Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

Contributing Writer https://www.medicalbag.com

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LSW, is a freelance medical writer who writes news, features, CME materials, and books for a variety of venues and target audiences, including healthcare professionals and consumers. She has a passion for human rights activism and is the author of Behind the Burqa (John Wiley, 2002), a memoir of 2 Afghan sisters who escaped Afghanistan. In addition, she holds the 1995 Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Published Mystery Story. Her fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and several other publications. Beyond her desire to contribute to people's health and wellbeing through her writing, Batya offers emotional/spiritual support to clients in her Teaneck, New Jersey-based counseling practice to facilitate their journeys toward healing.

All articles by Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

The pitfall of self-reported stress levels is that the baseline stress for some people is so high, a cancer diagnosis doesn’t even register.

Medicine

Addressing Patient Emotions: Communication Style May Affect Visit Length

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

March 14, 2022

Visits were shorter when the clinician’s responses explicitly focused on the patient’s affect.

woman-looking-at-phone-for-mental-health-app

Medicine

Using Apps to Improve Depression Care: 2 Models

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

March 4, 2022

Two experts speak about how apps address different needs and use different technologies, but taken together, they shed light on the manifold ways that apps can be used for depression management in clinical practice.

Medicine

Navigating the Treacherous Terrain of a Malpractice Suit With Minimum Stress and Maximum Skill: An Expert Interview With Richard L. Frierson, MD

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

February 4, 2022

It is critical for psychiatrists to understand the most common causes of malpractice, how to proceed if they are sued, and how to prevent lawsuits.

News

Legal and Ethical Approaches to a Patient’s Request for an Emotional Support Animal

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

November 5, 2021

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are increasingly being asked to write letters certifying patients’ and clients’ animals as emotional support animals.

News

Language in Patient Records Can Convey More Than Medical History

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

August 19, 2021

The language in a patient’s medical record can convey information not only about the patient’s condition but about the attitude of the clinician writing the report.

Business

Calls for More Support as Physicians Face Online Harassment

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

April 2, 2021

The researchers conducted 1103 surveys, encompassing 464 US physicians.

Medicine

Seven Tips for Managing Healthcare Teamwork During a Pandemic

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

July 22, 2020

COVID-19 has brought unprecedented stress to society at large and perhaps most of all to frontline healthcare teams in a variety of settings. We spoke to an expert about teamwork during such trying times.

Medicine

Seven Things to Consider When Transitioning to Telemedicine During COVID-19

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

May 22, 2020

The use of telemedicine has been surging since the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with millions of Americans now using this medium for connecting with their clinicians.

Medicine

Support and Self-Care for Clinicians During COVID-19: An Interview With Jesse Clark, DO

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LMSW

April 21, 2020

To shed light on how clinical practice is dealing in this time of COVID-19, we spoke with Jesse Clark, DO, Associate Program Director of Education at the Community East Family Medicine Residency and Clinical Chairperson of Family Medicine at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.