The Podcast by KevinMD

"Fifteen minutes for a checkup or urgent problem, thirty minutes for a physical. In the tiny gasps of time in between: Refilling scripts, checking labs, and signing medical supply orders and insurance authorization requests. Maybe lunch. Maybe a chance to get to the restroom if I am lucky. Clicking, always clicking away on my EMR, hoping to finish my notes. Maybe typing notes while holding on a phone call (why do patients call with a question about a medicine, but they leave the vial upstairs and have to retrieve it while you wait?), while trying to cram a few bites of lunch, while wondering if I will get out of there in time to get the blasted Valentine's napkins before picking up the kids from their after-school program. I take a deep breath." Melissa Schiffman is an internal medicine physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Primary care: I love the variety and the intimacy of the problems that are placed before me." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/primary-care-i-love-the-variety-and-the-intimacy-of-the-problems-that-are-placed-before-me.html)

"When we hear skepticism, our first instinct may be to end the conversation. After all, why spend our time trying to convince someone who has made up their mind? Our second instinct may be to counter the person's position without pausing to hear more about their perspective. Unfortunately, trying to force someone into getting the vaccine often results in defensiveness and anger." Alicia DiGiammarino is a health educator. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Try this new technique when talking to vaccine skeptics." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/try-this-new-technique-when-talking-to-vaccine-skeptics.html)

"The pandemic has demonstrated the value of online platforms, especially in health care – but equitable access has not matched this growth. Sadly, many Americans cannot reap the benefits of connectivity. State and federal funding sources are required to enable digital health equity. Moreover, there should be a focus on measuring/creating standards of care in digital health equity. Public financing and public infrastructure (broadband) will be essential to coordinate organizations and defragmenting care. Now is our moment to create a new and better health care system that emerges from the dark days of COVID-19." Joshua W. Elder is an emergency physician. He shares his story and discusses the KevinMD article, "Digital health equity is an emerging gap in health." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/06/digital-health-equity-is-an-emerging-gap-in-health.html)

"As we enter a year and a half into a worldwide pandemic, many of us working in health care are fatigued, over-worked, and burned out on compassion. Burnout has been so widespread that the CDC published guidelines on how to cope with the stresses of the job as COVID-19 cases persist. As the Delta variant continues to spread and individuals remain unvaccinated despite the data, health care workers find themselves attempting to care for their patients and simultaneously try and care for themselves. This episode outlines some myths about the "softer side" of health care and focuses on compassion and rapport building— exploring the ways in which providing patient-centered care for those who seek our help not only improves clinical outcomes but can also help improve ourselves." Katherine Buaron is a community nurse consultant, Rush University. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "5 myths about compassion and patient rapport building in health care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/09/5-myths-about-compassion-and-patient-rapport-building-in-health-care.html) This episode is sponsored by the Rush University Series at The Podcast by KevinMD. (https://www.rushu.rush.edu/)

"As a practicing surgeon for 30 years in the super-specialized field of otology, neurotology and skull base surgery, I have been privy to some of the most disturbing realities of surgical care. Often, these realities are bleaker than most people expect. One thing physicians, and the general population, need to be more aware of is the very real racial disparity in surgical care. Are the outcomes for Black and Hispanic patients truly different than white patients when it comes to surgery? The answer is an astounding yes. Are the differences related to other factors such as socioeconomic class, insurance status, gender, income, extent of disease at presentation or other comorbidities? Even when controlling for many of these factors, racial disparities in the delivery of surgical care persist." Sanjay Prasad is a surgeon and founder, SurgiQuality. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "The bleak reality of racial disparity in surgical care." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/the-bleak-reality-of-racial-disparity-in-surgical-care.html)

"The same question could be asked about the joy and meaning in medicine. Where does it dwell? And the answer may be the same. It dwells wherever we choose to let joy and meaning in medicine into our physician-healer lives. As I look back upon my career, it saddens me to know that those doors to my dwelling were closed shut so often. For so often, I had not a clue as to where lay the key to unlock them. For so many years, this encounter would have been chalked up to another annoying, unfathomable "little old lady dizziness syndrome." But, on that day, in that encounter, I was graced to have those doors opened by an 86-year-old, dizzy, square dancing roller skater. I hope the doors of that dwelling never close again." Scott Abramson is a neurologist who blogs at Doctor Wisdom. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Where does the joy and meaning in medicine dwell?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/where-does-the-the-joy-and-meaning-in-medicine-dwell.html)

"I am a proud science-trained medical doctor and concerned mother. I am not going to remain silent when the biggest tragedies are yet to hit earth yet. Like seriously, I do not want to become like the dinosaurs. History wasn't too kind to them. Just saying. Scientists say the worst is yet to come if America doesn't listen. What do scientists know anyway? You might disagree with my words, but If you want to get angry, write many insults, and be in denial, go ahead. I am a mother bear, and I do bite, as it's called self-defense. To all my fellow scientists and torchbearers of the truth, I salute you. Let us not stop speaking the truth until real change happens." Tomi Mitchell is a family physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Who needs scientists? It's not like we listen to them anyway." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/who-needs-scientists-its-not-like-we-listen-to-them-anyway.html)

"This is where we are: Hospitalizations rising, new variants that are more infectious, and many people believing that this is all a hoax, or that millions of people have conspired together to make injections that harm people rather than helping them. Patients leaving AMA and dying because there's no trust anymore. This is where we should be: People recognizing that we don't like wearing masks or getting shots but maybe we should in order to get things under control, people trusting that health care workers are really working toward the best interest of everyone, health care workers optimistic because they see progress. How do we get from here to there?" Steve Burgess is a hospitalist and creator, Hospital Medicine Seminars, where he teaches CME focused on updates for those who practice hospital medicine. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Dying after leaving AMA." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/dying-after-leaving-ama.html)

"What can we control? Our behavior and our responses to circumstances. Focusing on what is in our power to control and putting all our energy and efforts in the right places and for the right reasons seems to be a step in the right direction to make positive changes and avoid burnout. Now, imagine not only surviving medicine but also enjoying it, using it as an opportunity for personal growth and development, as a catalyst that transforms challenges into amazing outcomes. Close your eyes and remember why you decided to be a doctor. How did you feel the first time using your white coat, hearing the ticking of a heart, saving a life? It's time to recover the power. It's time to reassume the responsibility, the privilege and the joy of being a physician. Be healthy, be happy — and keep helping people and saving lives!" Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski is an internal medicine physician. Yudith Furman is a psychotherapist. They share their stories and discuss their KevinMD article, "Take back the power and joy of being a doctor." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/take-back-the-power-and-joy-of-being-a-doctor.html)

"Some may say that we all come into this world with our own luck, and if we end up having to endure a disability, then other people in society should not be held financially responsible. To that I say, do we not have a moral imperative to ensure that we create a society that we would be proud to live in? Humankind has only come so far on the basis of cooperation, trust, and looking after each other. We can't just abdicate our responsibilities in the face of selfishness, or because it feels easier. United we stand, divided we fall. I would hope that if one day you find yourself a victim of fate, someone extends a hand to you in your time of need. Because we're all healthy—only until we're not." Shreya Kumar is a medical student. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Eradicate the disability tax, before it's too late." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/08/eradicate-the-disability-tax-before-its-too-late.html)