Dr. Ken’s Corner: Is the Free Standing ER a Good Thing?
Not to be confused with urgent care clinics, the doors to free standing emergency rooms are open around-the-clock and are expected to provide the same level of care as a hospital-based emergency room....
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Retraining and Re-entry: Now There’s An Idea
Some would argue that there are enough practicing physicians in the United States — 767,000 at last count. They say the problem is twofold: (1) There aren’t enough doctors in the right places, and (2)...
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: The 15 Minute Consult: A Catch-22
With one eye on the clock and the other on the patient, a doctor hopes the patient will stick to the chief complaint and not bring out a “laundry list” of their health concerns. Predictably, the 15...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Medicare to Pay for End-of-Life Discussions
Evidence shows that patients who have had end-of-life discussions with their physicians are more likely to die at home or in a comfortable setting, instead of in a hospital intensive care unit. Not...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Errors In Diagnosis Way Too Common, Report Says
Most Americans will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine (September 22, 2015). “Diagnostic errors have been largely...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Does Defensive Medicine Reduce Malpractice Claims?
Doctors are often criticized for practicing “defensive” medicine — doing an excessive number of tests and procedures, or admitting patients to the hospital when it’s not medically necessary — “to cover...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: 1% of Physicians Responsible for 32% of Paid Malpractice...
Approximately 1% of all physicians account for 32% of paid malpractice claims (New England Journal of Medicine, January 28, 2016). Using the National Practitioner Data Bank as their resource, Stanford...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Doctors, Patients, and the Blurring of Professional Boundaries
The blurring of professional boundaries between physicians and patients is not simply an ethical issue. It’s a threat to a physician’s reputation, license, and livelihood…not to mention the liability...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: First Ever Guidelines Issued for Prescribing Opioids
Think twice before writing that prescription for a pain-relieving opioid. That’s the clear, strong message from the CDC in its attempt to curb the growing “epidemic” of pain killer abuse and...
View ArticleDr. Ken’s Corner: Be Wary of FDA-Designated “Breakthrough” Drugs
When the FDA says a new drug is a “breakthrough,” does that mean it’s clearly better than what’s already out there? Since 2012, the FDA has been empowered by Congress to label a drug as a “breakthrough...
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Direct Primary Care Gains Traction
Is there such a thing as a “stress-free” way to practice medicine? Not really. But many primary care physicians are rediscovering the joy of practicing medicine by shifting from the stress-filled...
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Computers and Patients Competing for “Face-Time”?
According to a recent AMA-funded study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, for every hour a physician spends with his or her patient, they will spend an additional two hours completing EHR...
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Service Abroad Plus Locum Tenens: A Perfect Fit
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Never before has it been this easy for physicians to spend two to three weeks, or even three to four months, volunteering their services abroad. Physicians and clinicians have the...
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