The hottest Patient Care Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

No active ingredients whatsoever

Internal exile • 46 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
🏥 Health Politics Patient Care
  1. Placebos work because of belief and social interactions, not just the medicine itself. This shows that the setting and care from doctors can be as important as the actual treatments.
  2. People can still feel the effects of placebos even when they know they’re fake. This suggests that our expectations and the way we think about treatment can influence our experience of pain and illness.
  3. The rise of AI in healthcare may change how we think about treatment. Just like placebos, the way we perceive AI support can create real feelings and experiences, but it also risks losing the human connection that aids in healing.

Red Flags for Weight Stigma in Healthcare Practitioners

Weight and Healthcare • 159 implied HN points • 27 Apr 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Healthcare practitioners blaming patients for lack of accommodation can compound the issue.
  2. Suggesting weight loss as a solution for lack of access in healthcare perpetuates weight stigma.
  3. Buying into myths about intentional weight loss failure and prescribing diets to fat patients instead of evidence-based interventions are red flags for weight stigma in healthcare practitioners.

I went to the world's biggest Cancer conference

That Damn Optimist • 29 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. The conference was huge, with around 50,000 people attending, making it a bustling environment with a lot to navigate. It was easy to get lost while trying to find my way among oncologists, researchers, and exhibitors.
  2. Pharmaceutical companies had a huge presence, advertising their products everywhere and showcasing impressive booths. This made it hard to separate scientific information from marketing, but the food and snacks provided became a fun topic of conversation.
  3. The talks were really informative and focused on new scientific advancements, which was refreshing. Presenters openly discussed the limitations of their studies, making the discussions feel more honest and engaging compared to other conferences.

What I'm reading in health care this week.

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 99 implied HN points • 30 Jan 23
🏥 Health Politics Patient Care
  1. Doctors are facing a lot more claim denials this year, which is making their jobs harder and causing burnout. There's a push from healthcare providers for the government to change the rules around prior authorizations to help ease this burden.
  2. Patients with diabetes are struggling when companies switch them to high-deductible health plans. These plans can increase the chances of serious health issues and financial troubles for patients who need regular care.
  3. The government is looking closely at Medicare Advantage plans due to concerns about overpayments to insurers. Changes could be on the way that would affect how these plans operate and the money insurers can make from them.
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FHIR Resources for Chill Days

healthviva • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. FHIR is a web-based standard for exchanging healthcare data, offering opportunities for developers in the HealthTech industry.
  2. FHIR revolutionizes healthcare data exchange by utilizing patient-generated health data (PGHD) from wearable devices and trackers.
  3. FHIR benefits include interoperability, flexibility, security, ease of development, and cost savings, but challenges exist like transitioning from HL7, choosing the right standard, and ensuring privacy and security.

Misleading Study Conclusions Part 2 - Patient Impacts

Weight and Healthcare • 159 implied HN points • 08 Jan 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Healthcare practitioners rely on study conclusions for information, but they may be misleading and harmful if not thoroughly examined.
  2. Prescribing weight loss has a high failure rate and negative health impacts, leading to unrealistic expectations for patients and blame if goals are not met.
  3. Research misleading patients and healthcare providers can result in missed diagnoses, incorrect treatments, and patient disengagement, especially in mental health care.

Hate and the Hippocratic Oath

Brands Mean a Lot • 158 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Many large companies use customer service representatives as shields for systemic failures.
  2. Lower-paid workers tend to bear the brunt of customer anger due to organizational shortcomings.
  3. Highly skilled workers like doctors are experiencing similar challenges as frontline employees in dealing with industry-wide failures.

All you need to know about health care this week.

HEALTH CARE un-covered • 79 implied HN points • 24 Jun 22
🏥 Health Politics Patient Care
  1. 41% of Americans have health care debt, showing a huge problem with medical costs in the country.
  2. People with high-deductible health plans often delay necessary treatments due to costs, which can worsen their health outcomes.
  3. Even those with insurance can struggle financially, leading many to seek help from friends or crowdfunding for medical expenses.

Metastatic Cancer Treatment Since 2010: The Success Stories

Rough Diamonds • 19 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Metastatic cancer is often very serious and many people diagnosed don't survive long. However, some treatments are making progress in helping patients achieve long-term remission.
  2. New treatments, especially immunotherapies, are showing promise in making metastatic cancer disappear in some patients. This is a big deal because it used to be very rare.
  3. There's still a lot of potential to improve cancer treatments. Researchers are exploring many different strategies, and exciting possibilities are on the horizon to help more patients.

Patients with Machines

The Daily Bud • 4 implied HN points • 09 Jun 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Patients today come to doctors with a lot of their own information, thanks to technology and wearables. This makes them more active in their own healthcare.
  2. The best doctors will embrace this trend and work with patients to understand the data they bring. They'll use it to improve the care they provide, rather than feeling threatened by it.
  3. There's a growing divide between doctors who accept outside data and those who resist it. The future will likely see both sides working together, checking each other's work to provide better patient care.

From strangers to lovers in the emergency room: A (sort of) love story

Everything Is An Emergency • 3 HN points • 14 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. The emergency room can be a place where unexpected connections and love stories unfold, even in the midst of chaotic situations.
  2. Working in the emergency room requires a balance of empathy, efficiency, and quick decision-making to handle the constant flow of patients and unexpected incidents.
  3. The atmosphere of a city's summer nights can bring an additional layer of intensity to hospital shifts, impacting both patients and healthcare workers.

Axial Discovery - Voice in healthcare

Discovery by Axial • 3 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Voice technology in healthcare can help patients and doctors by transcribing conversations and reducing errors.
  2. Companies like Abridge and Suki are developing voice products to enhance patient care and doctor efficiency.
  3. Building voice assistants for healthcare has potential for personalized patient and doctor interactions, but faces technical challenges and privacy concerns.

Make the Most of What We’ve Got and Stay Hopeful for What’s to Come

Are You Okay? • 0 implied HN points • 14 May 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. COVID testing, while not perfect, is still essential for moving forward and interpreting results requires clinical judgment.
  2. The accuracy of COVID tests can vary between different types and brands, so it's important to understand their limitations and context.
  3. Positive antibody tests suggest immunity, but it's not a guarantee of total protection from the virus. Clinical judgment is key.

Medics, Not Medicine, Killed Elijah McClain

The Medicine & Justice Project • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🏥 Health Politics Patient Care
  1. Ketamine is used by medics to calm down patients with severe agitation and has less impact on breathing compared to other drugs.
  2. Two paramedics failed to properly assess a restrained and agitated patient, leading to his death despite using ketamine which could have been survivable.
  3. Public outcry following the incident led to misguided legislation banning the use of ketamine in EMS, potentially putting future patients at risk by receiving more dangerous medications.

Follow the Evidence

Are You Okay? • 0 implied HN points • 29 Jul 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Medical decisions should be based on science, clinical judgment, and the patient's unique situation.
  2. It's important to avoid making assumptions, relying on anecdotal evidence, or following trends when it comes to patient care.
  3. Physicians strive to make informed decisions by continually learning from patients, colleagues, research, and their own experiences.

How AI Can Actually Help Physicians

Discharge Summary • 0 implied HN points • 03 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. AI integration in EMRs can provide concise patient summaries to help prioritize topics for physicians.
  2. Retrieval AI can assist physicians in accessing patient information quickly for tasks like patient sign-outs and deep dive questions.
  3. Challenges in AI adoption in healthcare include technical implementation, legal issues, and proving ROI in hospital settings.

Why Telehealth is Not Enough

Discharge Summary • 0 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Telehealth has advantages like easier access to healthcare, especially during the pandemic.
  2. For complex patients, local care teams are essential beyond just telehealth services.
  3. Building local care teams requires substantial infrastructure and coordination but can significantly impact healthcare costs.

⚡️ Top 10 news of the week

digitalhealthinsider • 0 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Patient Care
  1. Protecting patient data is really important for healthcare organizations to avoid cyberattacks.
  2. There's a drop in digital health funding, but the amounts being invested are stabilizing.
  3. AI is becoming a big part of healthcare, with startups raising money to create AI tools for hospitals.

General Catalyst Buys a Hospital

Discharge Summary • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. General Catalyst acquires Summa Health, a nonprofit health system, shifting from non-profit to for-profit.
  2. Concerns arise about revenue models and potential changes in practice infrastructure with the acquisition.
  3. The acquisition aims to modernize healthcare with the latest technology, potentially impacting patient care and provider preference.

Dracula: September 7

Dracula Daily • 0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
📚 Literature Patient Care
  1. Dr. Van Helsing emphasizes the importance of discretion when dealing with sensitive information and situations.
  2. Blood transfusion is urgently needed to save Lucy's life, highlighting the significant impact of immediate medical intervention.
  3. Arthur's deep love and willingness to sacrifice for Lucy's well-being showcase the power of selfless devotion.

Healthcare as a Service

Discharge Summary • 0 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Unbundling primary care can improve user experience but may lead to fragmentation and cost increase.
  2. New healthcare companies are redesigning primary care to enhance user experience, similar to Apple's approach.
  3. Fixing healthcare systems may involve transitioning users from specialized services to comprehensive care through partnerships.

Human Cells vs. Humans: The $100 Billion Drug Translation Paradox

Nano Thoughts • 0 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care
  1. Current methods for drug testing often fail because they focus too much on studying individual cells instead of how the whole human body works. This leads to many drugs that seem effective in labs but fail in real patients.
  2. We need to explore new methods, like using AI to look at patient data, instead of just improving cell models. This could help us find which treatments work for different kinds of patients.
  3. Successful drug development should combine both cell models to create new drugs and patient-level insights to figure out who will benefit most from them. It's time to rethink how we approach medicine.