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Second Opinions

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

A photo of a hospital palliative care unit sign.

Palliative Care Has a Branding Problem

Changing how it's perceived can break down silos

A photo of surgeons preparing a donor kidney for transplantation

Do Organ Transplants Cause Personality Changes?

Anecdotal evidence suggests a real possibility, but more research is needed

A photo of Uch茅 Blackstock, MD

Misdiagnosed: Did the Color of My Skin Play a Role?

An adapted excerpt from Blackstock's new book, Legacy

Computer renderings of COVID, RSV, and flu viruses

When It Comes to Isolation, COVID Shouldn't Be Singled Out From the Pack

It's time for CDC to update its guidance

A photo of a young woman wearing headphones in New York City.

Primordial Prevention Can Protect Black Women's Cardiovascular Health

Let's block the risk factors before they start

Photos of Leah Houston, MD, and Brittany Busse, MD

Two Women Physicians Find Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship

It takes great determination to successfully navigate the challenges along the way

A photo of a female healthcare worker changing a bandage on a senior man lying in his bed at home.

Hospital-at-Home Could Be a Double-Edged Sword

Equity and infection prevention are cause for concern

A photo of radiation immobilization masks hanging in a closet.

Cancer Patients Caught in the Crosshairs of Hospital Consolidation

Policymakers must rein in anti-competitive tactics

A photo of boxes and blister packs of Paxlovid

COVID's Latest Adaptation: It Has Lulled Us to Sleep

My doctor's refusal to prescribe "just-in-case" Paxlovid speaks volumes

A photo of a rainy street running through a suburban neighborhood.

Do Your Patients Know Where You Live?

Healthcare professionals have a right to privacy, too

A photo of a female police officer and a female Child Protective Services worker interviewing a little boy.

Child Protective Services Is Being Weaponized Against Our Black Patients

HHS must institute more oversight of medical professionals making repeated calls

A photo of a Hawaiian shaved ice.

Spread 'Aloha' in Healthcare

Let's work toward a more idyllic vision of our system

A photo of a needle exchange program on the street

Doing Away With Needle Exchange Programs Won't Prevent Drug Use

This is where the principle of harm reduction becomes important

A photo of a female physician typing on a laptop next to her pregnant patient.

Prenatal Care Shouldn't Begin in the ED

We must address barriers to early and appropriate care

A photo of a flight attendant on an airplane.

Medical Schools Are Not Preparing Us to Care for Autistic Individuals

It's time for that to change

A photo of a spilled container of gummy vitamins

Medicine or Candy? Let's Reevaluate the Vitamins We Offer to Kids

Children should give standard pills a try before turning to alternatives

A photo of young male and female physicians talking in a hallway.

In the Face of Misogyny in Medicine, Be a Better Person

Physicians who report professional mistreatment should not be shamed

A photo of blue rubber gloved hands dipping a multi-drug test strip into a urine sample.

Think Twice Before Drug Testing Your Black Patients

It's time for a bias check

A photo of a box of Ivermectin tables sitting on a case of of boxes.

What Does AI Say About the Claims on Ivermectin for COVID?

We put the technology to the test

A photo of a young couple holding their baby.

A Hidden Cost of a Career in Medicine: Barriers to Building a Family

Institutions can take steps to support students and staff who want children

A photo of a female radiologist prepping her female patient for a mammogram.

'We Caught It Early': Blessing or Burden?

Cancer screening has its drawbacks

A photo of a female physician talking on a phone in a hospital.

Why Are We Letting Insurers Dictate Patient Care?

Prior authorization is wreaking havoc on patient health

A photo of Diane N. Solomon, PhD, PMHNP-BC

In the Marrow of My Bones

Honoring the memory of one of my earliest patients

A photo of FDA headquarters at White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland

How Much Do Physicians Really Know About FDA Drug and Device Regulation?

More education is clearly needed

A computer rendering of T-cells attacking growing cancer cells.

When a Revolutionary Cancer Treatment Causes Cancer

The potential benefits of CAR T-cell therapies still far outweigh the risks

A photo of the gate to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Memorial

Medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust: Essential Lessons for Health Professionals

Let's take this Holocaust Remembrance Day to reflect

A computer rendered close up of a COVID virus.

Why I Hope the COVID Pandemic Isn't Over

More dwindling before it "ends" would promote better health outcomes

A computer rendering of a transparent head with the prefrontal cortex of the brain highlighted

How Is Our Prefrontal Cortex Faring in this Toxic Era?

A less toxic future would be a saner choice

The FDA and CMS logos on two computer rendered joined puzzle pieces

The Healthcare Landscape Is Changing. Our Regulatory Practices Should Too.

Closer collaboration between FDA and CMS is the need of the hour

A photo of a male physician looking at MRI images on a computer

The Truth About What Health Information Exchanges Can and Cannot Do

They have the potential to be an incredible tool, but improvements are needed

A photo of a tired looking female physician leaning against a window.

Is Burnout Destroying Emergency Medicine?

It doesn't have to: here are four unique ways to address the issue

A photo of Ken Paxton in front of the Supreme Court building.

Politicians Must Stop Playing Doctor

Personal ideology should not guide medical care, even for abortion

A photo of a man self-injecting Mounjaro.

How Should Health Plans Respond to Surging Interest in Weight Loss Drugs?

Studies suggest coverage is warranted for certain populations

A photo of ready to eat meals in the refrigerated food section of a grocery store.

What We're Getting Wrong About Nutrition and Mental Health

Helping patients understand the connection and improve their diet can go a long way

A photo of a man holding a handmade sign which reads: You can鈥檛 be worth $11 billion and declare bankruptcy!

The Sackler Family Can Act Today to Compensate Opioid Overdose Victims

But it appears unlikely they will take this course of action

A photo of a $100 bill sticking out of a prescription medication bottle

Would You Switch a Patient's Medication if You Knew the Cost?

Optimizing price estimate alert design and logic should be a priority

A photo of a Flovent inhaler.

Are Your Patients Prepared to Switch Their Asthma Inhaler?

With the discontinuation of Flovent, we must prevent gaps in care

A photo of a man typing a college essay on a laptop.

A Culture of Silence Persists in Medicine Despite #MeToo

We see it as early as the medical school application process

A photo of nurses tending to a patient with covid.

In This Wave of Respiratory Illness, Primary Care Is Drowning

The spike in illness coupled with staff shortages is stretching us thin

A photo of an ICU nurse in full protective gear during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Healthcare Data Infrastructure Is Abysmal

A critical lesson from the COVID-19 crisis

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