FHC #154: Handling pressure in medicine with tips for doctors, leaders

11/13/24 • 43 min

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, cardiologist and well-being advocate Dr. Jonathan Fisher joins healthcare leader Dr. Robert Pearl and host Jeremy Corr to explore how healthcare professionals handle stress and what can be learned from other high-stakes fields like athletics.

The trio delves into various aspects of pressure in medical practice, comparing it to the intensity athletes experience in major sporting events. Drawing on their own medical experiences, they discuss how clinicians can find the right balance to achieve peak performance while maintaining their mental and physical health.

The show’s primary topics include:

Understanding pressure in healthcare. Dr. Fisher explains the concept of “good” vs. “bad” pressure, citing research that shows the impact of too much stress on cognitive function and patient care. He draws parallels to the “Yerkes-Dodson” curve, which suggests an optimal level of stress for peak performance.
Impact of external pressures. Drs. Pearl and Fisher talk about the variety of pressures doctors face today, from financial and administrative burdens to life-and-death decisions that impact patient care. They consider how these pressures affect different medical specialties and the importance of balancing professional demands with personal well-being.
Lessons from athletics. Dr. Fisher reflects on how athletes manage social and performance pressures, comparing it to the scrutiny doctors face in healthcare settings. He emphasizes that, like athletes, healthcare professionals need to understand and manage both internal and external expectations to prevent burnout and sustain their careers.
Leadership and support in high-stakes environments. Dr. Pearl shares insights from his experience leading Kaiser Permanente, highlighting the role of supportive leadership in helping clinicians manage pressure effectively. The discussion also addresses the importance of team dynamics and creating a culture where medical professionals feel empowered and defended in their roles.

To hear more about how to manage pressure in the workplace, listen to the full episode and check out these helpful links:

‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #154: Handling pressure in medicine with tips for doctors, leaders appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

The show’s primary topics include:

Understanding pressure in healthcare. Dr. Fisher explains the concept of “good” vs. “bad” pressure, citing research that shows the impact of too much stress on cognitive function and patient care. He draws parallels to the “Yerkes-Dodson” curve, which suggests an optimal level of stress for peak performance.
Impact of external pressures. Drs. Pearl and Fisher talk about the variety of pressures doctors face today, from financial and administrative burdens to life-and-death decisions that impact patient care. They consider how these pressures affect different medical specialties and the importance of balancing professional demands with personal well-being.
Lessons from athletics. Dr. Fisher reflects on how athletes manage social and performance pressures, comparing it to the scrutiny doctors face in healthcare settings. He emphasizes that, like athletes, healthcare professionals need to understand and manage both internal and external expectations to prevent burnout and sustain their careers.
Leadership and support in high-stakes environments. Dr. Pearl shares insights from his experience leading Kaiser Permanente, highlighting the role of supportive leadership in helping clinicians manage pressure effectively. The discussion also addresses the importance of team dynamics and creating a culture where medical professionals feel empowered and defended in their roles.

To hear more about how to manage pressure in the workplace, listen to the full episode and check out these helpful links:

‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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The post FHC #154: Handling pressure in medicine with tips for doctors, leaders appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Previous Episode

FHC #153: Vinod Khosla on AI, disruption & the future of medicine

In the latest episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome back Vinod Khosla, legendary investor and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare. As the head of Khosla Ventures and an early investor in OpenAI, Khosla brings a unique perspective to the potential and challenges AI presents in medicine.

This interview is part of the show’s tenth season, which focuses on the future of technology in healthcare—the central focus of Dr. Pearl’s newest book ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine, with all profits going to Doctors Without Borders.

Khosla, known for his bold, often disruptive views on tech, shares a vision for AI-driven solutions that have the potential to reshape medical practice. Here are three key insights from the episode:

1. AI as an amplifier of physician capabilities

Khosla envisions a future where every physician could work with multiple “AI interns” to handle routine tasks, analyze data and assist in diagnostics. He argues that AI has the potential to vastly expand physician capacity, allowing doctors to provide more preventive and personalized care.

2. Continuous, AI-driven patient monitoring

With AI-enabled systems, Khosla sees healthcare shifting from reactive, episodic care to proactive, continuous monitoring. He believes wearable devices and AI models will enable real-time patient data analysis, catching health issues early and reducing the need for costly interventions.

3. The power of startups in driving healthcare innovation

Khosla emphasizes that true innovation often comes from entrepreneurial startups rather than established companies. He advocates for partnerships between startups and large healthcare organizations to scale transformative technologies, noting that small, agile teams can push boundaries more effectively.

Tune in to hear Khosla’s bold predictions for the future of medicine, along with his advice for physicians, healthcare leader, and entrepreneurs seeking to navigate the chaos of American healthcare.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #153: Vinod Khosla on AI, disruption & the future of medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Next Episode

MTT #89: Trump’s second term, weight-loss drugs & the rise of ‘walking pneumonia’

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle a wide array of medical issues, from the potential healthcare impact of a second Trump presidency to the latest trends in obesity treatments and respiratory infections.

With a historical election in the rearview mirror, the hosts dive into what a second Trump term could mean for Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and rural health. Among the key predictions: stricter work requirements for Medicaid, potential elimination of ACA subsidies and a likely push toward healthcare block grants for states.

The conversation also spotlights GLP-1 drugs, hailed as breakthroughs in weight-loss treatment. Dr. Pearl explains the pros and cons of these medications compared to bariatric surgery and the shifting dynamics they’ve introduced into obesity care.

Here’s a snapshot of just some of the topics covered on this episode of Medicine: The Truth:

The implications of Trump’s second term
GLP-1 drugs vs. bariatric surgery
Rising prevalence of walking pneumonia
Ethics of Alzheimer’s drug trials
Why sitting too long can harm you—and why standing might not be the solution
An unexpected outcome with advancements in IVF
Artificial intelligence in diagnosis

Join Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr as they unpack these complex healthcare issues and shed light on the path ahead for American medicine.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine“ about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

The post MTT #89: Trump’s second term, weight-loss drugs & the rise of ‘walking pneumonia’ appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.