Who are hospital ethics consultants, and why should you care?
Imagine the following scenarios: A surgeon prepares to amputate a patient’s foot to save his life, but the patient refuses the procedure. His decline in thinking and memory raises doubts…
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Immigrant patients often choose doctors with a shared cultural background – what they are seeking isn’t sameness but connection
At a recent dental appointment, I was unexpectedly seen by a new provider in my longtime dentist’s practice. Early in the visit, he realized we were both Iranian American. Like…
Health information delivered as a video game can bridge the communication gap between patients and providers
Imagine you and your partner are sitting in the waiting room of your doctor’s office, waiting for your appointment to get birth control – and instead of calculating how many…
There aren’t enough geriatricians – here’s how older adults can still get the right care
More than 70 million baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – are alive today. In 2026, the oldest of them are turning 80. With longer lives often…
Doctors Increasingly See AI Scribes in a Positive Light. But Hiccups Persist.
When Jeannine Urban went in for a checkup in November, she had her doctor’s full attention. Instead of typing on her computer keyboard during the exam, Urban’s primary care physician…
‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment
It’s a rare occasion when my worlds of biomedical informatics and serialized lesbian melodrama fandom collide. But that’s exactly what happened earlier this summer when two of my favorite actresses…
Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it
A growing share of Americans, especially in rural areas, are losing access to reproductive health care. At the same time, American women are dying during or after pregnancy at higher…
Community health centers provide care for 1 in 10 Americans, but funding cuts threaten their survival
Affordable health care was the primary point of contention in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which hit 43 days on Nov. 12, 2025. This fight highlights a persistent…