"Patients die. This is a tragic truism in the world of medicine. Usually, the patients who die are elderly. Patients die from diabetes and kidney disease, or from alcohol abuse and liver failure, or from heavy smoking and lung disease. Or patients die from cancer.

As a physician, I take these deaths in stride. I try to provide comfort care as they lay dying. Patients often pass into a dreamlike state, at the end. They are not fully conscious. I provide morphine for any pain, which may or may not hasten their entry into the final, dreamlike state."

Janet Tamaren is a family physician and author of Yankee Doctor in the Bible Belt: A Memoir. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Dr. Janet Tamaren, and on Twitter @jtamaren.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Patients should never underestimate the self-flagellation of the physician."

Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.

This episode is sponsored by Athelas, the number one provider of remote patient monitoring.

Did you know more than 65 percent of doctors are actively investing in remote patient monitoring?

That's because RPM is the fastest-growing segment in health care today. And for good reason:

RPM boosts patient outcomes through preventative care. In fact, a recent study by the VA showed that implementing RPM at a practice can reduce hospital readmission rates by as much as 25 percent, saving more than $20,000 per patient in medical costs.

If you're not investing in RPM, you're missing out. Luckily, Athelas can help you roll out RPM end-to-end. They provide devices to your patients, handle 100 percent of billing, and even provide a team of nurses to monitor patient vitals for you. All at zero net cost to your practice.

Try out RPM for your practice by going to KevinMD.com/tryrpm.

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out.

Never underestimate the self-flagellation of the physician

The Podcast by KevinMD