The Medical Case for Teaching Kindness in Early Childhood Development
Physician Paul Dranichnikov argues that kindness is a skill that must be taught, not left to chance, because early childhood is the only period when neural pathways for empathy can be reliably shaped. He cites neuroscience showing that repeated prosocial experiences rewire the brain, turning effortful kindness into instinct. The article calls for systematic integration of social‑emotional learning in schools, reflective modeling by parents, and community service opportunities, treating kindness with the same rigor as literacy or math. Ultimately, early kindness training is framed as civic infrastructure that mitigates bullying, polarization, and social fragmentation.
A New Approach to Treating Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Urologist Jitesh Patel outlines a non‑antibiotic protocol for recurrent urinary tract infections, emphasizing symptom‑driven diagnosis, aggressive bladder hygiene, and targeted adjuncts such as Hiprex, vaginal estrogen, and metabolic optimization. He argues that reflex antibiotic prescribing has created a cohort of...
3 Things AI in Health Care Investing Cannot Evaluate
Physician‑scientist Harsha Moole built an AI system that rapidly compiles data and scores healthcare startups, dramatically speeding the information‑gathering phase of venture diligence. He stresses that despite its efficiency, the AI cannot replace human judgment when evaluating clinical workflow integration, stakeholder...
![Your Doctor Saved Your Life but Won’t Return Your Call [PODCAST]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://kevinmd.com/wp-content/uploads/junig_thumbnail.png)
Your Doctor Saved Your Life but Won’t Return Your Call [PODCAST]
Psychiatrist Jeffrey Junig recounts how a life‑saving surgery exposed a systemic neglect of patients' quality‑of‑life concerns. After surviving a 12‑hour operation for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, he discovered an untreated aortic aneurysm and struggled to obtain a suitable beta‑blocker, facing...
How Medical Malpractice Cases Reveal Health Care System Flaws
Two high‑profile medical‑malpractice lawsuits illustrate systemic flaws in U.S. health‑care litigation. A 2019 case against Johns Hopkins Bayview yielded a record $229.6 million jury verdict, later overturned because plaintiffs failed to prove negligence. A 2024 Maryland case involving a hepatic duct...
Why We Must Fix Our Fragmented Health Care System Architecture
Physician Vance Alm argues that the U.S. health‑care crisis stems from a fragmented delivery architecture, not merely insurance coverage or pricing. He illustrates the problem with an 11‑week cardiology referral that required multiple authorizations despite the patient having good insurance....
5 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Credentialing Service
Credentialing delays can drain a new practice of $50,000‑$100,000 in fixed costs, as payer enrollment often stretches 90‑180 days. While most providers compare services on price and promised turnaround, hidden risks lie in payer‑specific expertise, CAQH management, recredentialing continuity, reporting...
Prior Authorization During Surgery Is Not Oversight
A growing number of insurers are using real‑time prior‑authorization calls to alter surgical procedures while patients are under anesthesia, as illustrated by a hysterectomy where an insurer demanded one ovary be left intact and a breast‑reconstruction case where UnitedHealthcare interrupted...
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Patients Don’t Need Certainty, They Need Your Reasoning Out Loud [PODCAST]
In a May 2026 KevinMD podcast, retired surgeon Alan P. Feren argues that vague clinical language fuels unnecessary ER visits, patient anxiety, and 30‑40% of malpractice suits. He introduces a five‑discipline framework—naming the most likely diagnosis, ruling out alternatives, outlining possibilities, defining triggers...
How Vocal Biomarkers Are Revolutionizing Early Detection
Vocal biomarkers, powered by AI-driven speech analysis, are emerging as a rapid, non‑invasive tool for early detection of cognitive, neurological and mental‑health conditions. A single 40‑second voice sample can simultaneously screen for disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression and anxiety,...
Patient Autonomy in Psychiatry and the Ethics of Care
Psychiatrist Wonyun Lee describes how U.S. mental‑health law prioritizes patient autonomy over beneficence, leaving individuals like K—who cycles through emergency rooms, shelters, and brief hospitalizations—without adequate care. The article contrasts this approach with Korean practice, where physicians intervene more readily...
What Hidden Constraints Shape Clinical Decisions?
Timothy Lesaca introduces “invisible triage,” a pre‑conscious filter that shapes which clinical options ever reach a physician’s awareness. He argues that systemic forces—time pressure, EHR templates, protocols, and incentives—narrow the decision space before reasoning begins, often hiding critical diagnoses. The...
PRP Therapy Protocols Lack Expert Consensus
Platelet‑rich plasma (PRP) therapy lacks a unified peri‑procedural protocol, with leading experts disagreeing on NSAID washout periods, supplement restrictions, cryotherapy, and rehabilitation timing. The article highlights that ten top clinicians offered divergent recommendations on pre‑procedure NSAID use, corticosteroid washout, and...
Patients Pay when Medicare Care Coordination Codes Go Unused
Medicare’s 2024 Physician Fee Schedule introduced two new reimbursement categories—Community Health Integration and Principal Illness Navigation—to fund care coordination and navigation for high‑risk patients. Two years later, most primary‑care practices have not adopted these codes due to awareness gaps, workflow...
How Implicit Bias in Health Care Impacts Patient Safety
A six‑year‑old suffered a broken tooth and tongue injury after a routine day‑surgery procedure, yet staff failed to recognize the harm promptly, highlighting communication gaps. The mother, a brown immigrant physician, also faced a snarky comment that underscored implicit bias...