Physician's Weekly Podcast

“Healthcare is at a very delicate moment,” says Jeanne Haggerty, a lobbyist for Williams & Jensen in Washington DC. With 25 years of governmental affairs experience in Washington, she should know. Haggerty’s successful career on the Hill has included working on the Senate Finance Committee, and later, the House Energy and Commerce Committee. During this time, she built strong relationships and knowledge in a wide variety of policy areas, but her specialty is healthcare policy. Haggerty takes the time to explain the upcoming health policy issues to watch in Congress in 2024 and conjectures on what might happen to healthcare policy depending on who wins the upcoming presidential election. This discussion is bipartisan and has no political leaning. There is, however, a strong call to action for physicians interested in policy to contact the AMA or other specialist society to ensure that the voice of clinicians is heard, no matter what the topic is you are passionate about. 

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Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Regular contributor Dike Drummond, MD, (family physician, CEO of TheHappyMD.com, PW columnist) talks about the difference between your job and your medical practice, recognizing the fact that they are almost never attuned. More importantly, he provides critical tools to mend the bridge and regain your grip on the work that you love. What are the changes that need to happen and how do you go about that? Dr. Drummond talks us through this complex and sensitive process.

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                                   3 Work Life Balance Shortcuts for Physicians
                                  Our Proven Top 3 Balance & Boundaries Tools
                            FREE Online Video Training – LEARN MORE HERE
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Dr. Drummond has coached and trained more than 40,000 doctors for more than 175 organization and association clients since 2010. His Burnout Prevention MATRIX White Paper shares 235 different ways to stop physician burnout.

Enjoy Listening!


Additional reading:

Book recommended in the podcast:  The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins

Gottman Institute 5:1 Ratio for a trusting relationship: https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-magic-relationship-ratio-according-science/

Harvard Business Review article Managing your boss: https://hbr.org/2005/01/managing-your-boss

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH, discusses the work she does as executive director of Those Nerdy Girls, along with a group who provide evidence-based answers to common medical questions in order to battle medical mistrust and misinformation. Dr. Gorman is also the founder of Critica, non-profit organization of scientists and social scientists who counteract science denial.

Also, regular contributor, board-certified radiologist, and medical malpractice lawyer Dr. MedLaw speaks about when and how you might be responsible for another doctor’s actions.
 
 Enjoy listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Physician’s Weekly editorial Board member Alex McDonald, MD, CAQSM, FAAFP (Kaiser Permanente), speaks with Scott Nass, MD, MPA, FAAFP, AAHIVS (Aledade), about LGBTQ+ healthcare. Since 2019, Dr. Nass has served as Chief Medical Officer for the transgender community-founded and -led Transgender Health and Wellness Center in Palm Springs, Riverside, and San Diego, CA. Additionally, he is past president of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for all sexual and gender minority individuals. His areas of expertise and practice focus include primary care, HIV, LGBTQ health, and addiction medicine.

Please note that the cadence of the PW Podcast has moved to every other week.

Enjoy listening! 
 

Additional reading: 

The Gender Unicorn

The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center

Health Professionals Advancing LGBQT+ Equality

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

The medical field is constantly evolving, with innovative advancements revolutionizing the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. As we move into 2024, there are numerous promising developments that hold the potential to significantly impact healthcare and improve the lives of individuals worldwide. PW Podcast host, Rachel Giles, MD, and PW editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, offer their perspectives on anticipated medical breakthroughs they feel could shape the future of healthcare in 2024.

Please note that the PW Podcast is moving to an every-other-week cadence. Our next episode will be on January 17. 

 Enjoy listening! 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

PW Podcast host Rachel Giles, MD, and PW editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, offer their perspectives on what they feel are the top 10 medical innovations of 2023. Some are already in practice, whereas others are recent breakthroughs not quite ready for “prime time.” All in all, it was a great year for medical science. Think we missed a top medical innovation of 2023? Let us know!
 
We’ll be back the first week of January 2024 with a look at anticipated medical breakthroughs in 2024! Until then, we wish you all safe and healthy holidays! 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

In a lively discussion, E. David Crawford, MD (University of Colorado), explains the controversy around prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test screening. The National Cancer Institute describes the PSA controversy as follows: “Using the PSA test to screen men for prostate cancer is controversial because it is not yet known for certain whether this test actually saves lives.”

Also, regular contributor Dr. MedLaw addresses how to handle when you find yourself at odds with an insurance company over the decision to settle a malpractice lawsuit. While many doctors may express a desire to go to trial in the face of a malpractice lawsuit, seeking vindication and clearing their name, the reality is that the majority of these cases settle out of court. On the other hand, a doctor who is eager to put the matter behind them may feel pressured into settling. So, how does a doctor navigate the situation when they find themselves at odds with their insurance company over the decision to settle?

Enjoy listening!

PS: Stay tuned for next week! PW editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, joins host Rachel Giles, MD, in their annual discussion of the top medical news stories of the year!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Physician’s Weekly’s editorial Board member Alex McDonald, MD, FAAFP, speaks with Jill Grimes, MD (best known as @tiktokcollegedoc), about hercommitment to empowering individuals with accurate medical information and practical advice that has made her a respected figure in the field of healthcare communication and education. Dr. Grimes is a highly regarded physician, author, and educator with a passion for promoting health literacy and preventive care, with a special focus on targeting teens and young adults. She is known for her expertise in primary care, women's health, and adolescent medicine. Dr. Grimes is an accomplished author, having written extensively on health-related topics in books, articles, and blogs. 

Enjoy listening! 
 
 Additional Reading:

https://jillgrimesmd.com/

Threaldhealth focusing on teens and early adults: https://www.threadhealth.com/

Shots heard round the world (a comprehensive guide to preparing for, defending against, and cleaning up after an anti-vax attack online)

There is a reference to an earlier Physician’s Weekly podcast from January 2023, in which we interview Dana Corriel, MD, a board certified internist, entrepreneur & digital strategist. She is the founder of an online platform that works to centralize the efforts of verified health experts in social media (Social Media for Docs, @SoMeDocs, https://twitter.com/SoMeDocs). 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

This week, we take the time to delve into the important topic of physician burnout with our single guest, Dike Drummond, MD, family physicians and CEO of TheHappyMD.com. In this first episode of a series of in-depth conversations, Dr. Drummond speaks with us about how and when to quit your practice. More importantly, he talks about the vast majority of cases in which that is not necessary. What are the changes that need to happen and how do you go about that? Dr. Drummond talks us through this complex and sensitive process.

If you feel it’s time to move on, check out Dr. Drummond’s step-by-step formula to find, interview, negotiate, and onboard yourself and your family into a new and much better practice. Dr. Drummond has coached and trained more than 40,000 physicians for more than 175 organization and association clients since 2010. His Burnout Prevention MATRIX White Paper shares 235 different ways to stop physician burnout.
 
 

Enjoy Listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

The Know Your Lemons Foundation was founded in 2014 by Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont, MA, PhD, a designer who lost her grandmothers and a close friend to breast cancer. She created the #knowyourlemons campaign as an initiative to help improve early detection of breast cancer through symptoms and screening education in a fun, accessible, and inclusive way. We interviewed Dr. Ellsworth-Beaumont at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit. Using 12 lemons instead of breasts helps the campaign achieve a global reach, overcoming cultural taboos around breasts. Learn how an image can save lives from breast cancer, as was featured in a Ted Talk. 

We also speak with regular contributor Dr. MedLaw, a licensed radiologist and medical malpractice attorney, about where the line can be drawn between medical and ordinary professional negligence. Doctors are usually concerned about liability for medical malpractice, but what about liability as operators of their office? A busy medical office, with staff, patients, and visitors coming and going, can be a real liability arena. As a business and premises owner, what do you need to think about?

Enjoy listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Digital health expert Patty Riskind (CEO, Orbita) digs into three main barriers physicians may perceive in incorporating chatbots into their practice. Virtual assistants, such as chatbots, have changed the way businesses operate, and how people navigate their day-to-day tasks. From making travel plans to scheduling car services, digital tools are improving consumer access while conserving staff resources, but the medical world has been falling behind.

Also, Marc Bonaca, MD, MPH (University of Colorado), discusses the first 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act. A critical step in the Biden administration’s attempt to drive down the high cost of prescription drugs for older people. While Medicare wields enormous power over the costs of other aspects of medical care, dictating how much doctors and hospitals can be paid for medical services, it has been barred from negotiating drug costs. That will change next year, when Medicare for the first time will be able to directly haggle with drug-makers over prices for the costliest medications. The negotiated prices will go into effect in 2026.

Enjoy listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Caryssa Lim, MPH, a third-year medical student at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, talks with PW editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, about whether medical school can/should be looked at as a time of despair and paralysis or the best opportunity of a lifetime to affect change. They also discuss what it was like being a medical student during the pandemic, how medical education is changing, and the three things Lim would like to see changed in medical school.

Enjoy Listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Heather Raymond shares her remarkable story of breast cancer survival, following a diagnosis while working at Kaiser Permanente in 2021, with PW editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD. They discuss the importance of screening and how to talk with patients, because awareness in October isn’t enough.
 
 Enjoy listening! 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Cambrian Liu, PhD (University of Chicago), explains regenerative medicine and what it can mean for patients. He tells us about how his lab focusses on cells that can travel from another organ into the colon when tissue there is damaged by inflammatory bowel disease. Also, regular contributor Dr. MedLaw walks us through the ins and outs of what to do when you get a subpoena, depending on the circumstances. As a physician bound to shield patient privacy, you must be particularly alert for confidentiality issues in subpoena situations. She also talks about the safeguards in place for HIPAA compliance and how and when a doctor can object to a subpoena. 
 
 Enjoy listening!

 Resource:

Liu CY, Girish N, Gomez ML, Kalski M, Bernard JK, Simons BD, Polk DB. Wound-healing plasticity enables clonal expansion of founder progenitor cells in colitis. Dev Cell. 2023 Aug 25:S1534-5807(23)00407-0. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37652012.

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

In the fourth episode of a series on physician burnout, TheHappyMD@PW columnist Dike Drummond, MD (family physician and CEO of TheHappyMD.com), talks about revenue models for medical practices and whether being an employee is always the right choice. He offers several innovative possibilities for ensuring you are practicing in the best possible environment.

Enjoy Listening!

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Reilly Bealer, MD (University of North Carolina), speaks with PW Editorial Board member Alex McDonald, MD, offering insights to help answer this question, noting that maternal mortality rates more than tripled among Native American and Alaska Native moms while continuing to be highest among Black mothers, according to a study recently published in JAMA. Dr. Bealer, who was a Government Relations and Advocacy Fellow at the AMA in 2020-2021—where she fought for access to Medicaid up to 12 months post-partum—adds that, unfortunately, worsening healthcare for Black and BIPOC mothers—a trend typically relegated to southern states—is expanding. According to the study, New York and New Jersey saw an increase in Black and Latina deaths, while more Asian mothers died in Wyoming and Montana. Dr Bealer gives some great insights into the problems at hand. 

 Additional reading

Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States. Fleszar LG, Bryant AS, Johnson CO, Blacker BF, Aravkin A, Baumann M, Dwyer-Lindgren L, Kelly YO, Maass K, Zheng P, Roth GA. JAMA. 2023 Jul 3;330(1):52-61. 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Viktoria Bogner-Flatz, MD (Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany), discusses observations from use of a mobile CT scanner equipped with AT to detect head injuries at the 2022 Munich Oktoberfest. Using lessons from 2022, the mobile scanner is back right now for the 2023 event. Also, regular contributor Dr. MedLaw explores the concept of pre-contracting with patients to limit legal issues, on the heels of the OceanGate Titan submersible disaster which saw the media giving attention to long disclaimers that specifically listed death as a risk.

Enjoy Listening!

Additional reading

Flatz W, Hinzmann D, Kampmann P, Poehlmann L, Reidler P, Schlichtiger J, Kanz KG, Ricke J, Bazarian J, Bogner-Flatz V. Mobile Computed Tomography at Munich Oktoberfest. N Engl J Med. 2023 Sep 14;389(11):1051-1052. 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Adam Landman, MD (Mass General Brigham), answers the question of whether voice assistants like Siri or Alexa can help bystanders perform CPR when needed. His recently published study found that the directions provided by these AI voice assistants are inconsistent and lack relevance, often directing people to inappropriate information. But he has some solutions. Also, Ann McKee, MD (Boston University), discusses her study of 152 brains from contact sport players who died before reaching age 30, which found chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among more than 40%. The findings confirm that CTE can occur even in young people, but more work is needed to determine how CTE relates to clinical symptoms.

 Enjoy listening!

Additional reading

Murk W, Goralnick E, Brownstein JS, Landman AB. Quality of Layperson CPR Instructions From Artificial Intelligence Voice Assistants. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Aug 1;6(8):e2331205. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.31205. 

McKee AC, et al. Neuropathologic and Clinical Findings in Young Contact Sport Athletes Exposed to Repetitive Head Impacts. JAMA Neurol. 2023 Aug 28:e232907. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.2907. 

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-football-raises-risk-chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

Regular PW Podcast contributor, “Dr. MedLaw” discusses doctor-lawyer communications, in light of several recent prominent news stories about lawyers revealing client communications coming out of the investigations into attempts to interfere with the 2020 election. With most physicians taking it as a given that what they tell an attorney is shielded from discovery, she answers the question of whether doctors should be worried that the attorneys representing them could be forced to reveal their communications. 

Also, Haillie Meek, DVM, MPH (New York State Epidemic Intelligence, CDC), explains her recently presented report on how the ongoing Canadian wildfires have impacted ER visits in New York for asthma exacerbations. At the time of this recording on September 10, more than 1,000 fires were still active in Canada, including about 650 deemed to be out of control.
 
 Enjoy Listening!

Additional reading: 

The CDC report on wildfire impact on ER asthma visits: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7234a6.htm?s_cid=mm7234a6_w#contribAff

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!

We talk with PW columnist and TheHappyMD.com CEO Dike Drummond, MD, about the three energy accounts—physical, emotional, and spiritual—we all have. The different types of energy serve different purposes because we are more than just physical beings, especially when functioning as a physician caring for patients. Dr. Drummond explains how any of these falling into a negative balance gives rise to a different symptom of physician burnout, how each is filled in a different way, and how to take the time to care for yourself and prevent sliding into burnout. 

Let us know what you thought of this week’s episode on Twitter: @physicianswkly

Want to share your medical expertise, research, or unique experience in medicine on the PW podcast? Email us at editorial@physweekly.com!

Thanks for listening!