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About: Ken Teufel

Dr. Ken Teufel is the medical director at Interim Physicians, a pioneer locum tenens physician staffing firm based in St. Louis, MO that has provided quality physician coverage to hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities since 1979.

Recent Posts by Ken Teufel

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Direct Primary Care Gains Traction

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Direct Primary Care Gains Traction
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Is there such a thing as a "stress-free" way to practice medicine?  Not really.  But many primary care physicians are rediscovering the joy of practicing medicine by shifting from the stress-filled fee-for-service model to the more relaxed pace of direct primary care.  In its purest form, direct primary care cuts out…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Be Wary of FDA-Designated “Breakthrough” Drugs

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Be Wary of FDA-Designated “Breakthrough” Drugs
By: Dr. Ken Teufel When the FDA says a new drug is a "breakthrough," does that mean it's clearly better than what's already out there? Since 2012, the FDA has been empowered by Congress to label a drug as a "breakthrough therapy" if preliminary clinical evidence suggests it has an advantage over existing options.  Since…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: First Ever Guidelines Issued for Prescribing Opioids

Dr. Ken’s Corner: First Ever Guidelines Issued for Prescribing Opioids
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Think twice before writing that prescription for a pain-relieving opioid. That's the clear, strong message from the CDC in its attempt to curb the growing "epidemic" of pain killer abuse and opioid-related deaths. According to CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., sales of opioids such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Percocet have quadrupled since…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: 1% of Physicians Responsible for 32% of Paid Malpractice Claims

Dr. Ken’s Corner: 1% of Physicians Responsible for 32% of Paid Malpractice Claims
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Approximately 1% of all physicians account for 32% of paid malpractice claims (New England Journal of Medicine, January 28, 2016).  Using the National Practitioner Data Bank as their resource, Stanford medical law expert David M. Studdert and his colleagues concluded that "a small number of physicians with distinctive characteristics accounted for…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: On Becoming a Doctorpreneur

Dr. Ken’s Corner: On Becoming a Doctorpreneur
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Not too long ago, doctors who became entrepreneurs got little respect from their medical colleagues.  After all, you went to medical school to learn how to take good care of patients and, in the end, you were awarded a medical degree, not an MBA. "Critics often note that profit motive tends to…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Does Defensive Medicine Reduce Malpractice Claims?

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Does Defensive Medicine Reduce Malpractice Claims?
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Doctors are often criticized for practicing "defensive" medicine -- doing an excessive number of tests and procedures, or admitting patients to the hospital when it's not medically necessary -- "to cover myself in the event of a malpractice claim."  The sole purpose of defensive medicine is to reduce the likelihood of…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Errors In Diagnosis Way Too Common, Report Says

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Errors In Diagnosis Way Too Common, Report Says
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Most Americans will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine (September 22, 2015).  "Diagnostic errors have been largely unappreciated," says report chair Dr. John Ball of the American College of Physicians.  "The stereotype of a single physician contemplating a patient…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Is Health Care By Appointment in Jeopardy?

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Is Health Care By Appointment in Jeopardy?
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Patients seem to be fed up with having to adapt their own schedules to fit in with what's convenient for the doctor.  "Cost-conscious patients facing higher health plan deductibles have helped make walk-in clinics one of the fastest-growing sectors in the health care market.  With no appointments required and most insurance…
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Dr. Ken’s Corner: Medicare to Pay for End-of-Life Discussions

Dr. Ken’s Corner: Medicare to Pay for End-of-Life Discussions
By: Dr. Ken Teufel Evidence shows that patients who have had end-of-life discussions with their physicians are more likely to die at home or in a comfortable setting, instead of in a hospital intensive care unit. Not only is this seen as a kinder, gentler way to die, it's a lot less expensive than being…
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