Washington DC, your number one health care question is how do I (or my meal ticket people) win the next election. If you live or work in Caruthersville MO, chances are that your most pressing health care question is how do I (or my immediate family members) get a […] [Physicians shouldn’t get too attached to the organizations they work for]( One of the biggest changes to health care over the last 20 years has been the corporatization of medicine, from small independent physician practices, to large corporations that now run the show. Medicine has gone from good old Dr. Johnson’s office around the corner, to a world of boardrooms, megamergers and takeovers. This has enormous downstream […] [Sex in the elderly is not a need. It’s a privilege.]( If you’re sexy, fit and nimble, if you can part your thighs and bend your knees, if you can see your private parts without a mirror, ignore this. Move on. This is not for you. This is for those with flailing sex-drive and failing abilities whose sex life is a challenge, but they’d like to make […] [Why women physicians should take control of their finances]( When you think about the future of health care, what word comes to mind? How about the word, “female”? If it didn’t come to mind, it should because the landscape of the medical field is changing. As a result of that change, it is more essential than ever for women physicians to take control of […] [Even the most seasoned patients are no match for the Medical Insurance Industrial Complex]( “Does my insurance cover this?” I cannot calculate how often a patient poses this inquiry to me assuming wrongly that I have expertise in the insurance and reimbursement aspects of medicine. If I — a gastroenterologist — do not even know how much a colonoscopy costs, it is unlikely that I can speak with authority […] --------------------------------------------------------------- [Join the fastest-growing physician Facebook group](. Physician voice by KevinMD. [For physicians by physicians](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [No, the HPV vaccine isn’t optional]( A lot of parents ask me, about the HPV vaccine, “Isn’t that the optional one?” Well, let me walk you through why my answer to that question is a hard “no.” Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that causes warts and several types of cancer. There are over 200 different strains of HPV, some of which […] [Is primary care an unnecessary roadblock?]( A lot of Americans think they should be able to make an appointment with a specialist on their own, and view the referral from a primary care provider as an unnecessary roadblock. This “system” often doesn’t work, because of the way medical specialties are divided up. If belly pain is due to gallbladder problems you […] [Should adults receive another dose of MMR?]( While the vast majority of measles cases in the U.S. and worldwide are occurring in unvaccinated children, a fair percentage is also occurring in adults. With more-widespread transmission of measles, it’s becoming more important for all of us – yes, that includes parents – to make sure we’re well-protected. Measles is probably the single most […] [Avoiding medicine’s Boeing 737 Max]( I’m sitting on a cross-country flight to California with utmost respect for the professionalism of the crew, especially considering my life will be in their hands for the next 6 hours. Despite understanding the physics, I am still amazed by flight, and even more so by the coordination required to manage the logistics of shuttling […] [3 things about psychiatry that don’t focus on pathology]( I was asked to present information about mental health to a lay audience. This is both an exciting and daunting task. I imagine it’s like asking someone to talk about fish. There are so many kinds of fish! They live in many habitats! Some of them look more like snakes than fish! There are so […] [The financial disadvantages of being a doctor in California]( Geographical arbitrage is a huge component to being able to build wealth in a timely manner. For doctors, the formula for rapid wealth accumulation calls for geographical arbitrage even more strongly as our salaries do not have wide ranges across the country. A doctor in Texas will probably command a similar salary in Arizona (maybe […] [Celebrities are bringing a myriad of health conditions into the public consciousness]( It seems now as if every day and every month is associated with a “national day” or an “awareness month.” Some such as “national taco day” may be less important than others, well depending on one’s priorities. Although many illnesses now also have a dedicated day or month, many of these diseases will go unnoticed. […] [When medical experts say “first,” be careful]( Spot the word “first” in a headline, and you might assume a major milestone has been reached. Think first person on the moon, first woman on the Supreme Court. But in health care news, things heralded for being first might not amount to a clear advance for patients. Take two recent FDA announcements that made a splash despite weak […] [Don’t forget this common trigger of cyclic vomiting syndrome]( There is a condition known as cyclic vomiting syndrome which causes people to develop episodes or “attacks” of frequent vomiting lasting for a few days at a time without an apparent cause. Sufferers of cyclic vomiting are totally fine between episodes … it’s kind of like a migraine of the upper gastrointestinal tract! Just like treating migraine […] [A medical student’s biggest fear]( It was the last week of my EMS elective. I was incredibly lucky to ride with one of the EMS captains who was eager to take me to any call that sounded interesting. We were called to a possible stroke. An 82-year-old woman with sudden-onset unilateral weakness and expressive aphasia. The paramedic and EMT on […] --------------------------------------------------------------- If a friend sent you this email and you want to subscribe, go to [KevinMD](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 345 Hudson Street New York NY 10014 USA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](