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Second Opinions

Essays and opinions from our readers, always thought-provoking, sometimes controversial

A photo of a man lying in a hospital bed.

Hospitalization Should Not Mean Financial Ruin for Medicare Beneficiaries

Updated policies can help older adults cover the costs of care

A photo of a male physician relaxing.

Addicted to Productivity, Doc? The Holidays Are a Time to Reflect

Here are four health habits to support clinician well-being

A photo of fluorite crystals.

The Dose Makes the Poison: Clarifying the Record on Fluoride

The benefits outweigh the risks

A photo of a female nurse taking the temperature of her female patient.

More DEI Bans Will Have Dire Side Effects for Public Health

Clinician diversity may be at risk with the new administration

A photo of Suboxone sublingual films in varying strengths.

Hello Buprenorphine, Step Into My Practice

It's time for the medical field to reduce OUD stigma and embrace this essential medication

A photo of Anthony Fauci, MD during a White House COVID press briefing.

Fauci Facepalms Won't Cut It in the Second Trump Administration

Consider what's at stake when leaders in medicine simply watch from the sidelines

Photo of a smartphone and docter, AI in medical health care technology concept.

Medical Education Needs Its Own AI Playbook

Artificial intelligence should be used differently in training and medical practice

Photo of an exhausted doctor in protective clothing with burnout.

Worried About Healthcare Worker Well-Being?

Contact members of Congress to reauthorize the Lorna Breen Act

Image of medical equipment with PAIN MANAGEMENT in text.

Measuring the Quality of Pain Management

Fair and useful performance measures help ensure more appropriate treatment

A yard sign with Make America Healthy Again written on it.

What 'Make America Healthy Again' Gets Right About Communications

We all want a healthier America. Let's talk about how to get there.

A computer rendering of a robot hand holding a sphere which contains a medical shield and cross.

Digital Doctors Are Coming. Regulators Need to Catch Up.

We must ensure AI advances in medicine in a way that's safe, fair, and beneficial for all

A photo of the emergency entrance to a hospital.

Workplace Violence Is Not Just 'Part of the Job'

It's high time to prevent attacks on healthcare workers in the ED

A photo of a National Institutes of Health building on the Bethesda, Maryland campus.

Preserve the National Institute of Nursing Research's Independence

Folding NINR into a larger institute risks diminishing research targeting whole-person health

A photo of an injection pen.

GLP-1 Use Prior to Surgery: Analyzing the Updated Guidance

Balancing aspiration risk with the consequences of medication discontinuation

A close-up of a Google search field on a digital display with colorful moire effect.

Is the Internet Impairing Your Medical Memory?

Digital convenience can foster an illusion of competence and knowledge

A photo of a single leaft on bare trees.

The Dual Role of Illusion in Patient Care

From painted leaves to placebos, we must balance hope and honesty

A phot of a pen lying on a non-disclosure agreement form.

Confidentiality Clauses Are Killing Patients

Eliminating them is the lowest-hanging fruit in the patient safety movement

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

We Cannot Provide Care With Our Hands Tied Behind Our Backs

What a second Trump administration could mean for physician autonomy

MRI images of a cerebral infarction.

Stroke Risk Is Changing With the Climate

Patient education is essential

A photo of a female physician holding a tablet and talking to her female patient across a desk.

An Open Letter to the Next Administration Regarding Primary Care

Major investment is the need of the hour

A photo of a stethoscope lying next a tablet where a male physician has a medical coding spreadsheet open.

The Trouble With Upcoding Extends Far Beyond Ethics

The practice reminds us that our healthcare system is failing patients and clinicians alike

A photo of a man with a smartphone displaying an ultrasound image in one hand, and a hand-held ultrasound device in the othe

Should I Get a Handheld Ultrasound?

Their speed and simplicity are especially valuable when timely decisions are critical

A photo of the perimeter fence around Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York Nebraska.

What the Astronomical Rise in Incarceration Means for Women's Health

Health disparities, such as high rates of cervical cancer, in this population deserve attention

A photo of a female physician listening to her female patient.

Your Patient Is in Pain. Hear Their Cry.

Systemic injustices drive us to view some patients as more believable than others

A computer rendering of meningococcus bacteria.

Now Is Not the Time to Undo Adolescent Vaccination Policies

Rolling back the meningococcal vaccine recommendation would have far-reaching consequences

A photo of a female nurse holding the hand of a senior male patient.

100 Days Trapped in Inpatient Legal Limbo

Awaiting guardianship in the hospital long-term should not be the norm

A photo of police officers standing on a residential street behind an ambulance.

Clinicians Too Play a Role in Community Violence Intervention

Collaboration between different program types is key

A photo of Donald Trump shaking hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally in Duluth, Georgia.

RFK Jr. Threatens the Very Fabric of Healthcare

A vote to give Kennedy power is a vote against public health

A still from the television show M*A*S*H with Hawkeye Pierce, B.J. Hunnicutt, Margaret Houlihan, and Major Charles Emerson.

Dark Humor Allows Us to See the 'Light' in Medicine

But don't forget to speak softly and tread carefully

A photo of a female physician pressing an I Voted Today sticker to her white coat.

Vote: Your Health and Your Patients' Health Depend on It

Civic participation is linked to better community health

A computer rendering of antibodies attacking a COVID virus.

Old Drugs, New Tricks: The Power of Medication Repurposing

COVID highlighted the untapped potential of existing treatments

A photo of a high school football game.

We Can Better Protect Kids From Head Injury in Football

Making youth football safer requires a collective effort

A photo of three hospital patients sitting in the waiting room and looking at their phones.

Why Medicine Is Bad at Customer Service -- And How to Fix It

Healthcare is one of few industries still lacking in convenience

A photo of a female physician using sign language to communicate with her female patient who is also wearing a hearing aid.

Going Beyond Hearing Aids for Equal Care Access

Hearing loss is only becoming more prevalent

A photo of Brian H. Williams, MD, and the cover of is book The Bodies Keep Coming.

I'm a Black Trauma Surgeon. Ending Gun Violence Demands Fighting for Racial Justice.

An excerpt from Williams' book, The Bodies Keep Coming

A computer rendering of a transparent human head with Broca鈥檚 area of the brain highlighted.

A Case of Broca's Aphasia

An excerpt from Theodore H. Schwartz's book, Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery

A photo of a female physician comforting her female patient.

Anatomy of a Suicide Crisis: Life After Abuse

Love shouldn't hurt

A photo of a bag of IV fluids hanging from a pole as seen from a patient鈥檚 perspective.

What Will the IV Fluid Shortage Mean for Hospital Finance?

A more strategic approach to production is key to preventing crises like this

A computer rendering of a uterus.

'My Womb Isn't My Legacy'

We must look beyond women's childbearing potential in healthcare and society in general

A photo of a mature man sitting at a cardboard voting booth.

The Deathbed Regrets Voter Guide

Don't regret your vote

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