American Medical Association

Opioid Use: A Prevention Approach

Viewed through an evidence-based lens, opioid use disorder (OUD) is a treatable, chronic medical condition. But one-size-fits-all policies and detoxification as a primary treatment for OUD are often, at best, ineffective and at worst, cause harm. In this episode, we…

Disparities in Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid use disorder, or OUD, is a treatable medical condition. However, disparities in access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) continue to be a challenge. We’ll examine disparities in access for people with disabilities, racial and ethnic variations to…

A Learning Assessment to Increase Diversity in Academic Health Sciences

Importance  Strategies and innovations to advance racial and ethnic equity in recruitment, promotion, and retention at academic health science institutions are needed. Objective  This learning assessment aims to isolate evidence-based strategies to advance racial equity in the academic health sciences, which have…

Syndromic Pattern Recognition in Infection Prevention and Control

Ensuring the health and safety of health care professionals and patients from transmissible diseases is paramount to a robust health care system. Quick identification of potential infections and the implementation of effective infection prevention and control measures are key to…

Opioid Utilization in Hospice and Palliative Care

Addressing the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of dying patients includes pain management. But how have increasing concerns and policies that target opioid misuse impacted pain management options? In this episode, we’ll discuss how balanced opioid policies and maintaining…

Opioid Use Disorder and Pregnancy

Illicit or nonprescribed opioid use in pregnancy has escalated dramatically in recent years, paralleling increases observed in the general population amid the opioid epidemic. As a result, maternal mortality studies in several states have identified substance use as a major…

When Identity and Genetics Intersect

Advances in genetics research and its application in medical practice have given medical professionals the resources they need to target specific treatments, tailored to patients’ individual needs, environment, and genetic profile. With all the advances in patient care, however, research…

The History of Physicians and the American Eugenics Movement

Traditionally, medical treatments have adopted a “one-size-fits-all” approach with what’s been perceived as the “average person” in mind, using characteristics such as genetic makeup or the genetic profile of a disease. Today, we can consider individual differences in people’s genes,…

Misconceptions of Race, Ancestry, and Genetics

Misconceptions about race, ethnicity, and genetics have a long and complicated history in medical practice. The mis-categorization of populations has had dire consequences to testing, treatment, and patient care approaches. But what steps can physicians take to ensure that inclusive…

Patient Diversity and Genetic Databases

Advances in genetic research have allowed us to develop testing, treatment, and prevention strategies based upon patients’ unique genetic characteristics, medical history, and environment. But what happens when patients whose ancestry or ethnicity was not represented in the research dataset…