The Podcast by KevinMD

"Absolutely, there are times when you need to be face-to-face with your patient. Yet looking at the broader picture, COVID-19 has shown us that in many instances, we can perform at an optimal level while remote. In my experience, I'm often able to see more patients, and the quality of the connections I form with them is higher when I don't have to shuffle them around in an office. Aside from the bonds I'm able to create with my patients, I'm also more productive without the distractions of sitting in an office. Expanding the options that we as patients and providers have readily available to us is, in turn, making health care more efficient for all of us." Kirk Heath is a health care executive and can be reached on Twitter @ModioHealth. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Can medicine transcend beyond the clinic walls? I'd like to see us try." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"Gastroenterology clinics in rural areas have the unique opportunity to innovate the field by working with local community organizations and farms. Patients and physicians develop a deeper understanding of the root cause for chronic disease, particularly digestive diseases using a food as medicine approach. Cultivating gut microbes in the soil and gut can re-shape the management of chronic diseases rooted in inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Rural gastroenterology clinics can be at the forefront of shaping the innovative clinic-to-farm-to-table paradigm in health care that can lead to cost savings and improved outcomes. This model ultimately can foster deeper connections between patients, physicians, communities, and nature as well as better health outcomes." Savita Srivastava is a gastroenterologist. She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article, "Innovation in a rural gastroenterology practice using a farm." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"In the end, the patient-physician relationship is crucial to overall decision-making for any plan of care, treatment, or surgery. There are many variations in the reviewed studies in health care literature as to the cost-effectiveness of second opinions in medicine. These studies could be easily misconstrued that there are no benefits to second opinions, thus possibly leading to little pay or no pay by insurance companies. A patient should consider the substantial short and long-term implications of their body's health and well-being. In other words … it is worth it. Go with your intuition. When in doubt, or if you have more questions, get a second opinion." Sonya M. Sloan is an orthopedic surgeon and author of The Rules of Medicine: A Medical Professional's Guide for Success. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Think again: Get a second opinion." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"The more I spoke with individuals who had experienced a shared crossing event, the more I also noticed repeating patterns. A woman in West Virginia and a woman in Australia with deeply similar experiences around the loss of a baby. A grown daughter in California and a grown daughter in Pennsylvania; a woman in Alabama and a man in Spain. None had met, yet each spoke a common language. Again and again, I found that this moment of shared connection that they had experienced also changed their lives and how they chose to live them in unexpected ways. It provided insight. It provided closure. It made end-of-life decisions easier. It eased grief." William Peters is a grief and bereavement therapist and author of At Heaven's Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "What shared journeys to the afterlife teach about dying well and living better." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"As individual patients, we often don't think about these costs. In my Instagram poll, nearly everyone taking Descovy reported receiving the drug effectively for free, largely due to Gilead's copay coupons. However, as with anything in life, nothing really ever is free. More patients taking Descovy rather than generic Truvada means higher overall spending by insurance companies. This eventually comes back to haunt us in the form of higher premiums, and is why we shouldn't simply adopt a costlier drug like Descovy without good reason to do so." Frank F. Zhou is a medical student. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Is Descovy really the better option?" Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

Emergency physician and financial planner Noah Kaufman gives a general cryptocurrency market update. He discusses the state of Bitcoin and the impact of fiscal tightening by the Federal Reserve and also comments on Paul Krugman's recent New York Times column comparing cryptocurrency to the subprime mortgage crisis. Finally, we talk about Crypto Pulse, a free newsletter he runs with Chris Palmer, MD, educating clinicians about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Noah Kaufman is an emergency physician, financial planner, and can be reached on Twitter @noahkaufmanmd. He is co-founder of the free newsletter, Crypto Pulse, an educational and actionable bi-weekly newsletter written by passionate crypto investors/traders (and medical doctors) for health care professionals. Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"When I came into the business world, I saw a huge spectrum of ethics and am still shocked at how there aren't any standards. Why must one be in a professional career only to have some guidelines and/or rules to follow? I don't currently have patients in the entrepreneurial world, but I do have a lot of people in my sphere with whom I have the ability to educate and empower. I am bringing the Hippocratic Oath into the field of venture capital and entrepreneurship in an effort to impact the world on a different but equally important scale." Navin Goyal is a physician-entrepreneur and author of Physician Underdog. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Bringing the Hippocratic Oath into the field of venture capital and entrepreneurship." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"Lifestyle medicine's foundational pillars include a specialized look into diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, mood, substance use, and relationships. Creating a patient-centered plan of care based on these areas are proven successful in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic diseases. Some may say that health care providers do not have time to focus on intensive lifestyle modification in their visits with patients. This is true in the current fee-for-service, physician-dominated care delivery model. But to be successful in obtaining shared-cost savings in the value-based care and as accountable care organizations, it is urgent to shift to utilizing more nurse practitioners, dietitians, nurses, social workers, and health coaches in chronic disease treatment and prevention. This makes it possible to reduce the social and economic impact that many chronic illnesses place on individuals, the health care system, and society. There is indeed a better way to better health for all Americans." Elizabeth Simkus is a nurse practitioner. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "It's a lifestyle: Adopting a behavioral approach to health care is urgent." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"Ultimately, patients need doctors to help them be healthy, and need their doctors to be healthy to help them! Unless interventions are done now, our health care system risks a downward spiral. While the pandemic has brought increased levels of stress and burnout, it has prompted us to take action on mitigating this serious issue. Hospitals, practices, administrators, and physicians must realize that working together to combat burnout is essential for the health of our entire health care system." Lalitha Sundararaman is an anesthesiologist. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Prioritizing physician wellness: Reducing burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

"Anyone can win at poker when dealt a royal flush. But what can you do when the cards you are dealt don't appear winning at all? My answer: Make the best of what you have. Recently I learned of a colleague who sustained a broken back in an accident. He continues to work, wearing a brace and not taking pain medication. I know from watching his videos that he routinely handles the most complicated eye surgeries. Such cases are challenging to any seasoned ophthalmologist, without physical constraints and constant pain. This internationally renowned eye surgeon dubbed his constant pain 'background noise.' How on earth has he maintained a positive attitude despite such a major setback?" Paul Pender is an ophthalmologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Paul Pender. He is the author of Rebuilding Trust in Healthcare: A Doctor's Prescription for a Post-Pandemic America. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Playing the hand you are dealt." Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.