Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

Contributing Writer

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, LSW

Ethical Issues in Medicine

An Uncomfortable Truth: Why Patients Lie to Their Physicians

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

December 29, 2022

A growing body of research suggests that patients are not always transparent with their physicians about critical information.

Practice Management

Medical Jargon Frequently Used in Patient Communications

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

January 13, 2022

A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Central Florida in Orlando listened to audio recordings of patient encounters and found that less than half of all jargon terms were explained.

Practice Management

Language in Patient Records Can Convey More Than Medical History

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

September 7, 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.

Men's Health Update

Q&A: Monoclonal Antibodies for COVID-19

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

July 15, 2021

The IDSA recommends that antibody therapy should be administered to patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at high risk for progression to severe disease.

Ethical Issues in Medicine

COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation: Ethical Concerns, Practical Challenges

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

December 14, 2020

In the event of a likely scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines, a framework must be developed to inform who should get priority.

Practice Management

Seven Tips for Managing Healthcare Teamwork During a Pandemic

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

July 29, 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.

Ethical Issues in Medicine

Helping Patients Quit Smoking: A Road Map for Clinicians

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

July 3, 2020

Successful smoking cessation involves a 2-pronged approach, since there are 2 components to smoking – physiological and behavioral, according to Nervana Elkhadragy, PharmD, MS, TTS, of Purdue University, College of Pharmacy, Indianapolis.

Practice Management

Reopening Your Practice: 10 Tips for Navigating a Complex Process

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

June 25, 2020

Physicians should remain cognizant that this is a rapidly and continually evolving situation and that, although some regulations are being relaxed as the country reopens, there might be an increase in cases.