Articles related to PRACTICE PEARLS

Although the 2020 numbers will likely look MUCH different, the Merritt Hawkins survey from 2019 showed increased gains from previous years. Of the 62 responses representing 93 hospitals, cardiovascular surgery drove the most revenue. Still, the outlook remains bleak post-pandemic.

How could complete silence possibly be considered music (John Cage’s 4’33”), or a blank canvas a masterpiece of art (Robert Rauschenberg’s White Painting)? This oncology medical student explains how after truly listening to a dying patient’s wishes, the student’s silence provided the canvas for the patient’s thoughts, becoming an advocate for his needs: “Silence is not merely the absence of sound but rather an invitation for others to be heard.”

Poker is a game of chance and strategy that demands many skills, whether it’s reading a situation, making the appropriate bet, dealing with difficult decisions, or dealing with uncertainty. All of these situations mirror the daily decisions doctors are required to make, and whether you’re a novice at the table or a regular player, here are seven circumstances in the game of poker that can be teaching moments for the physician.

In this article/podcast from KevinMD.com, Dr. Kristin Yates, an OB/GYN, describes her work as a doctor, which “brings me fulfillment and joy. It makes me a better doctor.” Dr. Yates also explains: “The fact of the matter is, I am not a doctor. I am a human being. Doctoring is what I do, not who I am. This distinction is very important to me because it is what has made medicine sustainable and fulfilling.”

Are you biased toward certain types of patients? “Sometimes” is likely your answer, but there are implicit biases that doctors may not be aware they have. To help answer this question, Medscape put together a survey to weigh these biases, with emotional problems coming in at No. 1. Whether they are implicit or explicit, here are the other patient characteristics that commonly trigger a predisposition in doctors. 

The first biologic was approved in 1982, and since then, have become one of the fastest-growing segments of the US pharmaceutical market. Biologics are complex therapies used to treat a wide variety of conditions – conditions that are often untreatable by any other drug – and physicians should be up to speed on these four classes of biologic agents, which are used to treat cancer or inflammatory disease.