Clinical care for Obesity and Diet Related illnesses needs more attention to Societal Determinants of Health Article from NEJM website about how despite rates of obesity starting to level off overall, the lowest income and minority populations continue to show a sharp increase. A focus on those factors as contributory needs to be a part of the discussion.
Social stigma makes the opioid crisis hard to confront (7min) There are many reasons why the opioid crisis is so hard to confront. One of them is social stigma. It often extends beyond users themselves, to their families. People see addiction as a moral weakness, and by extension, the moral weakness of their families.
When drinking ruins your liver - should you qualify for a transplant? When patients develop alcohol liver disease, they are often forced to wait 6 months to prove they can abstain from alcohol before they will be considered for a transplant. Is that a fair amount of time? Is that a fair practice at all?
Withholding surgery: How gaps in policy fail people who inject drugs A recent New York Times article described a harrowing situation faced by some people who inject drugs and develop endocarditis, a life-threatening infection caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and settle in the heart. The article described doctors in Tennessee deciding whether to perform repeat costly heart surgeries on patients who were re-infected with endocarditis as a result of ongoing illicit drug use—and at times declining to operate. There are policy failures that are to blame, too, for how and why resources are allocated this way. This looks at those failures and how our bias influences both the policies and how they are applied.
Injecting Drugs can ruin a heart - how many second chances should a user get? A life-threatening heart infection afflicts a growing number of people who inject opioids or meth. Costly surgery can fix it, but the addiction often goes unaddressed.
How my son's short life made a lasting difference In this passionate TEDMED talk, Sarah Gray shares her personal experience with donating her newborn babies organs to research. Knowing that her baby boy's organs are being used to help future medicine helps her cope with losing him.
How loss helped one artist find beauty in imperfection In this Ted talk, Painter Alyssa Monks shares her experience as an evolving artist, using the loss of her mother and finding beauty in the unknown as inspiration for her art.
How to Tell a Mother Her Child is Dead How do you tell a mother her child is dead? Practice. Use the child's name. Don't make her wait. Sit down with her. Don't lie. Be present.
A Glimmer of my Mother CPT Harris shares his experience with his mother's terminal illness, highlighting the importance of the humanism series he was concurrently taking in medical school.
At U.S. Hospital, Reflections on 11 Hours and 91 Casualties Dec 21 - a date these soldiers will never forget - where the casualty level greatly surpassed what everyone was prepared for - logistically and emotionally.
Patients, and Doctors, Aren't Dying at Home With the majority of Americans dying in hospitals, what do you do when someone asks to die at home? Do you call 911? What are the proceedings? Dr. Danielle Ofri shares her insight.
How my son's short life made a lasting difference In this passionate TEDMED talk, Sarah Gray shares her personal experience with donating her newborn babies organs to research. Knowing that her baby boy's organs are being used to help future medicine helps her cope with losing him.
How loss helped one artist find beauty in imperfection In this Ted talk, Painter Alyssa Monks shares her experience as an evolving artist, using the loss of her mother and finding beauty in the unknown as inspiration for her art.
Playing God How do you triage...when it really matters
How to Tell a Mother Her Child is Dead How do you tell a mother her child is dead? Practice. Use the child's name. Don't make her wait. Sit down with her. Don't lie. Be present.
My First Son, A Pure Memory The emotional trials of an expecting couple facing difficulties in pregnancy.
What the Doctor Said Poem describing a patient's experience when being delivered bad news from their doctor.
A Glimmer of my Mother CPT Harris shares his experience with his mother's terminal illness, highlighting the importance of the humanism series he was concurrently taking in medical school.
At U.S. Hospital, Reflections on 11 Hours and 91 Casualties Dec 21 - a date these soldiers will never forget - where the casualty level greatly surpassed what everyone was prepared for - logistically and emotionally.