News roundup February 21-25

What do you do when a physician exhibits behavior outside of the norm? Consider this scenario:

A hospital had a skilled internist who had been reported for unprofessional, rude, or otherwise discourteous behavior six times in the last three months. The physician has been a member of the hospital's medical staff for seven years and has never before exhibited problematic behavior. The hospital's medical executive committee (MEC) was reluctant to revoke the physician's clinical privileges.

New legislation recently passed by the Senate may save lives among nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers overwhelmed by the relentless load of working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rarely are we genuinely thoughtless—that is, without thought. But often we are not giving our thoughts much consideration. In today’s world, there is much distraction, and sometimes we are guilty of distracting ourselves just to prevent our minds from focusing on the things that are most important (electronic devices proliferate and give us many opportunities to engage in mindlessness). So, to be genuinely able to think about thinking, we must avoid going onto autopilot.

In October 2021, the AMA and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice released Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts to help healthcare professionals reflect on the language they use and promote a better understanding of health inequities. Backlash to the guide was almost immediate as publications from across the political spectrum pushed back on the guidance.