Focus on the rheumatoid arthritis patient, not on their disease

Here are the stories you missed on KevinMD. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Here are the stories you missed on [KevinMD](. Thank you for your continuing readership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors [Thousands of physicians are browsing this job board](. They love its selection of over 12,000 openings across the U.S. [Physicians are finding opportunities they almost missed](. Over 1 million total hip and knee replacements are completed annually in the United States. Read An [Examination of Malpractice Claims]( Against Orthopedic Surgeons From the Ambulatory and Inpatient Settings. [Six ways to optimize your EHR for better clinical communication](. Learn how to maximize your EHR investment. [Read the ultimate guide]( on extending the value of your organization’s EHR. --------------------------------------------------------------- KevinMD Plus: Sep 19, 2022 [Focus on the rheumatoid arthritis patient, not on their disease]( Medical school, residency, and fellowship taught me pathophysiology, diagnosis, and the most advanced treatments for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. As an attending physician, seeing my own patients, I noticed that targeted therapy is not able to control the disease in all patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results varied. I could not stop asking myself, [...] [Women doctors face challenges globally]( As I looked around the hot, humid room at the male doctors in their white coats, I couldn’t believe I was actually participating in a medical training mission in Rwanda. After months of planning and securing equipment, I was actually in Africa. I watched as the medical residents listened intently to the lectures United States [...] [Why psychological explanations for long COVID are dangerous]( Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and their allies will rally in DC, London, and Edinburgh this September to “demand bold, urgent governmental action” for the millions of people living with ME, long COVID, and other infection-associated, chronic diseases. As researchers continue to find many similarities between ME and long COVID, the history of ME offers [...] [A nut allergy nightmare at 35,000 feet [PODCAST]]( “People developing anaphylaxis will not always have five extra minutes to spare. I do appreciate that auto-injectors are expensive, but it is not at all expensive to have an ampule or vial of epinephrine on board, which can be drawn up in five seconds. [...] [A friendly battle with a patient’s potassium]( “By God’s grace, Dr. Sal!” “Yes, T.J.! What’s the good news?” “Guess what Mr. Thompson’s potassium is now?” “3.1 …” “Wrong! 4.1!” We high-fived each other immediately and breathed a huge sigh of relief. For six days straight, we’ve been giving Mr. T potassium through an IV and by mouth with little to no change [...] [Care coordination for obstetrics teams is crucial]( Maternal health has been a trending topic in the news due to increased maternal mortality rates due to challenges in accessing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is deepening concerns surrounding this issue. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of undeveloped countries, with [...] [Endometriosis is often misdiagnosed. How to get the right diagnosis.]( The six to ten percent of women in the U.S. who are living with endometriosis have to deal with not only the pain and complications the disease causes, but often also with exceptionally long delays before receiving a diagnosis—an average of 8.5 years from first seeking care to diagnosis. One study revealed that more than [...] [Why physicians require business skills [PODCAST]]( “There are two valuable reasons why all physicians, especially medical students, should obtain or demand from their medical school academic business education. About 98 percent of physicians and medical students have never had an academic business education. About 30 to 50 percent of graduating [...] [How pediatricians can get involved with behavioral health]( Boom! Crash! Ow! That was the feeling of many pediatricians nationwide as we were hit in the face with the bomb of the COVID pandemic and all of the challenges it would bring, notably in the demands for mental health care. This skyrocketing demand led to the declaration of a state of emergency by the [...] [Death is what gives life meaning]( “He knew it was his time a month ago. We were sitting at the kitchen table, and he told me he couldn’t feel half his face. He kept tapping the left side and saying he couldn’t feel anything. I knew he had a stroke because my daughter had one. He was stubborn, didn’t want to [...] [Don’t give up on private practice just yet]( The medical landscape for practicing physicians is changing. Seemingly the option of “hanging one’s shingle,” being your own boss, setting your schedule, and providing personalized care in a warm and cozy environment, “Marcus Welby style,” isn’t a viable option anymore. Rather, graduating physicians are choosing between the options of becoming a hospital-employed physician, hospitalist, employed [...] [Why are women leaving medicine? Gaslighting. [PODCAST]]( “We cannot change societal norms, gender biases, childhood needs, the education system, or stop a pandemic. But, we can stop gaslighting 50% of the population. We can start acknowledging that the simple fact of gender does greatly affect patient and support staff expectations, time, [...] [How to stay off my operating table [PODCAST]]( “Health isn’t about luck — it’s about intentionality. But even if you’re doing and saying all the right things, you might not be any closer to your goals. I know because I was there. As a heart surgeon, I was very good at following [...] [You need to ask these questions to teens starting hormone therapy]( In medical practice today, we have all types of providers in charge of birth control counseling and treatment: medical doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and even medical assistants who report to their licensed providers. Having a standardized questionnaire that all providers can easily use and incorporate into their practice would help safeguard [...] [As doctors, caring is our poetry]( Poiesis is a Greek term that evolved into the word poetry in English. According to Wikipedia, in philosophy, poiesis is “the activity in which a person brings something into being which did not exist before. Etymologically derived from the ancien Greek term which means to make.” The word is used as a suffix, as in [...] [Patients come to you for treatment, not your politics]( As he was being wheeled in for surgery, President Reagan joked, “I hope you are Republicans.” The surgeon, a liberal Democrat, replied, “Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans.” All very appropriate and from another era. As a usually intelligent and intellectual segment of society, it is not surprising that physicians should have opinions, including [...] [A neurosurgeon puts down the knife [PODCAST]]( “MRI studies of these patients determined that it was not only the circuitry that was affected by the burnout but also the size of the brain structures. Compared with the controls, patients suffering from burnout showed volume loss in the prefrontal cortex. Burnout patients [...] --------------------------------------------------------------- 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](