Kevin Tolliver is an internal medicine physician who blogs at My Medical Musings.

The nuances between palliative care vs. physician-assisted suicide

Physician
May 8, 2019

Sometimes referred to as “right-to-die,” “physician-assisted suicide” laws make it possible for terminally ill patients to use prescribed medications to end their lives instead of facing a protracted death. The latest state to pass legislation allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives was New Jersey. The law will go into effect on August 1.

The topic of physician-assisted suicide and right-to-die is incredibly complex and emotionally charged. I’m not going …

Read more…

The nuances between palliative care vs. physician-assisted suicide

A framework to understand universal health care

Policy
March 19, 2019

One of the most popular topics in health care is the idea of universal health care coverage. You know the soundbites: “Medicare for all.” “Single-payer system.”

While universal coverage sounds desirable to many, some factors must be considered. In this post, I’m going to provide an aerial view of this complicated topic. My goal is to translate this issue into patient-friendly language that all of us can understand. This topic isn’t …

Read more…

A framework to understand universal health care

10 surprising things you need to know about the hospital

Physician
January 11, 2019

1. Very little revolves around the patient. For a place dedicated to healing, the hospital does a poor job accommodating patients. Labs are drawn in the middle of the night, so the doctor has them early in the morning. There is no standard rounding time, so the patient is constantly awakened throughout the day. Vitals must be measured every few hours. Patients often comment about being happy to be discharged …

Read more…

10 surprising things you need to know about the hospital

How to pay for long-term care

Policy
October 19, 2018

The topic of paying for long-term care is an overlooked issue in health care.

None of us want to think about living our final days in the nursing home, but statistically speaking, many of us will. How will you pay for it? What are the options?

Long-term care in this country can be divided into two general classes based on funding: governmental and private payers. In terms of government programs, Medicaid will …

Read more…

How to pay for long-term care

No, the flu shot doesn’t cause the flu

Conditions
September 29, 2018

Does the flu shot cause the flu?

Let me tell you, without a doubt, that the flu shot does not give you the flu. This is perhaps one of the most common misconceptions I hear as a physician. People absolutely swear by it. I’ve even had people tell me that family members got the flu shot and then died suddenly. I’m sympathetic, but how misguided!

Before we talk more about the flu …

Read more…

No, the flu shot doesn’t cause the flu

Beware the limits of telemedicine

Tech
September 16, 2018

I’d be willing to bet most of you have heard of, or previously used, telemedicine in some shape, form or fashion.  Stated simply, telemedicine is the process of seeking care from a medical provider using your phone or laptop.  This field is exploding, and I have no doubt popularity will continue to grow as large health systems and pharmacy giants dive in.

It’s easy to appreciate the convenience and efficiency of …

Read more…

Beware the limits of telemedicine

The price of being a compassionate doctor is often worth it

Physician
September 10, 2018

Watching patients suffer and die is not an easy thing to do. Left unchecked, I don’t think most front-line doctors would last too long immersed in that kind of setting.  First, the emotional toll would be too high to maintain over a long period of time. Second, working at the extremes of emotion doesn’t allow a physician to competently and objectively apply medical knowledge to heal disease and alleviate suffering. …

Read more…

The price of being a compassionate doctor is often worth it

A tale of two opioid addicts

Conditions
September 7, 2018

There’s no disputing that the opioid crisis has become a public health emergency in the United States. And not a day goes by when health care providers don’t encounter some aspect of this epidemic. Far too often, the mention of addiction spurns images of homelessness, back-alley deals and crime. While that can certainly be the case, addiction is an “equal-opportunity employer.” Allow me to share two true stories that illustrate …

Read more…

A tale of two opioid addicts

10 things I’ve learned 10 years after I finished medical school

Physician
August 30, 2018

1. Our health care system is broken, and there isn’t going to be an easy way out. Costs are too high and our outcomes too poor. There’s a lot of finger-pointing in how we got to this point, but one thing is for certain — physicians must lead the way to a better system. The heart of health care is still the doctor-patient relationship and that needs to be protected at …

Read more…

10 things I’ve learned 10 years after I finished medical school