Ethics: Recent Episodes
ReachMD
Host: Michele Longo, MD
Medical gaslighting refers to the situation where a medical professional disregards an individual's health concerns. It most often affects patients suffering from neurological disorders like long COVID and MS, and it can be extremely damaging to the physician-patient relationship. This underscores the importance of knowing how to recognize and reduce medical gaslighting in clinical practice, which is why Dr. Michele Longo is here to discuss the “Healing Doubt: Confronting and Overcoming Medical Gaslighting” session she presented at the 2024 AAN Annual Meeting.
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Guest: Jonathan S. Weiss, MD
Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed to practice medicine to provide many of the same services as a physician. And they may even train in dermatology. But what do we need to take into consideration when bringing a PA into a dermatology practice? Joining Dr. Michael Greenberg to discuss the ethics of this all-too-common situation is Dr. John Weiss, President and Co-Managing Partner at Georgia Dermatology Partners.
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
Guest: Roni Devlin, MD
As rates of burnout continue to rise in the healthcare community, how can help our female physicians combat it? Dr. Jennifer Caudle joins Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Roni Devlin, to discuss how we can prevent burnout for female physicians.
Host: Paul P. Doghramji, MD, FAAFP
Guest: Samantha Conroy, MD
Locum tenens can improve quality of care around the globe—especially in remote and underserved communities. To share how, Dr. Paul Doghramji joins Dr. Samantha Conroy, a family practice obstetrician to share her experiences working as a locum tenens obstetrician in underserved communities.
Host: Jerome Lisk, MD
Guest: Peter Whitehouse, MD, PhD
The FDA’s recent approval of aducanumab for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease has been met with a controversial response. So what do we need to know about this new drug and its potential to treat this progressive neurological disorder? Dr. Jerome Lisk is joined by Dr. Peter Whitehouse from Case Western Reserve University to break down the approval of this new drug and what it could mean for patients.
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Guest: Dustin Portela, DO
The prevalence of social media has grown significantly over the past few decades, and within the field of medicine, we’ve seen a rise in dermatologists using these platforms to grow their professional network, improve patient care, and provide essential education. But what ethical challenges arise from a widespread social media presence, and how can we navigate those challenges? To find out, Dr. Michael Greenberg speaks with Dr. Dustin Portela about his online presence as 208SkinDoc.
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Guest: Joel Schlessinger, MD
Spa dermatology has morphed over the last 20 to 30 years, but not all of those changes benefited our patients. In fact, there are now several ethical and practical concerns when it comes to illegitimate med spas. Joining Dr. Matthew Keller to share those considerations and what we as dermatologists need to know so we can help guide our patients is board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Joel Schlessinger.
Host: Jacob Sands, MD
Guest: Lori Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO
With only 3% of practicing oncologists identifying as Black, and less than 5% identifying as Latinx, how can we ensure these patient populations are equally represented in medical practice? Dr. Jacob Sands meets with ASCO’s current President, Dr. Lori Pierce, a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs at the University of Michigan, to discuss ASCO’s plan to increase quality in cancer care and research.
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Guest: Ping Zhang, PhD, FAMIA
The pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, but a new deep learning computer model may have discovered ten potential treatment options to combat COVID-19. Dr. Charles Turck sits down with Dr. Ping Zhang, who leads the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Lab and a faculty member at the Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University, to discuss his team's findings.
Published March 29, 2021
Host: David Weisman, MD
Guest: Mijail D Serruya MD,PhD
Thousands of Americans live with the debilitating aftereffects of stroke, such as arm and communication problems. This makes technological developments like brain-computer interfaces absolutely critical for stroke survivors, but some questions are beginning to arise regarding the ethics of this technology. So in order for us to fully pursue this advancement, it’s important that we address those ethical concerns, as Dr. Mijail Serruya explains.
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Now that we’re several months into the pandemic, many states and counties are turning to the local data gathered on COVID-19 incidence to help inform their plans moving forward. But are those reports really the most accurate sources of information? To find out, Dr. Charles Turck is here to discuss a recent report discussing how disparities in access to COVID-19 testing sites may be skewing case estimates.
Published August, 19 2020
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
To find out how different racial and ethnic groups are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Charles Turck joins us to analyze data that was collected by the COVID Racial Tracker.
Published July 24, 2020
Guest: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
With the growing amount of illicit pharmaceutical drugs and medical supplies filling the global market amid the COVID-19 pandemic, are we at risk of facing another public health crisis? Listen in as Dr. Charles Turck brings this troubling trend to light.
Published June 3, 2020
Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD
Guest: Dr. Lisa A. Cooper, MD, MPH
Equal access to resources, care, and information is a substantial problem for at-risk groups such as older adults, ethnic minorities, or those with low incomes even in the best of times. In this pandemic, where it’s critical to “flatten the curve” among all groups, these barriers cannot be ignored. Dr. Lisa Cooper, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what needs to be done to address these significant, persistent challenges.
Published April 1, 2020
Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD
Guest: Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD
What are the human rights considerations in the response to COVID-19? How can societies move to control the spread of the virus in ways that do not create panic or unnecessarily restrict communities? What are critical considerations as governments try to strike the right balance between restrictions and depriving people of the ability to live their lives? Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks to Len Rubenstein, Conflict and Health program director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights.
Published March 18, 2020
Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD
Guest: Jeffrey Kahn, MD
Guest: Nancy E. Kass, ScD
Is it right to publicly disclose information about people who get sick with COVID-19? What are society’s obligations to people who are quarantined? Is it time to start thinking about how to allocate critical healthcare resources in case this epidemic stretches the healthcare system beyond its capacity to care for everyone? Dr. Josh Sharfstein speaks with renowned ethicists Jeffery Kahn and Nancy Kass, the director and deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.
Published March 16, 2020
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
COVID-19 has irreversibly altered the progression track for the next generation of physicians, with cancellations of Match Day events, Board exams, and clinical rotations in effect. Now an increasing number of entities are calling on medical students to join front-line efforts to combat the virus.
Published March 23, 2020
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Guest: Meredith Wadman, BM, BCh, M.S.
Until the late 1960s, tens of thousands of American children suffered crippling birth defects if their mothers had been exposed to rubella, popularly known as German measles, while pregnant; there was no vaccine and little understanding of how the disease devastated fetuses.
In June 1962, a young biologist in Philadelphia, using human tissue samples sent from Sweden, produced a line of cells that allowed the creation of vaccines against rubella and other common childhood diseases. Two years later, in the midst of a massive German measles epidemic, the vaccine that would one day wipe out homegrown rubella was introduced. This vaccine has since protected more than 150 million people in the United States, and its development method has also led to other vaccines that have protected billions of people around the world from polio, rabies, chicken pox, measles, hepatitis A, shingles, and adenovirus.
Host Dr. John Russell chats with Meredith Wadman, author of The Vaccine Race: Science, Politics, and the Human Costs of Defeating Disease, about the story of both the science of this urgent race and the political and ethical controversies that nearly ended it prematurely.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Revolutionary advances in medical knowledge have caused doctors to become so focused on their narrow fields of expertise that they often overlook the simplest fact of all: their patients are suffering.
Dr. John Russell welcomes Dr. Thomas Lee, Chief Medical Officer at Press Ganey and author of An Epidemic of Empathy in Healthcare: How to Deliver Compassionate, Connected Patient Care That Creates a Competitive Advantage. Their discussion focuses on the growing divide between world-class medical treatment and compassionate care, and why the two are not mutually exclusive.
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Guest: Bennett Omalu, MD
Many studies have demonstrated long-lasting and even permanent brain damage that can originate from just one concussion. With athletes suffering multiple repeated head traumas due to high-contact sports, the controversies over player safety and long-term health risks remain hot-button issues.
Pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu coined the term "CTE" and published the first evidence for chronic traumatic encephalopathy after autopsying American football players. In this second of a two-part interview, he shares his perspectives on CTE in athletes and the lifelong dangers of contact sports.
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Guest: Bennett Omalu, MD
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and others who experience repetitive brain trauma. Pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu coined the term "CTE" and published the first evidence for this condition after autopsying American football players.
Host Dr. Shira Johnson welcomes Dr. Omalu to share the story of his discovery and the medical, athletic, and public responses that followed.
Host: David Weisman, MD
Guest: John Khoury, MD
For the first time, the FDA has approved a direct-to-consumer genetic test from 23andme that will inform patients if they are predisposed to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and Celiac Disease among others.
Proponents applaud this decision, saying this will allow for people to know their genetic health risks and be more proactive about their health. Others argue that this information doesn’t tell the whole story since predisposition doesn't reflect someone's ultimate risk or likelihood of developing a disease. What are the benefits and liabilities of consumers' access to genetic testing?
Host Dr. David Weisman, Director of Clinical Trials at Abington Neurological Associates, sits down with Dr. John Khoury, Associate Director at Abington Memorial Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, to debate the merits and pitfalls of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Bonnie Rochman
With the ever-expanding array of prenatal and postnatal tests, from carrier screening to genome sequencing, parents’ access to this previously unknown information is altering perceptions of disability, redefining the question of what sort of life is worth living, and who draws the line. Is this technology a triumph of modern medicine or a Pandora’s box of possibilities?
Host Dr. Maurice Pickard chats with Bonnie Rochman, author of the book The Gene Machine: How Genetic Technologies are Changing the Way We Have Kids - and the Kids We Have, about the new frontier of gene technology and how it is transforming medicine, bioethics, health care, and the factors that shape a family.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Danielle Ofri, MD
Despite modern medicine’s infatuation with high-tech gadgetry, the single most powerful diagnostic tool is the doctor-patient conversation, which can uncover the lion’s share of illnesses. However, what patients say and what doctors hear are often two vastly different things.
Host Dr. Maurice Pickard chats with Dr. Danielle Ofri, Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU and author of What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear. The two discuss ways in which refocusing conversations between doctors and their patients can lead to better health outcomes.
Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN
Guest: Michael Weisberg, MD
What happens when you are admitted to the hospital as a patient, and the physician assigned to be your doctor has never seen you before and knows absolutely nothing about you?
Says Dr. Michael Weisberg, gastroenterologist and author of The Hospitalist, situations like these are increasingly common in modern medicine and can have disastrous consequences for patients.
Dr. Weisberg joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about his novel, which underscores how doctors are now at heightened risk of being thwarted by the modern health care system.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Annette Hanson, MD
Is forced treatment helpful or harmful? Battle lines have been drawn over involuntary treatment for psychiatric patients.
Psychiatrist Dr. Annette Hanson offers a thought-provoking and engaging account of the controversy surrounding involuntary psychiatric care in the United States. She brings the issue to life with first-hand accounts from patients, clinicians, advocates, and opponents. Committed takes on the difficult question of psychiatry's role in preventing violence, suicide, and mass murder.
Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Host Brian McDonough talks with Dr. Joel Nitzkin, preventive medicine physician and senior fellow in tobacco policy for the R Street Institute. The two discuss their respective priorities for reducing tobacco-attributable illnesses and death.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Deadly Prescription author Dr. Robert Marx, Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine. The two discuss powerful impacts that corporate conflicts of interest from pharmaceutical companies can have on patient health.
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
The burden of deciding end-of-life care often falls on family and friends when patients are no longer able to make decisions regarding their own care. What do physicians need to know when guiding families through these tough situations?
Host Dr. Jennifer Caudle is joined by Dr. Marianne Holler, Medical Director of Hospice and Palliative Programs for the VNA Health Group of New Jersey. They talk about what physicians can do to aid families when faced with end-of-life decisions.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Three out of four people addicted to heroin probably started on a prescription opioid, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, 16,000 people die each year as a result of prescription opioid overdose. But perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is that it’s built on well-meaning doctors treating patients with real problems.
Host Dr. John Russell chats with Dr. Anna Lembke, Chief of Addiction Medicine and an Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke is the author of Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop, exploring how the prescription drug epidemic is a symptom of a faltering health care system, the solution for which lies in rethinking how health care is delivered.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Damon Tweedy, MD
How do black doctors grapple with race, bias, and the unique health problems for black Americans?
Host Dr. Maurice Pickard chats with Dr. Damon Tweedy, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Duke University Medical Center and author of the book Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor's Reflection on Race and Medicine, which examines the complex ways in which black doctors and patients must both navigate the difficult and often contradictory terrain of race and medicine.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Guest: Harley Rotbart, MD
Dr. Brian McDonough speaks with Dr. Harley Rotbart, Professor of Pediatrics at University of Colorado School of Medicine and author of the book Miracles We Have Seen: America's Leading Physicians Share Stories They Can't Forget.
This collection of remarkable stories offers a compelling glimpse into the lives of physicians—their humanity and determined devotion to their patients and their patients' families. It reminds us that what we don't know or don't understand isn't necessarily cause for fear, and can even be reason for hope.
Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG
Guest: Xena Whittier, MD
Rheumatic diseases don't discriminate across race or gender; however, significant health disparities continue to exist for patients suffering from these diseases.
Dr. Renée Simone Yolanda Allen speaks with Dr. Xena Whittier, practicing rheumatologist with WellStar Rheumatology Associates in Marietta, GA, about closing the gap in health disparities for rheumatology patients across genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses.
Host: Patrice L Basanta-Henry, MD, MHSc, FACOG
Advances in technology have resulted in increased information being available for pregnant woman. With this increased information has come a rise in the number of requests for termination of pregnancy for fetal indications. However, termination of pregnancy remains a controversial issue in the area of women’s health. Women requesting second trimester terminations may face significant legal barriers as well as poor access to providers and/or facilities that are able to provide the procedure.
Host Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry chats with Dr. Reagan Theiler, Division Director for General Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Ryan Residency Training Program at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Center and the controversy surrounding second trimester termination.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
A fascinating and shocking historical exposé, The Malaria Project is the story of America's secret mission to combat malaria during World War II—a campaign modeled after a German project which tested experimental drugs on men gone mad from syphilis. Karen M. Masterson, a journalist turned malaria researcher, uncovers the complete story behind this dark tale of science, medicine and war.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Have you ever wondered what that 1 outlier would say when you see commercials and products boasting that 9 out of 10 doctors recommend something? Dr. H. Eric Bender, co-author of the book 1 Out of 10 Doctors Recommends: Drinking Urine, Eating Worms, and Other Weird Cures, Cases, and Research from the Annals of Medicine, provides real answers that you wouldn't have even thought possible.
Entertaining and informative (and sometimes just plain gross), 1 Out of 10 Doctors Recommends examines the strangest and most unusual medical practices, including: drinking your own urine to fight infection, using live eels to relieve constipation, and licking a patient's head to diagnose Cystic Fibrosis.
[Read the Article]
According to a new study, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the United States, Canada, and Europe are increasingly being legalized, but remain relatively uncommon. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania examined the legal status of both procedures and available data on attitudes and practices from the late 1940s to present day.
They found that public support for euthanasia and PAS in the United States had increased through the 1990s, but has since plateaued. More than 70 percent of cases of euthanasia and PAS worldwide involved patients with cancer. Typical patients are older, white, and well-educated. Motivations for requesting PAS include loss of autonomy and dignity, inability to enjoy life and regular activities, and other forms of mental distress. Pain is mostly not reported as the primary motivation.
Although the ethics and legality continue to be controversial, cases of these procedures remain relatively rare. Researchers did not find evidence that vulnerable patients have been receiving euthanasia or PAS at higher rates.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
[Read the Article]
Many critically ill patients are unable to make medical decisions for themselves. Family members or close friends are often asked to serve as surrogate decision makers. However, expectations about a patient's overall prognosis sometimes differ between physicians and surrogate decision makers.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh enrolled 99 physicians and 229 surrogates who made decisions for 174 critically ill patients in a new study. They found that in about half of the cases, surrogates were substantially more optimistic about a patient's prognosis compared to physicians and that the physician's estimates were much more accurate than that of surrogates.
[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
LGBT populations are at increased risk for specific health issues across the age spectrum, from depression, suicidality and eating disorders in childhood to substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and domestic violence issues in adulthood. Yet within the clinical arena, unconscious biases by healthcare providers can make patients uncertain or afraid to contribute sensitive information disclosing their sexual orientation, leading to missed guidance and care opportunities for higher risk problems. In this episode of Everyday Family Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Joshua Coren from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine to discuss what has become known as the Unconscious Bias.
This program was recorded on site at the American Osteopathic Association's annual medical education conference, OMED2015 in Orlando, FL.
This program was recorded on site at the American Osteopathic Association's annual medical education conference, OMED2015 in Orlando, FL, - See more at: https://reachmd.com/programs/everyday-family-medicine/cracking-down-opioid-abuse-pros-cons-stricter-state-legislations/7810/#sthash.zqxDtwGc.dpuf
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss clinical approaches to endemic fears and anxieties spread by acts of mass violence and terrorism, both abroad and within the U.S, is Dr. Arthur Caplan, Professor and founding Director of the Division of Medical Ethics in NYU Langone Medical Center’s Department of Population Health.
Host: Prathima Setty, MD
Disorders of sex development (DSDs) occur more frequently than most people realize, and yet there are numerous misconceptions persisting in the clinical arena as to how these disorders are best approached. For example, whereas older prevailing sentiments on presentations of ambiguous genitalia called for immediate sex assignments at birth followed by surgical alignments of those decisions, more modern philosophies advocate for direct patient involvement in these decisions a little later in life.
Joining Dr. Prathima Setty to focus on this important topic is Dr. Earl Cheng, Professor of Urology, Division Head of Urology and Co-Head of Reconstructive Pediatric Urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Cheng directs the Gender and Sex Development Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
No substance on earth is as hotly debated as marijuana. Opponents claim it’s dangerous, addictive, carcinogenic, and a gateway to serious drug abuse. Conversely, fans claim it as a wonder drug, treating cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines, PTSD, and insomnia. In Stoned: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana, palliative care physician Dr. David Casarett investigates with researchers, doctors, and patients around the globe how marijuana works—and doesn’t—in the real world. Dr. John Russell hosts a discussion with Dr. Cararett on this fascinating work.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Dr. Sarah-Vaughan Brakman, Clinical Medical Ethicist and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, to discuss how the MCAT has changed its selection process to ultimately prepare medical students to become more humanistic doctors. Dr. Brakman details the recent MCAT transition to include modern issues in medical ethics and philosophy within exams, reflecting important changes in medical school selection processes.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
In the 1940's, popular American President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed a serious illness that went undetected by the media and general public. That illness was severe hypertensive heart disease, and unbeknownst to everyone outside the White House, the medical staff may have been hiding its progression to protect the President's image during his last campaign. Did the secrecy cost him his life prematurely, or were treatments too limited at the time to make a fundamental impact? Furthermore, had it been known by everyone, would the President have been reelected?
Joining Dr. John Russell to discuss the fascinating history of a possible White House medical conspiracy of old is Dr. W. Bruce Fye, author of Caring for the Heart: Mayo Clinic and the Rise of Specialization,
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
The controversy over vaccinations and whether or not to regulate their administration has reached a boiling point in the United States with the recent measles outbreak originating in Disneyland, and prominent politicians like Senator Rand Paul and Governor Chris Christie have weighed in to support the anti-vaccine community's appeal for individual choice. What are the ethical, sociological, and political ramifications of these developments in the national vaccination debate, and how should the medical community respond? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the vaccination controversy is Dr. Arthur Caplan, Professor and founding Director of the Division of Medical Ethics in NYU Langone Medical Center’s Department of Population Health.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
A recent study in the British Medical Journal examined health recommendations from popular TV medical talk show hosts, discovering that approximately half of those recommendation have either no evidence or are contradicted by the best available evidence. Furthermore, potential conflicts of interest are rarely addressed. What ethical, legal, and clinical impacts do such health claims and recommendations have on patients and the medical community at large? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough is Dr. Joe Perrone, Chief Science Officer for The Center for Accountability in Science, an organization dedicated to uncovering the science behind news stories.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
It's a common rite of passage for parents to have "The Talk" with their kids about the beginning of life (aka the birds and the bees). But as parents age, the "Other Talk" focusing on their later years of life is equally important. Yet this discussion between parents and adult children is frequently neglected, leaving both parties with no contingency plans or options after a health crisis hits. In The Other Talk: A Guide to Talking with Your Adult Children About the Rest of Your Life, author Tim Prosch explores critical questions for later life planning such as how parents should manage their finances and budget for unknown needs, where to live if assistance is required, and which medical treatments and advocates should be sought. Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Gun violence continues to be a major health care issue. What can physicians and other health care providers do to reduce firearms-related violence? Host Dr. Maurice Pickard welcomes Dr. David Fleming, the 2014-2015 President of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's largest medical specialty organization. Dr Fleming discusses the ACP's new policy paper, Reducing Firearm-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This paper offers strategies to address the societal, health care, and regulatory barriers to reducing firearms-related violence, injuries, and deaths in the United States.
Dr. Fleming is Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, where he also serves as Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Director of the MU Center for Health Ethics.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
A New Orleans hospital, after Hurricane Katrina, was surrounded on all sides by several feet of water. The power was out, and as time went on without restoration of basic operations, rumors began circulating of the hospital being overrun by looters. It was a period of total chaos with breakdowns in institutional leadership, compromises in patient care, and in some cases, clinical decisions with deadly consequences. Dr. Sheri Fink, author of Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, takes us on a tour of the aftermath of these events, and the public outcries that both villified and defended the healthcare workers involved.
Click here for Part 1 of this fascinating two-part exploration of the disaster, a hospital's response, and the repercussions that have rippled through its affected staff, patients, and families years later.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
The most common reason for patients to visit healthcare providers at all levels is to treat pain. Yet in spite of this known trend, medical education woefully underemphasizes methods to approach the myriad of communicative, ethical, and procedural issues deeply entrenched in modern pain management. Here to shed more light on this complex subject with host Dr. Brian McDonough are Drs. Sean Yanchunas and Jeffrey Fudin. Dr. Yanchunas, Pharm.D, MBA, is Clinical Content Manager and Workflow Subject Matter Expert at Catholic Health East Hospital. Dr. Fudin is Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Director of Pharmacy Pain Residency Programs at the Stratton Veterans Administration Medical Center in Albany, NY. He is also host of the popular blog PainDr.com.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Sonia Sarkar, Chief of Staff of Health Leads, a national organization dedicated to building a different kind of health care system which addresses all patients' basic resource needs as a standard part of quality care. Health Leads matches college volunteer Advocates with patients who are grappling with unmet social needs - food aid, energy assistance, housing and unemployment status - all of which impact their overall health.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Nancy Fan, practicing OB/GYN at Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, DE and current Chair of the School Health Committee for the Medical Society of Delaware, to discuss challenges and controversies surrounding breast feeding recommendations in maternity care practice.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
The healing professions have an ancient and venerable tradition of service, honor, and humanism that is often communicated from teacher to student in anecdotes and bits of wisdom told quickly in passing. In his book, Advice to the Healer: On the Art of Caring, Dr. Richard Colgan, Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, expertly gathers together this type of valuable information in one place. Joining host Dr. Maurice Pickard, this discussion features biographies of historical luminaries in medicine, tales from everyday practice, inspirational quotes, and advice for new and veteran healers alike.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Despite a 20-year presence of the Americans With Disabilities Act, are many American doctors unconsciously discriminating against a significant part of their medical practices on a regular basis? Joining Dr. Maurice Pickard to reflect on this question is Dr. Pauline Chen, transplant surgeon, regular contributor to the New York Times, and author of the book Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
In her book, Five Days at Memorial, physician and reporter Sheri Fink reconstructs 5 days at Memorial Medical Center and draws the reader into the lives of those who struggled mightily to survive and to maintain life amid chaos. Drawing from a culmination of six years of reporting, Dr. Fink unspools the mystery of what happened in those days, bringing listeners into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care rationing.
Click here for Part 2 of this fascinating two-part exploration of the disaster, a hospital's response, and the repercussions that have rippled through its affected staff, patients, and families years later.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
"Doctors 'Google' their patients. In fact, the vast majority of physicians I know have done so... But it surprises me that more physicians don't pause and think about what it means for the patient-doctor relationship." This an excerpt by physician and author Dr. Haider Warraich from his New York Times article titled "When Doctors ‘Google' Their Patients." Join host Dr. Brian McDonough for an interesting discussion on the ethical ramifications of this trending practice among clinicians.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
When Dr. Pauline Chen began medical school, she dreamed of saving lives. What she could not predict was how much death would be a part of her work. Almost immediately, she found herself wrestling with medicine's most profound paradox-that a profession premised on caring for the ill also systematically depersonalizes dying. Drawing from her authored work, Final Exam, Dr. Chen describes the course of her education and practice as she struggled to reconcile the lessons of her training with her innate sense of empathy and humanity. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Host Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Dr. Arthur Caplan, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University's Langone Medical Center. Their topics of discussion include technological advancements, changes in care across the age spectrum, and medicolegal issues in modern practice management.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital is the last almshouse in the country, a descendant of the Hôtel-Dieu (God's Hotel) that cared for the sick in the Middle Ages. Ballet dancers and rock musicians, professors and thieves - "anyone who had fallen, or, often, leapt, onto hard times" and needed extended medical care - ended up there. Dr. Victoria Sweet ended up there herself, as a physician. And though she came for only a two-month stay, she remained for twenty years.
God's Hotel tells the story of a hospital, which - as efficiency experts, politicians, and architects descended, determined to turn it into a modern "health care facility" - revealed its truths about the cost and value of caring for body and soul.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 3 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 2 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Host: Janet Wright, MD
Guest: Dan Roden, MD
Long QT syndrome can be a silent threat. Although not all patients with congenital long QT syndrome develop symptoms, there is potential for dangerous arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac death. Can and should genetic testing guide clinicians in diagnosing and treating this condition? Dr. Dan Roden, professor of medicine and pharmacology and assistant vice-chancellor for personalized medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, says the concept of personalized medicine goes beyond genetics; it is also about meeting a patient's goals and individual needs. How can genetic testing help physicians decide which medical therapy might be most appropriate for each patient? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.
Guest: Gayle Sulik, PhD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Pink ribbon campaigns have been highly successful in rallying recognition and funding around breast cancer. But our guest thinks the cheerful image of such campaigns whitewashes realities of the disease, both in terms of statistics and patient experiences. Plus: Warnings about the drug cocktail known as “bath salts,” and a novel innovation for biomarking GI ailments with color.
Guest: Tim Taber, MD
Host: Aaron Carroll, MD
Patients needing transplantation have two options--receiving an organ from a deceased donor or a living donor. In which cases might living organ donation be a viable option, and what are the advantages to this procedure? Dr. Tim Taber, medical director of the kidney and pancreas transplant program at Indiana University Health, discusses the issue of organ shortages, how organs are allocated and the process of living organ donation. Dr. Aaron Carroll hosts.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 3 of a 45-minute lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/.
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 2 of a 45-minute lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as an …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as an …
Guest: Wendell Potter
Host: Gary Epstein
Host of Voices From American Medicine, Gary Epstein, talks this week with Wendell Potter, author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans. Mr. Potter made headlines as a former PR executive for the insurance industry turned whistle blower, testifying before Congress about insurance companies' influence over medical decisions and PR tactics to stymie the debate around healthcare reform and the public option.
Guest: Susan Bachrach, PhD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Guest: Richard Hirschhaut
Physicians and scientists played an integral role in implementing the racial eugenics program in Nazi Germany, which culminated in the murder of six million European Jews. How can a better understanding of physician involvement in what ultimately led to the Holocaust help us frame issues being debated in medicine today? Susan Bachrach, curator of special exhibitions at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and Richard Hirschhaut, executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, Illinois, discuss the ideas behind the traveling exhibit, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. How did the idea of eugenics originate, and eventually turn into the racial eugenic ideas of the Nazis? How do we define science and pseudo-science, in the context of the roots of the Holocaust? Hosted by Dr. Michael Greenberg.
Guest: Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
One of the most horrific disasters in modern history, the Holocaust, is being illuminated through a lens that is of particular interest to medical professionals, through a traveling exhibit called Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. Nazism's roots in biology and genetics interlinked medical professionals with its advocacy of a eugenic program that ultimately led to the murder of European Jews in the Holocaust. What ethical lessons can we learn from examining physician involvement with the Nazi regime and what they called "racial hygiene for the greater good"? Dr. Matthew Wynia, director of the Institute for Ethics at the American Medical Association, stresses the importance for all medical professionals of understanding the role physicians played in implementing Nazi racial eugenics, and frames the ethical issues in the historical context of the early 20th century. How did German physicians succumb to the pseudo-science that formed the basis of Nazi racial eugenics, and what lessons can we learn from this? How did one of the worldwide leaders in the medical community fall from the forefront of medicine to orchestrate some of the worst crimes the world has ever seen? Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Long after the clean-up process from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is complete along the Gulf of Mexico, we'll still be examining the health effects of this catastrophe. While there is a wealth of information on the health effects of specific contaminants, the effects are less known regarding mixtures of contaminants. What are some of the immediate and potential long-term health risks (both mental and physical) of this disaster? Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at the Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, discusses the role of physicians in this type of public health disaster. How are we identifying the populations most at risk of experiencing health effects from the oil spill, and what are some of the most effective risk communication strategies for these populations? What types of surveillance methods are being used? What can we learn from this disaster to be more prepared for the next? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Sanjay Gupta, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, discusses the challenges in balancing the roles of physician and journalist, with host Dr. Matt Birnholz. Do we need ethical guidelines? And are the rules different in a disaster? Plus, Drs. Birnholz and Greenberg debate a controversial prenatal hormonal treatment, dissect the case of the tumor that turned out to be a green pea, and more.
Guest: Thomas Kirsch, MD, MPH
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Triage isn't the only issue facing healthcare professionals during the acute phase of responding to a disaster: there are also the challenges of limited resources and staffing, as well as the mental and physical preparedness of the medical response team. Dr. Thomas Kirsch, co-director of the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, assistant professor and the director of operations for the department of emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, describes his on-the-ground experiences during the first few months after the Haiti earthquake and reflects on the acute phase of the response there. What are some of the lessons learned from Haiti that we can apply to future crises, and what parts of the response were effective? Our guest also discusses the need for ethical training for disaster response teams. Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Sanjay Gupta, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The role of a physician-journalist reporting from the immediate aftermath of a disaster area is not easily defined, and poses both logistic challenges and ethical questions in caring for patients. Is media coverage of physician involvement in disasters altruistic or self-serving? Our guest Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for the Health, Medical & Wellness unit at CNN, was one of the first physician journalists to report from the earthquake in Haiti, and joins us to discuss balancing reporting as a journalist during a disaster and caring for patients. Is journalistic objectivity compromised when broadcast media feature live coverage of physicians treating patients? Hosted by Dr. Matthew Birnholz.
Guest: Douglas Diekema, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Although female genital mutilation and circumcision are banned in the US, these brutal procedures are still part of a ceremonial ritual for some cultures. This issue was brought to national attention in the US when a recent statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested a pinprick or nicking procedure performed by pediatricians in this country might be an effective way to discourage families from traveling overseas for more disfiguring procedures. The statement was retracted soon after its release. Dr. Douglas Diekema, director of education for the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, and professor in the division of bioethics, department of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses the original intent of this policy suggestion, and the greater issue of female genital mutilation and circumcision in the US and worldwide. How often do American pediatricians see girls who have had complications from these procedures? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Jonathan Fanaroff, MD, JD, FCLM, FAAP
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
About 500,000 births in the US every year are pre-term, making premature delivery far from uncommon. And with the increasing survival of pre-term infants, parents and caretakers are having to make more difficult decisions then ever before. How are prenatal consultations beneficial, and when is the most appropriate time for physicians to have a prenatal discussion with parents? Dr. Jonathan Fanaroff, associate medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and director of the Rainbow Center for Pediatric Ethics in Cleveland, Ohio, suggests strategies for approaching this type of conversation with parents, and emphasizes the role of these discussions in strengthening the relationship and trust between physicians and parents. Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Anthony Alessi, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
In this show, our hosts get an update from ReachMD host Dr. Anthony Alessi, from Haiti, six months after the earthquake. And, they question Dr. Andrew Wakefield, widely-known for his controversial and discredited research linking the MMR vaccine with autism. He has a new book about his experiences, Callous Disregard: Autism and Vaccines: The Truth Behind a Tragedy.
Host: William Anderson, PharmD, MBA
Guest: Ruth Parker, MD
Guest: Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH
Accurate communication in medicine is crucial: miscommunication can lead to minor confusion and even serious health consequences. It is also crucial to develop reliable communication strategies, because patients are assuming a more active role in caring for their own health. How can physicians and health plans effectively engage with patients and encourage health literacy, with the goal of improving outcomes in chronic conditions? Dr. Ruth Parker, professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, and epidemiologist at the Emory University School of Public Health, and Dr. Matthew Wynia, director of the Institute for Ethics at the American Medical Association, acknowledge some of the barriers to effective communications in medicine, and suggest ways to advance health literacy. Dr. William Anderson hosts.
Sponsored by
Guest: Isaac Schiff, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
In the 80-year history of hormone therapy, it has been alternately embraced and rejected. Case in point: the original term, hormone replacement therapy, came to be seen as highlighting a negative state, and was changed to simply hormone therapy. Why has the pendulum swung so frequently back and forth? What is the latest "timing hypothesis," and will it again change our evaluation of hormone therapy? Host Dr. Bruce Bloom explores the studies and new thinking, the benefit for bone density, the risk of breast cancer, and more, with Dr. Isaac Schiff, chief of the Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Joe Vincent Meigs Professor of Gynecology at Harvard Medical School.
Series Produced in Cooperation With
Guest: David Fisher, MD, PhD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Imatinib mesylate was initially approved for chronic myeloid leukemia. It has also been used against gastrointestinal cancer and melanoma. What are the implications of broadening the application of this targeted cancer drug for the way that cancers are diagnosed and classified, and what will the impact be on clinical trial design? Are we getting closer to the end of tumor-typing by location?
Series Produced in Cooperation With
Guest: Daniel Sulmasy, Dr.
Host: Bruce Japsen
While much of the nation's attention has been on expanding medical benefits to millions of Americans under health care reform, President Obama has also taken steps to ensure his medical care delivery is conducted in an "ethically responsible manner." The President does this with the help of a Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, a member of the President's Commission, tells host Bruce Japsen about this panel's role and some of the bioethical challenges the administration may face.
Guest: Marie-Eileen Onieal, PhD
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
With more Americans due to become insured as a result of healthcare reform, nurse practitioners will be increasingly necessary to help make up for the shortage of primary care physicians. Residents of Massachusetts have been required to have health insurance since 2007. There, nurse practitioners have stepped in to meet the demand for primary care. Nurse practitioner Dr. Marie-Eileen Onieal, health policy expert and director of health services for the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, joins host Mimi Secor to look at the role NPs play in Massachusetts' healthcare system, and how this model can help reduce costs and improve patient care throughout the country.
Guest: Gerald Metz, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Second Opinion Live speaks with the new medical director of the Final Exit Network, Dr. Gerald Metz. Dr. Metz has assumed this role as the former medical director has temporarily stepped aside pending the outcome of legal issues related to investigations and court issues in several states. Final Exit Network is an organization that provides "exit guides" to assist terminally ill people who want to "end their time on Earth."
Other topics include discussion of recent court cases related to patenting human genes, an electronic nose, bomb disposal teams in the operating room and the ReachMD Poll.
Guest: James Heywood
Host: Bruce Japsen
For over a decade, patients have been turning to the Internet for health information and support. At least one new online venture gives patients the opportunity to access data about medications and therapies and their effects and outcomes. But this isn't clinical trial data. This is detailed, highly quantified, "real-world" data that patients put on the social networking site Patients Like Me about themselves, in order to connect with others who share their disease and learn from their experiences. Co-founder and chairman Jamie Heywood, a graduate of MIT, talks to host Bruce Japsen about privacy, doctor-patient communication, conflict of interest, and the potential effect on pharmaceutical development of giving patients the opportunity to review their treatments.
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
Guest: Anuja Dokras, MD, PhD
In what situations do couples consider preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, and should all of these couples undergo genetic counseling prior to PGD? What is the process for PGD? How accurate has PGD testing become, and what are its remaining limitations? How does preimplantation genetic screening differ from PGD? Host Dr. Lee Freedman addresses these questions and more with Dr. Anuja Dokras, medical director of the in vitro fertilization program at Penn Fertility Care and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn Medicine.
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
ReachMD Presents Conference Coverage Highlights from the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education 2010 35th Annual Conference in New Orleans on January 27-30, 2010.
The theme of the conference — Establishing CME as a Pathway to Better Patient Care — provided the opportunity for medical educators and planners from various specialties to share best practices and discuss broader issues and concerns.
Guests on this program include:
- Jann Balmer, PhD, President of the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education and Director of CME at the University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Dave Davis, MD, Senior Director, Academic Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges
- George Mejicano, MD, Associate Dean for Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health
- Don Detmer, MD, MA, President and chief Executive Officer, American Medical Informatics Association
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Elisabeth Howard, PhD, CNM
Guest: Edie McConaughey, CNM, MS
What can a medical student or resident learn from a midwife about childbirth? Dr. Elisabeth Howard and Edie McConaughey, both certified nurse midwives at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, recently completed research on midwives as educators to medical students. They discuss with host Lisa Dandrea Lenell why it's important for these two professions to collaborate even though there may be a difference in philosophy and why midwives are good teachers for future doctors.
Guest: Richard Payne, MD
Host: Porter Storey, MD
Our patients' religious and spiritual beliefs must guide our care of them at end of life. Dr. Richard Payne, director of the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, tells host Dr. Porter Storey that the patients' conception of pain and end of life will shape how patients and their families will view these experiences. They also discuss how clinicians might navigate medical decisions in the context of culturally-determined beliefs and preferences.
Series Produced In Cooperation With Sponsored By
Guest: Robert Tennant, MA
Host: Bruce Japsen
Financial incentives to implement electronic health records are a welcome payment to the nation's physicians. But the proposed rules and regulations to implement this system under the economic stimulus are creating complexities and challenges physicians may face in the coming years. Physicians might want to first listen to words of advice from Robert Tenant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association, which represents group practices and other organizations representing some 275,000 physicians.
Guest: Wright Pinson, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Healthcare reform may bring more medical care services to patients, which means more and complex business for the nation's physicians. But are doctors prepared to be the best business people now and in the future for their patients? Dr. Wright Pinson, deputy vice chancellor for health affairs and CEO of the Hospitals and Clinics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells host Bruce Japsen about master's programs in healthcare business, like Vanderbilt's Masters of Management in Health Care program.
Guest: Bob Nease, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Why do Americans choose healthcare options that cost more but may not even do more or be in the best interest of their own health? Dr. Bob Nease, chief scientist at Express Scripts, tells host Bruce Japsen about what appears to be a troubling phenomena researchers are calling the behavioral economics of healthcare.
In this continuing roundtable discussion, moderator Dr. Atul Gawande, surgeon and associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, is joined by Deborah Denno, professor of law at Fordham University; Dr. Robert Truog, professor of medical ethics, anesthesiology, and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School; and Dr. David Waisel, associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, in a conversation about lethal injection, the current protocol, possible alternatives, and the role of healthcare professionals in putting convicted criminals to death.
This is the second of a two-part discussion. To listen to Part 1, click here.
In this roundtable discussion, moderator Dr. Atul Gawande, surgeon and associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, is joined by Deborah Denno, professor of law at Fordham University; Dr. Robert Truog, professor of medical ethics, anesthesiology, and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School; and Dr. David Waisel, associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, in a conversation about lethal injection, the current protocol, possible alternatives, and the role of healthcare professionals in putting convicted criminals to death.
This is the first of a two-part discussion. To listen to Part 2, click here.
Guest: Jeff Belkora, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Informed decision-making involves helping patients arrive at the questions that can ultimately help their doctors deliver the best possible medical care. Jeff Belkora, director of Decision Services at the University of California San Francisco Breast Care Center, a demonstration program of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, tells host Bruce Japsen about ways to put more information and choices into patients' hands and the possible benefits of doing so to physicians and patient care.
Guest: Renee-Marie Stephano, JD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
What is medical tourism, and what does it mean for your patients? How should we react when our patients tell us they plan to leave the country for a procedure? Host Dr. Maurice Pickard takes a closer look at the medical tourism industry and its effects on physicians and patients with Renee-Marie Stephano, founder and president of the Medical Tourism Association and editor of The Medical Tourism Magazine.
Guest: Wendell Potter
Host: Bruce Japsen
Once an insider in the health insurance industry crafting messages in a battle against health reform, he's now telling secrets in hopes of affecting change. Wendell Potter, a former public relations executive for health insurance giants Humana and Cigna, warns about industry practices he says short-changed doctors and their patients and boosted health plan profits.
Representative Charles Boustany, MD, of Louisiana, responds to President Obama's healthcare address in front of a joint session of Congress, September 9, 2009. Listen here or download the podcast.
To hear President Obama's address, click here.
Listen here or download the podcast of President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9, 2009, outlining his plan for healthcare reform.
To listen to the Republican response delivered by Rep. Charles Boustany, MD (R-LA), click here.
Guest: Sheri Fink, MD, PhD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
It has been several years since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc up and down the U.S. Gulf Coast, but the storm continues to leave a nasty legacy in its wake. As the levees broke and the city of New Orleans descended into chaos, the medical staff at Memorial Medical Center wondered whether help would come to evacuate their patients to safety. With conditions turning more extreme by the day, and supplies running short, the medical team faced truly extraordinary circumstances. What follows is a narrative of ethical twists and turns, the lessons from which are still being extracted to this day. ProPublica reporter Dr. Sheri Fink has worked tirelessly to investigate the saga at Memorial over the past two and a half years. She joins hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Matt Birnholz to share this story.
Dr. Birnholz and Dr. Greenberg will cover a range of other topics during the show, including the ongoing debate over patient responsibility: what kind of incentives might encourage patients to meet personal health goals, and who should provide these incentives? They will also pay tribute to a health care stalwart in the United States Senate, the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Guest: Tom Dilenge
Host: Bruce Japsen
There appears to be movement in the US to bring less expensive versions of biotech drugs to market. But the brand name drug industry wants these so-called biosimilars to adhere to rigorous safety and efficacy standards currently not built into US laws. Tom DiLenge, vice president and general counsel for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, tells host Bruce Japsen about a palatable pathway biotech companies would like to see approved by Congress to bring cheaper biotech drugs to the US market.
Guest: Sunil Hattangady, MBA, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The wireless movement is a part of more and more consumers' daily lives, from smart phones to laptops. Will this kind of technology soon be ubiquitous in the healthcare field as well? Sunil Hattangady, president of Emblaze Consulting, tells host Bruce Japsen about the coming wireless trends and applications in the healthcare.
Vice President Joe Biden, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, the Obama administration's National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, leads this roundtable discussion on healthcare reform and the need to ‘modernize the system' with broad implementation of electronic health records (EHRs). Hosted by Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago on August 20, 2009, the discussion ranges from the keys to improving the coordination of care through EHRs, to enhancing patient safety and reducing privacy concerns, to promoting vital cost and effectiveness measures across the spectrum of care.
Vice President Biden announced the availability of $1.2 billion in federal grants for electronic health record systems. The funding comes from the $787 billion stimulus package passed earlier this year. It is ticketed to finance the creation of EHR technology extension-centers, which will provide clinicians and hospitals with on-the-spot support for the installation and utilization of certified EHR systems. Money is also set aside to help providers attain key incentives to encourage the adoption of EHRs. The administration says grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, with the first awards to be issued in fiscal year 2010.
Panelists included cardiologist Dr. Martha Gulati, geriatrician Dr. June McKoy, …
Guest: Sumant Ramachandra, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
While drug makers and consumer groups lobby Congress and the Obama administration on the best way to bring cheaper versions of biotech drugs to market, a U.S. company is already doing so overseas. How does this work and what are the prospects for biogenerics in the U.S. Dr. Sumant Ramachandra, Chief Scientific Officer at Hospira Inc. tells host Bruce Japsen about the company's work bringing cheaper biotech drugs to market.
Guest: Stephen Hanson, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
The debate over healthcare reform is on the minds of all medical professsionals these days. What could be different for PAs if new legislation is enacted? How is the American Academy of Physician Assistants assuring that PAs are an essential part of the debate? How can you get involved to make sure your representatives in Congress hear your voice? Steven Hanson, president of the AAPA, joins host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell to sort out what the AAPA is doing to keep PAs in the healthcare reform process.
Guest: Kenneth Edelin, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
In 1974, one year after Roe v Wade, Dr. Kenneth C. Edelin, a young black doctor, was the chief resident in obstetrics at Boston City Hospital. Three months before completing his residency, Dr. Edelin was indicted for manslaughter after he surgically terminated a pregnancy. Convicted and sentenced to a one-year probation by a secret grand jury, before the decision was overturned by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts a year later, Dr. Edelin's case drew national attention. Dr. Edelin is emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine and author of the book, Broken Justice: A True Story of Race, Sex and Revenge in a Boston Courtroom. He joins host Dr. Martin Samuels to discuss his personal involvement in this landmark legal case and the issues it raised, which remain points of discussion in American society today.
Guest: Bruce Crowther
Host: Bruce Japsen
The hospital report card is a much talked-about effort to provide transparency about quality information. It's becoming a more important tool for consumers, just as President Obama and Congress prepare to initiate healthcare reforms that demand such information. Bruce Crowther is president and chief executive officer of Northwest Community Hospital in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. Mr. Crowther tells host Bruce Japsen about how Northwest Community Hospital moved beyond worrying about the information they might be disclosing to competitors, to focusing the information patients and lawmakers want. It's a trend that will soon begin sweeping the country.
Guest: Nancy Nowak
Host: Bruce Japsen
As President Barack Obama travels the country talking about the need for health care reform, hardly a week goes by when you don't hear the Commander in Chief talk about Intermountain Healthcare and its low costs when compared to the rest of the country. What makes this this large healthcare system an example? Nancy Nowak, vice president of clinical operations and chief nursing officer for Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, tells host Bruce Japsen about this much talked-about healthcare system and how its work may be replicated across the country.
Tune in for complete audio of the prime-time presidential news conference from the White House, July 22, 2009. President Obama outlines his plan for overhauling the nation's healthcare system, and takes questions.
Guest: Joel English
Host: Bruce Japsen
Whether it's a surgery webcast or a new marketing plan rolled out on Twitter or YouTube, the traditionally conservative healthcare industry is reaching out through new marketing venues to promote hospitals and physician services. Joel English, managing director of healthcare marketing firm BVK, Inc., and a board member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, explains to host Bruce Japsen about social media, its place in today's healthcare system and whether it's here to stay.
Guest: Julie Cantor, MD, JD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD and Larry Kaskel, MD
Friends and family of Dr. George Tiller recently laid the prominent abortion physician to rest, after he was shot and killed while serving as usher during a Sunday church service in Wichita, Kansas. Authorities have charged a man with murder in the case, but Dr. Tiller's death has sparked a fresh debate about the role of physicians and other health care providers in abortion cases, as well as other areas of medicine where moral and religious convictions may overlap with our duty to the health and well-being of our patients.
One aspect of this debate revolves around efforts from the administration of President George W. Bush to bolster federal conscience protection statutes for health care providers, regulations which were implemented by the department of Health and Human Services in the final weeks of his time in the White House. The Obama administration began the process of determining whether to rescind the regulations. For more insight into the legal wrangling over this issue, hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Larry Kaskel welcome Dr. Julie Cantor, adjunct professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Kaskel and Dr. Greenberg will also delve into concerns about health insurance adminstration, sharing …
Guest: Abraham Verghese, MD, MACP
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
What does treating a patient with a stigmatized illness teach a physician about treating all illness? Dr. Abraham Verghese, professor for the theory and practice of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Martin Samuels to discuss the effects of stigmatized medicine on the physician-patient relationship, and other topics.
Guest: Linda Powers, Ms.
Host: Bruce Japsen
President Obama expanded federal funding for certain embryonic stem cell research and many are excited about what it means to the entire field of discovery of new drugs and medical treatments. Linda Powers, of the Maryland Stem Cell Commission, tells host Bruce Japsen about the importance of Obama's move to, not only those interested in embryonic stem cells, but the entire field and drug discovery in general.
Guest: Allan Ropper, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
Do 'traditional values' still exist in the practice of medicine? Did they ever? Is medicine a calling? And what is the role of the individual physician in the greater profession? Dr. Allan Ropper, clinical neurologist, executive vice-chair of the department of neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, and associate editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, joins host Dr. Martin Samuels, to discuss these and other topics.
Guest: David Himmelstein, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The single payer form of health insurance for all Americans: could this be the year that the long-debated model for medical care coverage becomes a reality? Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a long-time advocate of single payer coverage, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the best chance in years for this model in the healthcare reform debate.
Guest: Kimber Stanhope, PhD, MS
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Which is worse: fructose-sweetened drinks or glucose-sweetened drinks? For some time, we have lacked consensus on the degree of punishment our bodies take from drinks sugared by these common saccharines. For now, fructose may again be wearing the crown, scoring unhealthy points in abdominal adiposity, and triglyceride and LDL levels, among other categories. Nutritional biologist Dr. Kimber Stanhope, from the University of California, Davis, joins host Dr. Larry Kaskel to shed some new light on this enduring debate. The lead author of a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on the consumption of fructose-sweetened and glucose-sweetened beverages, Dr. Stanhope also explains that there is little value in directly applying these results to fruits, because fruits confer other important health benefits.
Guest: Robert Brzyski, MD, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
When a mother was granted legal permission to collect her 21 year old deceased son's sperm in April 2009, questions were raised about posthumous reproductive rights. Although the mother declared that her son always wanted to have children, does this meet the criteria of informed consent, or is it an example of substituted judgment? Can this situation be compared to a spouse or girlfriend having an in depth discussion about having a posthumous child? How should we consider the welfare of the child in such a situation? Host Dr. Maurice Pickard discusses these ethical questions with guest Dr. Robert Brzyski, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and chair of the ethics committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Guest: David Newman, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
What is the love/hate relationship that modern medicine has with science? Why are there disagreements among equally learned medical colleagues when confronting the same evidence? And why is the doctor-patient bond fraying? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels is Dr. David Newman, author of the recent book Hippocrates' Shadow: Secrets from the House of Medicine, to discuss these and other topics.
Guest: William Hutton, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Decisions on practice philosophy, finances, marketing, and much more are yours to make when starting your own medical practice. That's the good news. But it can also make the prospect of setting up your own shop seem extremely daunting. From picking a location, to creating a business plan, to seeking expert advice on accounting, credentialing and legal issues, how can you put it all together to create a successful private practice? Host Dr. Larry Kaskel welcomes Dr. William Hutton, founder and chairman of the board of MedSynergies, a medical practice management firm based in Irving, Texas, who provides pointers you can use when launching your own practice.
Guest: Dave Mittman, PA
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Does the title Physician Assistant truly capture the core of the PA's role in the 21st century? Does the title hinder efforts to advance the role of the PA profession? Is the word "assistant" confusing to patients, doctors and other healthcare professionals? Those are just a few of the questions explored by host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell and Dave Mittman, president elect of the American College of Clinicians and founder of Clinician 1, the online home for physican assistants and nurse practitioners. The two discuss the history behind the PA moniker and the debate over whether or not the physician assistant should become "physician associate."
Guest: Scott Gottlieb, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The highly publicized decision by President Obama to add more federal dollars toward embryonic stem cell research may be fueling misconceptions about how drugs and medical products are created. But it's a part of the debate on stem cells that some in medicine think needs to be heard. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses with host Bruce Japsen funding realities, and what he sees as misconceptions related to the National Institutes of Health's new funding powers in the area of embryonic stem cells.
Guest: Stuart Finder, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
The face transplant is a relatively new, experimental procedure still in its early stages. This operation is comparable to a hand transplant, in that the patient’s quality of life may be improved with the procedure, but the condition is not immediately life-threatening. How can physicians discuss the risk-benefit ratio of this procedure with potential face transplant patients? What happens if the procedure fails? How does a multidisciplinary team prepare a patient considering this procedure, from the psychological to the financial aspects? Tune in to hear Dr. Stuart Finder, director of the center for healthcare ethics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discuss these and other ethical considerations of the face transplant procedure with host Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Rahul Parikh, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Physicians often collaborate with other doctors when caring for patients with various medical problems. Yet disagreements with our colleagues may occur more frequently than we would like to admit, and there can be consequences to these disagreements among physicians. How can we best deal with these differences in medical opinion, while keeping in mind our common goal of providing the best care possible for our patients? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu covers this question and a range of related issues with Dr. Rahul Parikh, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, California, and a regular contributor to the Vital Signs medical column on Salon.com. Dr. Parikh recently wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times on disagreements between doctors: Does a patient's input often play a role in generating or exacerbating a disagreement? Do we tend to gravitate away from others with whom we have a difference of philosophy or medical opinion?
Guest: John Kreger
Host: Bruce Japsen
News of mega-mergers involving the likes of Pfizer and Wyeth or Merck and Schering Plough have turned the pharmaceutical industry on its ear. But what does this mean for you and your patients? John Kreger, a principal with the health care investment bank William Blair & Company, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how consolidation among drug companies could impact doctors and their patients.
Guest: Leslie Ramirez, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
With tens of millions of people in the United States living without health insurance, lower prices for medicine and tests can mean the difference between seeking care and going without it. Even for those with insurance, lower prices can significantly ease out-of-pocket costs. How can we help patients find these lower prices, and might we also use price comparisons in our own practice? One physician has taken these issues into her own hands, creating a website that offers comparative pricing for tests and medications in the Chicagoland area. Host Dr. Larry Kaskel learns more about this website, leslieslist.org, from its founder, Dr. Leslie Ramirez, who also works full-time as a general internist. How has her work on the website changed her prescribing habits, and could they change yours too? Dr. Ramirez also shares a few tips for you to help your patients with bargaining on prices, and other ways to drive down costs.
Guest: Les Paul, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Evidence-based medicine has been gaining momentum among the medical community, but there are things happening in our nation's capital that could impact this coming trend. Dr. Les Paul, vice president of clinical and scientific affairs for the National Pharmaceutical Council, tells host Bruce Japsen about the economic stimulus, bills in Congress and other initiatives that could move evidenced-based medicine further into the physician's office. But he also warns of potential pitfalls from the pharmaceutical industry's perspective.
Guest: Les Paul, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Comparative effectiveness is gaining momentum as a way to decide what drugs and devices should be used by doctors. But why was it part of the economic stimulus approved by Congress and pushed by President Obama? Dr. Les Paul, vice president of clinical and scientific affairs at the National Pharmaceutical Council, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how policymakers are looking at comparative effectiveness and how medical care providers and the healthcare industry should be involved.
Guest: David Troxel, Dr.
Host: Bruce Japsen
The use of online communication and consultation between doctors and patients is becoming so common in everyday physician practice that there is now buzz about "eRisk Guidelines." Dr. David Troxel, medical director of The Doctors Company, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the dangers of using e-mail and other electronic communications with patients.
Guest: David Troxel, Dr.
Host: Bruce Japsen
Telemedicine continues to increase in popularity, but doctors need to understand the risks when communicating by e-mail or phone. Dr. David Troxel, medical director of the Doctors Company, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about potential risks and liability physicians can open themselves up to if they are not careful about how they use telemedicine and related consultations with their patients over the phone.
Guest: Nicholas Galantino, JD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Many of our practices could be more efficient at checking in patients, or perhaps more precise in our record keeping. Insurance claims denials and the process of fighting them can be one source of time-consuming, money-draining aggravation for any practice. But we may be seeing a trend toward technologies that could ease these clerical and financial burdens. To learn a little more about the digital developments that are helping us validate patients' insurance eligibility in advance of their medical visit, host Dr. Larry Kaskel welcomes Nick Galantino, chief executive officer of the LoCicero Medical Group, a nine-provider internal medicine practice in Tampa, Florida, which uses one of the devices currently on the market.
Guest: Brian Morton, MBA
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Should you be asking your patients for more than just their co-pay at the time of their visit? With an assist from computer software, a patient's share of their health care costs can be estimated at or prior to the visit. Some experts believe this appraisal, known as real-time claims adjudication, will become much more common in the years ahead. Brian Morton, region executive and content expert for Halley Consulting,joins host Dr. Larry Kaskel to take a look at how your practice can introduce this concept without creating a stir among your patients.
Guest: James Speta, JD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
For years, people have turned to online review websites before deciding which restaurants or hotels most deserved their hard-earned dollars. Now, a new category of online reviews is growing, as more patients are posting their own editorials about their physicians. This trend towards patients reviewing their physicians online can be helpful at best, and inaccurate or harmful, at worst. Mr. Jim Speta, law professor at Northwestern University School of Law specializing in telecommunications and internet policy, discusses how physicians can protect themselves from defamatory or unfavorable internet reviews. Is it prudent to have patients sign waivers, barring them from writing online reviews, or are these waivers insignificant, thanks to the anonymity of the internet? What else can physicians do to protect themselves from any potential dangers of review websites?
Guest: Marc Hedrick, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Stem cells are often seen as potential agents in the field of regenerative medicine. What are the realities and what should doctors expect? Dr. Marc Hedrick, president of San Diego-based Cytori Therapeutics, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about commercialized treatments already being used, and even more on the horizon.
Guest: Robert Harman
Host: Bruce Japsen
Although President Obama has favored funding for embryonic stem cell research, the moral debate continues. But that discussion may overshadow the fact that biotech companies have actually made the most early progress, not in embryonic stem cells, but in adult stem cells. Dr. Robert Harman, chief executive officer and founder of Vet-Stem, joins the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen. Vet-Stem is using stem-cell therapy in veterinary regenerative medicine that may one day benefit humans. In this interview, they discuss adult stem cells, and the major momentum in research and commercialized treatments.
Guest: Tarun Jain, MD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
The issue of embryo management has come to the forefront recently with the birth of octuplets in California. More than 400 thousand embryos are currently in storage across the United States. Many couples decide to use their embryos at a later date. But what about the embryos that are not used by fertility patients? Dr. Tarun Jain, in vitro fertilization director of IVF at Chicago IVF, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about the potential uses for extra embryos, including stem cell research, donation to other couples and whether or not they should be sold.
Guest: Richard A. Friedman, MD
Host: Cathleen Margolin, PhD
The continued growth of the Internet, and its increasing pervasiveness in our lives, has many of us considering how we might incorporate Web-based avenues of communication in our practice. The ease and convenience of e-mail, for example, is tempting, but could also open up a Pandora's box. Does e-mail inherently pose new challenges that may not be an issue with phone dialogue or in-person discussion? Dr. Richard Friedman, professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and a regular contributor to the New York Times, shares his experience with e-mail in his practice and a few tips for those who use or are contemplating Web communication for their practice. Dr. Cathleen Margolin hosts.
In an issue of the Journal, Boucek et al. reported on three cases of heart transplantation from infants who were pronounced dead on the basis of cardiac criteria. Moderator Atul Gawande, of Harvard Medical School; George Annas, of the Boston University School of Public Health; Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania; and Robert Truog, of Harvard Medical School discuss key ethical aspects of organ donation after cardiac death.
Guest: Steven I. Kern, JD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Will openness and honesty about medical errors help you avoid medical litigation? By quickly disclosing errors, offering apologies and, when necessary, providing fair compensation, some medical centers around the country are trying to get out in front of their medical mistakes. Yet, this may not be the best approach for all practitioners. Host Dr. Larry Kaskel reviews your options and a few specific cases with Steven Kern, a health law attorney with Kern, Augustine, Conroy & Schoppmann, a firm representing physicians and other health professionals.
Guest: Aviva Abosch, MD, PhD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Increasingly, depression is viewed a systems-level disorder. For patients who are refractory to the all traditional therapies, surgery on the brain may be answer. What are the benefits, and how is psychosurgery different than it was 50 years ago? Dr. Leslie Lundt is joined by Dr. Aviva Abosch, director of the Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery Program, and assistant professor in the department of neurosurgery, at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.
Guest: Eric D. Levens, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Eric Levens, Lieutenant Commander in the United States Public Health Services, discusses ethical issues that arise when research involves human oocyte donation. Among the topics discussed by Dr. Levens and host Dr. Maurice Pickard are issues surrounding donor protection. There are tensions around the potential greater risks than benefits to the donor. Additional controversies exist around the issues of informed consent and compensation.
Guest: Frank Romanelli, PharmD, MPH
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Much of the debate surrounding lethal injection and its role as a form capital punishment in the United States stems from concerns of whether the drug combinations we choose-and how we administer them-engender a degree of unnecessary suffering. When weighing the ethics of lethal injection against the need for criminal justice, and even considering the legality of the participation of health care professionals in these procedures, how can we reconcile all of this with our overarching mission to promote health versus facilitating death? Dr. Frank Romanelli, assistant dean of education and associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, surveys an array of issues with host Dr. Charles Turck.
Guest: Stephen Whiteside, PhD, LP
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Should exposure therapy be added to a mental health practitioner's arsenal of treatment techniques for anxiety disorders in children? Dr. Stephen Whiteside, assistant professor of psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explores the merits and limitations of this therapeutic approach, with recommendations for selecting patients who stand to benefit most. Hosted by Dr. Bill Rutenberg.
Guest: Sten Vermund, MD, PhD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Past research tells us that many young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients are at higher risk for health problems, such as depression, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases. We're also learning that the response of the young person's family can trigger or worsen these conditions. Dr. Sten Vermund, professor of pediatrics, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Jennifer Shu to explore how physicians can work with families and patients to create a healthy dynamic as patients begin to express their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Guest: Mary Catherine Beach, MD, MPH
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Many of us may share personal or professional experiences with patients, often times in an effort to strengthen our relationship with them. Unfortunately, these actions may not always produce the intended positive effects on the relationship. Further, you may be surprised to know that the effects may differ based on our specialty fields. Dr. Mary Catherine Beach, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, has extensively studied these physician self-disclosures. She talks with host Dr. Jennifer Shu about situations in which the self-disclosures may become ‘too much information.' In a patient visit where you believe you've shared too much, how can you get back on track? What about involuntary self-disclosures, where patients may learn of information about you on the Internet or in the everyday chatter of a small town or community?
Guest: Jane Halpert, PhD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
What is the best way to announce a pregnancy to an employer? This is one of the most difficult issues for a working woman about to become a mother. Dr. Jane Halpert, an associate professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about challenges our pregnant patients may encounter in the workplace and how they can deal with discrimination.
Guest: Thomas Barr Graboys, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
Dr. Thomas B. Graboys is clinical professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and former attending cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Host Dr. Martin A. Samuels discusses with Dr. Graboys the view from both sides of the medical equation. Together they explore a career in medicine, as well as what happens when the physician becomes the patient.
Guest: Jerome Groopman, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
Is there any way for clinicians to avoid misdiagnosis and other 'thinking errors'? Host Dr. Martin Samuels discusses this important topic with researcher, physician, and author Dr. Jerome Groopman. Dr. Groopman explores some of the unintended consequences of targeted medical research and 'the Christopher Reeve effect.'
Guest: Laurie Zoloth, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Laurie Zoloth, director of the Northwestern University Center for Bioethics, Science and Society, talks about ovarian cryopreservation, maturation of oocytes in vitro, and politicized laboratory breakthroughs that were intended to meet the needs of female cancer survivors. She argues that we need to be prepared to deal with patients who will use the tools offered by oncofertility to delay childbearing, and meet the need for tissue in stem cell research. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Faith Fitzgerald, MD
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
Do physicians have time to be clinicians, or has their role shifted to that of technician? This far-ranging conversation between Inspired to Act host Dr. Martin A. Samuels and Dr. Faith Fitzgerald, noted internist, distinguished professor, and associate dean of humanities and bioethics at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, covers this topic and others, including simulated patients, medical errors and pay-for-performance.
Guest: William Hanson, MD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
Robotic appendages assisting in surgery that allow procedures to be performed on a patient by a physician on the opposite end of the globe, and machines that kill cancer cells on a molecular level--these are just two of the medical advances that are already beginning to revolutionize medicine. Dr. William Hanson, director of the surgical intensive care unit at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and author of the book The Edge of Medicine, surveys the technologies that will soon change the physician's landscape. Dr. Lee Freedman hosts. What ethical concerns will some of these new developments present?
Guest: J. Peter Rosenfeld, PhD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Henry T. Greely, JD
In some ways, it sounds like a modern-day witch trial: using brain scans to detect a suspect’s first-hand recollection of an act they stand accused of committing. Some experts around the world have suggested that a test like this could hamper the efforts of those who attempt to lie their way out of trouble in court, hailing the technology as an advance potentially as important as DNA evidence. What are the legal ramifications of using this kind of technology in court, and if this test isn’t a panacea, is there another method in the forensic pipeline that could be? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill peers into the future of lie detection with Dr. J. Peter Rosenfeld, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, and Henry Greely, professor of law and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University.
Guest: J. Peter Rosenfeld, PhD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Henry T. Greely, JD
Neuroscientists have been working for years to find unfailing methods of lie detection, a breakthrough that could dramatically change law enforcement as we know it. One newer test aims to separate events that a suspect has witnessed from actions they have committed, and despite growing scientific suspicion of its validity, the technology is being used in India as critical trial evidence. Why would India’s court system be the first to allow the submission of evidence based on this test? Could this potentially affect the practice of lie detection in the United States and around the world? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill examines the scientific and legal angles of this development in India with Dr. J. Peter Rosenfeld, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, and Henry Greely, professor of law and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University.
Host: Todd Mahr, MD
Guest: Steven Weinstein, MD
Clinical trials are essential to the safe development of medications. How are clinical trials structured, and what are the features of the various clinical trial stages? Dr. Steven Weinstein, clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, provides an overview of clinical trials with host Dr. Todd Mahr. What are the ethical considerations taken into account during clinical trials?
Guest: Cliff O'Callahan, MD, PhD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
As physicians, we are often asked to give our time and money to charitable medical organizations. With so many groups working on health issues across the world, how can we best decide where to focus our energy and our donations? Is it more important to focus on how much we give, what we give, or how we give? Dr. Cliff O’Callahan, pediatrician and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on International Child Health, details a series of items we should consider when we make our contributions to charity with host Dr. Jennifer Shu.
Guest: Alan Astrow, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Breaking difficult news to patients is something that, as doctors, we have to do. Are there approaches that make it easier and clearer for the patient? In this segment, Dr. Alan Astrow, director of the division of hematology and medical oncology at Maimonides Cancer Center in New York City, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss specific case examples of how to break difficult and often complicated news to patients. Dr. Astrow has a special interest in the treatment of breast cancer, gynecological cancers and Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. He has conducted research on how to help physicians understand a patient's wishes, values and needs as well as how to improve communication between doctor and patient.
Guest: Anita Duhl Glicken, MSW
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Anita Glicken, professor of pediatrics and section head of the Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant program at University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center, discusses the scope and admission requirements of this unique physician assistant program. Ms. Glicken explains how the program was started over 30 years ago, long before most physician assistant programs, and prepares its graduates through innovative curriculum to provide comprehensive medical care for people of all ages, emphasizing the care of infants, children, and adolescents. The program is different than most physician assistant programs in that it is a three-year master's level education program and graduates receive specialized training in pediatrics and psychology. Tune in to hear how this unique program is attempting to address the shortages of health care professionals in rural areas and primary care/pediatric practices.
Guest: Susan Love, MD
Host: Lauren Streicher, MD
Dr. Susan Love, medical director and founder of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, joins host Dr. Lauren Streicher to talk about the Love/Avon Army of Women initiative, which seeks to recruit one million women of all ages and backgrounds to participate in breast cancer research. Dr. Love explains how doctors can apply to be involved in the research process and how your patients can become part of the army of women.
Guest: Jim Withers, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
'Street medicine' involves delivering medical care to the unsheltered homeless where they live. How effective is this model? What are its challenges and rewards? Host Dr. Michael Greenberg explores the evolving field of street medicine with Dr. Jim Withers, founder of the non-profit street medicine organization Operation Safety Net in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. How can addressing the homeless population's medical needs on the streets help lower medical institution costs? What can interested physicians do to get involved with street medicine?
Guest: Craig T. Standen, MBA
Craig Standen, senior vice president of Ziegler Healthcare's finance team, reports to host Dr. Larry Kaskel the effects of the capital crunch and sub-prime debacle on hospitals and healthcare systems, and ultimately physicians. Mr. Standen explains how many hospitals and private practices began to depend on cheap credit that is no longer available, and have halted capital expenditures and reduced expenses accordingly in order to deal with the limited access to cash. Tune in to hear Mr. Standen's comments on the effects of the crisis on hospitals, smaller practice groups, and patients, as well as strategies for managing internal cash flow, and how this may impact access to care.
Guest: Donald J. Palmisano, MD JD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Donald Palmisano, past-president of the American Medical Association and professor of surgery and medical jurisprudence at Tulane University School of Medicine, talks about his new book, On Leadership: Essential Principles for Success,and the idea that leadership qualities can be taught. He discusses how and why physicians should make their voices heard and take on roles of leadership in the greater world beyond the hospital walls. Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Donald J. Palmisano, MD JD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Donald Palmisano, past-president of the American Medical Association and clinical professor of surgery and medical jurisprudence at Tulane University School of Medicine, discusses his book, On Leadership, Essential Principles for Success which includes lessons about leadership, resiliency and preparedness that come from experiences in the ranks of healthcare workers.
Guest: Arthur Matas, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Our system for procuring organs in the United States is based on altruism, but unfortunately, this approach continues to leave supplies short of demand, creating a shortage in transplantable organs that causes unnecessary deaths. As a means to meet the demands in other countries around the world, various forms of payment have been considered, and some are in use today. Dr. Arthur Matas, professor of surgery and director of the renal transplant service at the University of Minnesota Medical School, explains how the concept of financial incentives for organ donation could be received by the American populace and within the medical community. Toward this end, how would a large-scale clinical trial, yet to be conducted on this model, help us to evaluate our options in the United States? Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.
Guest: Arthur Matas, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Since the mid-1970s, all 50 states have afforded citizens an opportunity to donate their organs for transplantation after death, either by signing the back of their drivers' license or through an organ donation card. Yet our supply of organs remains woefully short of demand for transplantation. What if we took steps, as many countries around the world have, to make organ donation near-mandatory? Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Dr. Arthur Matas, professor of surgery and director of the renal transplant service at the University of Minnesota Medical School, to weigh the effects of a ‘presumed consent' program for organ donation. In which countries has this practice brought a notable increase in organ donation, and what might be the pitfalls for such a program in the United States?
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Sam Parnia, MD, PhD
We are beginning to understand what happens when a patient in cardiac arrest, with no brain activity, later reports detailed perceptions, suggesting a high level of consciousness. What can we learn from the study of this phenomenon to help us improve resuscitation of the brain during cardiac arrest? What can it tell us about the experience of dying, and at what point consciousness ceases? Dr. Sam Parnia, a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, and one of the world's leading experts on the scientific study of death, joins host Dr. Maurice Pickard to talk about his research project, AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) at the University of Southampton School of Medicine in the United Kingdom, where Dr. Parnia is an honorary senior research fellow.
Guest: Wesley Michael, MBA
Host: Bruce Japsen
Physicians are inundated with market research, but how does this benefit patients and what does it seek to accomplish? Wesley Michael, executive vice president of research-excellence at market research firm TNS Healthcare, tells host Bruce Japsen how physician participation in market research can benefit their practice, patient care and the larger healthcare system.
Guest: David Kweskin
Host: Bruce Japsen
When direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs came on the scene a decade ago, such ads quickly proliferated the airwaves. But times have changed. David Kweskin, senior vice president and practice area leader of brand and communications at the market research firm TNS Healthcare, tells host Bruce Japsen of the Chicago Tribune how drug and medical product makers are changing the way they advertise their products directly to consumers. What does this mean for physicians?
Guest: Steven Larson, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Legal immigrants across the United States pay taxes, to be sure, but those who have spent less than five years in the country are often not able to qualify for any healthcare coverage under their state’s Medicaid program. If a patient in this situation develops an illness that requires long-term care, who pays? And how might this scenario financially impact a hospital’s capacity to maintain cost-effective strategies for care? Dr. Steven Larson, assistant dean of global health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an expert on migrant health, probes these questions and more with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.
Guest: Steven Larson, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Lost in the ever-evolving diversity of the American populace, is what happens when one of our newest, or in some cases, undocumented immigrants, becomes extraordinarily ill. Under our current system, hospitals are often left to shoulder the logistical and financial burden of care. How are our hospitals coping with this responsibility, and how does this impact the care we can provide to these patients and more broadly, to all of our patients? Dr. Steven Larson, assistant dean of global health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and an expert on migrant health, helps us sort through some of the key issues related to this far-reaching topic. Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.
Guest: Donald Robinson, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Many commonly used medications are being implicated in increased risk of osteoporotic fractures, for example proton pump inhibitors. Psychotropics are getting scrutiny as well. Dr. Donald Robinson, professor of pharmacology and medicine at the University of Vermont and the author of more than 175 scientific papers on neuroscience topics, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to explain which psychotropics are especially risky and why.
Guest: Owen J. Dahl, MBA
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Many successful Fortune 500 companies have used 'Six Sigma' for years to systematically increase their revenue and operational efficiencies. Mr. Owen Dahl, president of Owen Dahl Consulting, discusses with host Dr. Larry Kaskel how those same proven principles can be applied to patient scheduling and other medical office operations. Mr. Dahl specifically outlines how a physician could analyze the patient scheduling process by focusing on the quality of each process step.
Guest: Christopher Ruhm
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
One would think that the health of the nation would suffer during an economic downturn. But strange as it may seem, bad times can be good for the health of entire societies. Forgetting about individual health, Christopher Ruhm, professor of economics, explains the results of his study that showed that during a recession, traffic accidents, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking and even deaths from heart disease go down. Professor Ruhm discusses these counterintuitive results with host Dr. Larry Kaskel, which also shows this interesting relationship between the health of an economy and its population.
Guest: H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Physicians need to be knowledgeable about both the potential benefits and possible harms of early screening and detection. What should we do when a healthy patient comes to our office requesting a full-body CT scan, genetic testing for cancer markers, or other screening measures that may not be suitable for their condition? How can we put health risks into perspective and give our patients basic information about the overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment that may follow screening? For an interesting discussion about these questions and much more, host Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine and community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, and author of Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not, and Here's Why.
Guest: H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Preventive medicine in primary care has traditionally focused on health promotion and disease prevention. Due to advances in technology, a typical well visit may now include a series of tests to detect early disease. How is this shift toward preventive medicine affecting patient care, survival outcomes and health care costs? And how can physicians decide when is the optimal time to screen for cancer and other conditions? Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine and community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, and author of Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not, and Here’s Why, joins host Dr. Jennifer Shu to examine the realities behind our growing expectations of preventive care.
Guest: Mishka Terplan, MD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
Researchers have no way to determine how significant the problem of substance abuse and pregnancy really is. Very few women will be open and honest when it comes to answering questions about elicit drug use. So how do doctors get their patients the proper help? Dr. Mishka Terplan, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, looks at the issues of universal drug screening for all pregnant women, confidentiality, inpatient and outpatient drug rehabilitation programs and the stigma of being a substance abuser, with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo.
Guest: Marilyn Keefe
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
A new president in the White House will change the climate of reproductive health in this country. Where did we stand under the Bush administration, and how will an Obama administration view access to birth control, emergency contraception, preventive health programs for women and comprehensive sex education programs? Marilyn Keefe, director of reproductive health programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, DC, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to discuss these questions and how the Supreme Court will look at these issues over the next four years.
Guest: Brian Rank, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Executive physicals are marketed widely as the ultimate medical checkups for discerning consumers. Dr. Brian Rank, the medical director of HealthPartners Medical Group and Clinics of Minnesota, discusses with host Dr. Larry Kaskel the basis for his belief that the popularity of executive physicals isn't good for medicine or the patients who undergo them. Tune in to hear Dr. Rank explain why executive physicals can be harmful to one's health, are a waste of healthcare resources, and create anxiety and a false sense of wellness.
Guest: Neal Goldstein, JD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
On October 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule, which includes revisions to the Stark regulations that tighten the prohibition on physician referrals and the anti-markup rules for diagnostic testing. Attorney Neal Goldstein explains that the changes made by CMS are an attempt to create a formulation that preserves the legitimate provision of in-office diagnostic services, while also cutting back on the proliferation of arrangements that have allowed physicians to profit from the diagnostic work of pathologists, radiologists and other specialists. Mr. Goldstein highlights the key tests for establishing compliance with the new anti-markup rules, though acknowledges that these revised regulations may unwittingly cause controversy within the pathology laboratory industry. Host Dr. Larry Kaskel explores the practical implications of these changes for the private and group physician practice.
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Guest: Sue Ann Thomas, PhD, RN
Should terminally ill patients have implantable cardioverter defribrillators (ICDs)? Join Dr. Sue Thomas, assistant dean for PhD studies and professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, as she discusses the implications of ICDs for terminally ill patients. Dr. Thomas tells host Susan Dolan how the ICDs is deactivated. They also talk about whether an ethics committee should be involved in the decision to deactivate an ICD, and the nurse's role in caring for patients with these implanted devices.
Guest: William Jessee, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Each year the Medical Group Management Association produces a report on practice operating costs and profitability. Dr. Larry Kaskel discusses the most recent results with Dr. William Jessee, president of Medical Group Management Association. The critical finding is that practice-operating costs are increasing at a higher rate than practice revenue in all areas of medicine. Dr. Jessee reports that the greatest driver of costs is labor due to shortages of healthcare workers and resulting increases in salaries. Notwithstanding, Dr. Jessee notes that practices with more FTE support staff were more profitable than those with fewer FTE support staff, highlighting the importance of proper staffing for the job function. Dr. Jessee discusses the importance of real-time adjudication and the developing trend of more hospital-owned practices.
Guest: Caleb Alexander, MD
Out-of -pocket costs account for approximately one fifth of healthcare expenditures. Dr Caleb Alexander,an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, discusses with host Larry Kaskel, MD, the findings of his recent study that focused on patient-physician communications regarding out-of-pockets costs for outpatient treatment. An unfortunate finding is that doctors rarely communicate with patients about these costs, notwithstanding the fact that patients are quite burdened by these expenses. Tune in to hear Dr. Alexander discuss the key barriers to communications between physicians and patients and the recommendations for overcoming such hurdles. Interestingly, Dr. Alexander's research has found that giving patients free drug samples can often increase a patient's out-of-pockets costs, rather than reduce these expenses.
Guest: Alexia Torke, MD, MS
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Alexia Torke, assistant professor of medicine at Indiana University, discusses how standard bioethical approaches with surrogates do not often match what actually happens at the bedside. Physicians use their clinical judgement and what they feel is right for the incompetent patient in determining a course of action. Much can be done to establish this important relationship with surrogates, beginning with creating trust and assessing their own grief and emotional stress. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Carol Sakala
Host: Bruce Japsen
Maternity care accounts for a very large expenditure in the US healthcare system, which can include overuse of procedures, drugs and tests. How can all of this be corrected to increase quality? Carol Sakala, director of programs for the Childbirth Connection, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how a balance can be achieved with evidenced-based maternity care and why doctors and their patients should take notice.
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Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Guest: Calvin A. Brown III, MD
Once the sole domain of anesthesiologists, rapid sequence intubation is now a skill practiced by all emergency department physicians. Dr. Calvin Brown III, attending physician in the emergency department at Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, explains the state of the art in intubation. Dr. Brown is interviewed by Dr. Shira Johnson as he reviews the basic technique of RSI, some of the pearls and pitfalls, and what is on the horizon for this skilled intubation technique.
Guest: Marianne Legato, MD
Host: Lauren Streicher, MD
Women account for 85 percent of the people in the industrialized world who have reached 100 years of age. What accounts for the longer lifespan of women? Dr. Marianne Legato, founder of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, talks with host Dr. Lauren Streicher about the significance of gender on life span. They discuss the roles that biology, lifestyle, and social factors play in longevity, and probe whether social changes in the industrialized world may be closing the gap.
Host: Lauren Streicher, MD
Guest: Coleen Kelly, MD
More than 150,000 obese American people undergo bariatric surgery annually. Many of these patients are women who will become pregnant. Dr. Colleen Kelly, a gastroenterologist at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, joins host Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss this growing patient population. The two discuss which surgical option is best for a woman who wants to conceive, along with nutritional guidlines, complications, and of course the health of the baby.
Guest: John McConnell, PhD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
The reality of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act is that patients can not be turned away. But the economics of providing emergency care to all is overburdening hospital resources. Our guest, healthcare economist specializing in ED care and associate professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, Dr. John McConnell, joins host Dr. Shira Johnson to talk about the economics of emergency care. Learn strategies and solutions that could solve the on-call crisis in hospitals.
Guest: John McConnell, PhD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
The concept of the surgicalist was born of economic and practical necessity. Dr. John McConnell is a health economist and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health and Science University whose research has focused on emergency and trauma care as well as health policy. He is interviewed by Dr. Shira Johnson to discuss how and why the role of the surgicalist evolved. Tune in to find out who may be seeing your next surgical consult from the ED. It may not be the surgeon on call.
Guest: Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
The second of two programs consisting of excerpts of a panel discussion examining the issues surrounding healthcare coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. The panel was presented by U.S. News and World Report's National Issues Briefing, in association with the American Medical Association.
Panelists include Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman; Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council; and Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Brian Kelly, editor, U.S. News and World Report, moderates. The panel was introduced by Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, president of the American Medical Association.
Given latest U.S. Census profiles of uninsured Americans, and the obstacles to retaining coverage, including evolving private sector and employee work patterns and gaps in existing health care plans, panelists debate possible solutions -- from group coverage to state and federal benefits plans -- as well as current and emerging solutions from within the Administration and Congress, the presidential candidates, and other experts. The panel was recorded on September 23, 2008, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Guest: Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
The first of two programs consisting of excerpts of a panel discussion examining the issues surrounding healthcare coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. The panel was presented by U.S. News and World Report's National Issues Briefing, in association with the American Medical Association.
Panelists include Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman; Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council; and Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Brian Kelly, editor, U.S. News and World Report, moderates. The panel was introduced by Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, president of the American Medical Association.
Given latest U.S. Census profiles of uninsured Americans, and the obstacles to retaining coverage, including evolving private sector and employee work patterns and gaps in existing health care plans, panelists debate possible solutions -- from group coverage to state and federal benefits plans -- as well as current and emerging solutions from within the Administration and Congress, the presidential candidates, and other experts. The panel was recorded on September 23, 2008, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Guest: Kathleen Franco, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Imagine being told on the first day of medical school that your graduate education would be at no charge. You may think this is impossible unless you are a student at The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr Kathleen Franco, associate dean for Admissions, explains to host Dr. Larry Kaskel the decision of Clinic's medical school to offer a tuition free medical education, the funding mechanisms instituted to support this decision indefinitely, and the impact on the students and medical community.
Guest: Marc Galanter, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Medicine and spirituality have always been linked, we have struggled as a profession with how to introduce spirituality and religion into the general hospital setting. Host Dr. Leslie Lundt discusses such a program with Dr. Mark Galanter, professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and author of Spirituality and the Healthy Mind: Science, Therapy and the Need for Personal Meaning.
Guest: Alan Astrow, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
All the technology and advances in medical science hasn't changed the most difficult thing we do as physicians - relay emotionally charged diagnostic and prognostic information to our patients. How can we do a better job? Communication skills do not automatically improve with increasing physician experience. Dr. Alan Astrow, the director of the division of hematology and medical oncology at Maimonides Cancer Center in New York City explains how we can break bad news to patients in a more effective and supportive way.
Guest: Peter Adamson, MD
Host: Michael Epstein, MD
In all fields of medicine, we have all encountered patients who are ultra-challenging to manage. There can be those who can find dissatisfaction in any outcome that isn't ‘perfect,' according to their standards. There are others who have seen a series of healthcare providers who, despite their efforts, haven't been able to meet their needs and requests. Host Dr. Michael Epstein welcomes Dr. Peter Adamson, professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, and head of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto, to talk through a range of these potentially sticky situations, and how they impact our practice and in some cases, our practice habits.
Guest: Kurt Mosley
Host: Bruce Japsen
It seems fewer and fewer physicians want to go into internal medicine, with a recent study showing only two percent of 4th-year medical students elect to enter this field. Kurt Mosley, Vice President of Business Development for Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, the largest physician search and consulting firm in the country with more than two decades in the business, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the trend away from internal medicine, despite the national movement toward finding patients a medical home and the continued emphasis by policy makers on the importance of primary care medicine.
Guest: Kurt Mosley
Host: Bruce Japsen
More than 90 percent of new physicians coming into the job market received at least 10 job solicitations and face a much different employment dynamic than older doctors. Kurt Mosley, vice president of business development for Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, the largest physician search and consulting firm in the country, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen what doctors face in today's complex employment market and shares his insights into navigating it.
Guest: Jay Fotland, NP, RN
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
With a focus on wellness rather than illness, Jay Fotland opened a healthcare clinic that offers flat fee health memberships to patients. Host Dr. Lisa D'Andrea discusses with guest Jay Fotland, a nurse practitioner, the low-cost business model that Mr. Fotland developed as a means to reduce the red tape associated with the health care system. Mr. Fotland also discusses his business philosophy and, located in the backyard of the well-established Mayo clinic, is able to compete.
Host: Lauren Streicher, MD
Guest: Laura Berman, PhD
Sex is the last issue on a woman's mind after being diagnosed with cancer or facing a hysterectomy. Studies show that only half of gynecologists bring up the issue prior to a hysterectomy and only 13 percent of patients have the guts to ask their doctor about it. So, how do doctors bring up the issue, and when in their patients' recovery is it appropriate to bring it up? Host Dr. Lauren Streicher and Dr. Laura Berman, assistant clinical professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, discuss the protocol for bringing up sexual dysfunction, body image after surgery and medication used to treat sexual dysfunction in women.
Guest: Lorie Chaiten, JD
Host: Lauren Streicher, MD
For the past 25 years, the U.S. government has funded abstinence-only sex education in public schools. Still, 47 percent of high school students report having had sexual intercourse and 70 percent are sexually active by age 19. Lorie Chaiten, director of the Reproductive Rights Project for the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois, talks with host Dr. Lauren Streicher about the implications for young people's sexual health when they are denied access to complete and accurate science-based information.
Guest: Molly Melching
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Molly Melching, founder of Tostan, an NGO organization based in Senegal, West Africa, that uses human rights education to empower communities around healthcare issues, joins host Dr. Maurice Pickard. They explore Tostan's successful education campaign on the health and human rights effects of female genital cutting. Key to its success was an approach that included an understanding of the history and social norms of the culture. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Molly Melching
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Host Dr. Maurice Pickard welcomes Molly Melching, founding director of Tostan, an organization in Senegal empowering local communities to learn more about sustainable development and social transformation through a greater awareness for human rights issues. Ms. Melching shares more about her organization, emphasizing that women in Senegal are quickly becoming more effective community leaders, as they take on greater responsbility for making the important decisions that affect the health of their entire country.
Guest: Robert Bailey, PhD, MPH
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
New research reveals that male circumcision could reduce HIV infection rates by up to 60 percent, which could prevent 5.7 million new cases and 3 million deaths over 20 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Robert Bailey, professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, School of Public Health, discusses his research findings with host Dr. Larry Kaskel, highlighting HIV infection rates in areas of Africa where the male population is circumcised, and explaining the mechanism by which HIV infection may occur in uncircumcised men.
Guest: Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Do influenza vaccines for the elderly really make a difference? Dr. Lisa Jackson, research professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington and senior investigator at The Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington calls into question previous documentation of reducing deaths and hospitalizations in the elderly from flu vaccination. This is based on a fundamental difference between the kinds of people who get vaccines and those who do not. Join host Dr. Maurice Pickard to learn more.
Guest: James Webster, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Often, healthcare workers are unaware of the particular needs, expectations, and belief systems of minority groups. Dr. James Webster, professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and president of the Chicago Board of Health, and host Dr. Maurice Pickard discuss the ways that gaps in understanding can adversely affect medical outcomes.
Guest: Michele Roth-Kauffman, JD, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Host Lisa D'Andrea welcomes guest Michele Roth-Kauffman, a physician assistant and an attorney. Ms. Roth-Kauffman discusses the various options available to practice owners for providing malpractice coverage to physician assistants working in the practice. Ms. Roth-Kauffman also advises practice owners and physician assistants about the type and scope of coverage required for physician assistants working part-time or for two independent medical practices.
Guest: Michele Roth-Kauffman, JD, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Host Lisa D'Andrea welcomes Michele Roth-Kauffman, chair of the physician assistant department at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and an attorney, to discuss coverage options available to the physician assistants, the limitations of such coverage, and how the physician can enhance his/her own coverage to afford greater protection against malpractice claims. Ms. Roth-Kauffman also shares other steps you can take to reduce malpractice exposure.
Guest: Armand Antommaria, MD, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Donation of the heart after asystole leads to questions about the point at which death is irreversible. Dr. Armand Antommaria, assistant professor in the division of pediatric inpatient medicine and an adjunct assistant professor in the division of medical ethics and humanities at the University of Utah School of Medicine, discusses the ways that pediatric cardiac transplant surgery may be pushing controversial organ-retrieval strategy beyond acceptable legal, moral, and ethical boundaries. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Jordan Berlin, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Cancer researchers used to work in silos and would not share information until it was accepted for publication. Multi-disciplinary, intra-institution and inter-institution research teams are challenging the status quo. Is this a good thing, and what are the challenges? Join host Dr. Bruce Bloom as he discusses these critical issues with Dr. Jordan Berlin, associate professor of medicine and clinical director of gastrointestinal oncology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Guest: Jordan Berlin, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the United States is in the midst of the longest sustained period of flat federal funding for cancer research. In what ways does this lapse in financial support hinder our ability to find cures and save the lives of patients suffering from any of a range of illnesses? How does it impact the livelihood of our researchers? Host Dr. Bruce Bloom discusses these critical issues with Dr. Jordan Berlin, associate professor of medicine and clinical director of gastrointestinal oncology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Guest: Ron Nelson, PA
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Ron Nelson, a physician assistant and president of Health Services Associates, Inc., discusses with host Lisa D'Andrea different models for calculating the value of a physician assistant to a medical practice. Mr. Nelson explains several compensation models that may be used for a physician assistant and the benefits of different models that incentive both production and quality of care. Mr. Nelson outlines a simple model which establishes a floor for compensating a physician assistant based upon the physician assistant's costs to overhead, net charges, and quality of care.
Guest: Ori Brafman
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Guest: Rom Brafman, PhD
How often have you seem seemingly rational and experienced clinicians do something completely irrational and out of character? Like overlook an obvious diagnosis? Ori and Rom Brafman authors of Sway join host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss the irresistible pull of irrational behavior.
Host: Jay Goldstein, MD
Guest: Douglas Rex, MD
Gastroenterology-directed propofol is controversial among many practitioners, even though evidence suggests it is very safe. What barriers are there to gastroenterologists administering propofol, without an anesthesiologist on site? Guest Dr. Douglas Rex, Chancellor's Professor and professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, and host Dr. Jay Goldstein examine the reasons for the slow growth of gastroenterologist-directed propofol, and what the future of anesthesiology might be for gastroenterologists.
Guest: Robert Lamberts, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Are your patients always honest with you about their symptoms and related conditions? Do they treat your staff with the proper level of respect and courtesy? We all know that both patients and physicians are equal contributors to the doctor-patient relationship, yet this partnership isn't always as constructive and amiable as either side would hope. Are there simple rules we can encourage our patients to follow toward making a positive impact on this relationship? Dr. Rob Lamberts, board-certified internist and pediatrician, and author of the popular blog Musings of a Distractible Mind, prioritizes several keys from the patient's perspective toward maintaining a good working relationship with you, their healthcare provider.
Guest: Robert Lamberts, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
We all know that both patients and physicians play an integral role in the doctor-patient relationship. Yet this partnership isn't always as balanced as we might hope. Why might our patients become frustrated with us or feel uncomfortable in our office? Are there simple rules that we, as physicians, can follow to make a positive impact on this relationship, and to feel good about the connections we have built with our patients? Dr. Rob Lamberts, board-certified internist and pediatrician, and author of the popular blog Musings of a Distractible Mind, shares his insights on helping doctors and patients build a stronger rapport. Dr. Jennifer Shu hosts.
Guest: Lawrence Cohen, MD
Host: Mark DeLegge, MD
Propofol is used for deep sedation, and is often preferred by patients undergoing an endoscopy, since it's a short-acting agent. Can it be administered safely and effectively by trained gastroenterologists, or should an anesthesiologist be present to monitor the procedure? Dr. Larry Cohen, associate clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Mark DeLegge to discuss the benefits, costs and risks of using propofol during endoscopy. From a medical-legal perspective, are gastroenterologists at more risk if they administer propofol during endoscopy than they would be if an anesthesiologist had been present?
Guest: Robert Portman, JD, MPP
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Converting a private practice to the concierge medical practice model raises many legal issues. Attorney Rob Portman, a partner with the law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, explains the legal issues of a concierge medicine practice, including contract terms for participating patients, care obligation to non-participating patients, and rules for billing Medicare for services on concierge patients. In addition, Host Larry Kaskel explores with Mr. Portman the legal arguments that render concierge medicine unlawful, and the pending federal legislation to regulate this business model.
Guest: Lawrence Schneiderman, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Our guest today writes in his book, Embracing Our Mortality, that lawyers (as officers of the court) are not permitted to tell their clients to lie but physicians are under no such obligation. Under what situations would it be best for us to advise people to polish their recollections? Medical ethicist Dr. Lawrence Schneiderman joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss the role of the physician in end of life decisions.
Guest: Lawrence Schneiderman, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Is there something wrong with being aggressively optimistic? Dr. Lawrence Schneiderman, professor emeritus in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and adjunct professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, takes a provocative stance on the harm of giving patients unfounded hope. Hosted by Dr. Leslie Lundt.
Guest: William Swiggart, MS, LPC
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Disruptive physician behavior is often tolerated until a crisis emerges which then triggers disciplinary action. How else might we handle this delicate situation? William Swiggart, the co-director for the Center for Professional Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss their programs for physicians deemed disruptive by their peers.
Guest: John Kao, MD, MBA
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Physician Innovator - Is that you? Our guest, psychiatrist and author of the recent best selling book Innovation Nation, Dr. John Kao talks of his most recent career. Dr. Kao calls himself an ‘instigator of new things.' Join host Dr. Leslie Lundt as she learns the ingredients of innovation and how it differs from creativity. Physicians can be innovators in their own practice or as part of a larger team to help make improvements in the delivery of healthcare.
Guest: Stephen A. McClave, MD
Host: Mark DeLegge, MD
Physicians were previously obligated to provide nutrition and hydration to all patients during end of life care. Now, the courts have placed the responsibility with the patient. How can you best counsel patients and their families in making difficult decisions on feeding for the terminally ill? Dr. Stephen McClave, professor of medicine and director of clinical nutrition at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, takes a closer look at the ethical, legal and practical ramifications related to end-of-life nutrition with host Dr. Mark DeLegge.
Guest: Patrick O'Doherty
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Patrick O'Doherty, vice president of the ProAssurance Insurance Company and a leading expert on insurance coverage and potential liability exposure, explains the new federal rule of civil procedures, regarding the discovery of electronic records, to which medical practices are now being exposed. Mr. O'Doherty talks with host Dr. Larry Kaskel about the new requirements for electronic document management, which include employee e-mails, and the limitations of professional liability coverage with respect to this risk. Mr.O'Doherty also outlines the scope of this supplemental coverage and the value in terms of litigation management, given the relatively low cost of coverage.
Guest: Tim Walbert
Host: Bruce Japsen
The climate for innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries is fraught with risk, but also holds great potential for reward. Tim Walbert, the chief executive of Horizon Therapeutics, tells host Bruce Japsen about the prospects for growth in life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industry outside of Big Pharma and what that means for physicians.
Guest: Tim Walbert
Host: Bruce Japsen
Why take two pills when you can just take one? Welcome to the latest phenomenon in healthcare: combination pills. Tim Walbert, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Therapeutics, tells host Bruce Japsen about the drug industry's push toward combining two or more treatments into one pill, and the potential benefits for us and for our patients.
Guest: Cynthia Wong, MD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
Epidural anesthesia has changed dramatically since its introduction to the obstetric arena in the early 1970s. Now we have various types of epidurals we can administer during labor. One of the major obstacles for anesthesiologists is determining how women perceive pain during labor and how to administer the proper dosage of pain medication. Dr. Cynthia Wong, associate professor of anesthesiology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to discuss these issues, and her recent study that looks at the rate of Cesarean deliveries when epidural anesthesia is administered at different times during labor.
Guest: Barbara Lee, PA, FNP, JD
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Barbara Coombs Lee is a nurse, a physician's assistant, an attorney, and the president of Compassion and Choices, an organization dedicated to expanding and protecting the rights of the terminally ill. Ms. Lee discusses the biggest misconceptions doctors have about end-of-life care. Susan Dolan hosts.
Guest: Toni Mills
Host: Bruce Japsen
By adopting even one change to a health care business practice, some experts believe lives can be saved. How about 5 million of them? Toni Mills, executive director of the Office of Clinical Affairs for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, tells host Bruce Japsen about the group's effort to get pledges from hospitals to follow several safety guidelines that could lead to saving 5 million lives.
Guest: Martin Myers, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Patients are increasingly seeking accurate information about vaccine safety. Many reach out to friends and family and others scan media reports or search the Internet. But most patients still consider their primary care physician the main source for reliable information. Host Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes Dr. Martin Myers, an internationally recognized vaccine expert and former director for the Department of Health and Human Service's National Vaccine Program Office. He is co-author of the book Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns.What are the most pertinent questions for our patients, and are you prepared with the answers?
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Randi Hagerman, MD
Diagnosis of the genetic disorder Fragile X syndrome can be devastating for our young patients and their families, knowing that both the patient and their elders can be affected by this condition. Should we expand current screening measures for Fragile X? As clinicians, how do we guide patients and their families through this process of understanding their diagnosis? Dr. Randi Hagerman, professor and endowed chair of Fragile X research, and medical director of the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill to talk about the nuances of this genetic condition.
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Randi Hagerman, MD
We are rapidly learning more about the genetic disorder Fragile X syndrome, and a series of conditions related to Fragile X. We're also seeing great progress in promising therapies under investigation. How will these therapies, along with other treatment strategies, improve the lives of children and families affected by Fragile X and related conditions? Who should supervise care, and should treatment for children be coordinated with care of potentially affected relatives? Dr. Randi Hagerman, professor and endowed chair of Fragile X research, and medical director of the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, shares her expansive expertise on Fragile X syndrome and associated conditions with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill. If a child is diagnosed with Fragile X, is genetic screening inevitably warranted for parents and grandparents?
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Randi Hagerman, MD
It's responsible for more than five percent of all cases of autism, and it's the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. But are we as familiar as we need to be with Fragile X syndrome, and a series of genetic conditions related to Fragile X? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Dr. Randi Hagerman, professor and endowed chair of Fragile X research, and medical director of the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, for a stimulating conversation about our rapidly expanding knowledge of these genetic conditions. How do the signs and symptoms manifest in children, and how does Fragile X impact our elder generations?
Why do headaches often persist after taking a one-cent aspirin, yet disappear after taking a fifty-cent aspirin?
Dan Ariely, behavioral economist and author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, refutes the common assumption that clinicians and patients behave in fundamentally rational ways. From ethics of least harm in pain management to recommendations for conservative vs aggressive therapies, from paying for 'premium' care services to choosing our providers or patients, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.
Guest: Gary Becker, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Gary Becker, Nobel laureate and professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, joins host Dr. Maurie Pickard to discuss the connection between the gap in supply and demand in the economic market and the same gap in the organ transplant market. Dr. Becker presents a solution and answers the critics.
Guest: Gary Becker, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Nobel Prize recipient for Economic Science, Dr. Gary Becker, professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, explains how monetary incentives would sufficiently increase the supply of organs for transplant surgery, eliminating the very long queues in the donor market. Undoubtedly the suffering of those on the waiting list would be significantly decreased, but are there costs that might not be immediately obvious? Join Dr. Becker and host Dr. Maurie Pickard for this fascinating discussion.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Nortin Hadler, MD
Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joins host Dr. Maurice Pickard to discusses his book, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America. Dr. Hadler's book examines the reach of medical treatment in America and the degree to which health is determined by socioeconomic factors that are out of a doctor's hands.
Guest: Nortin Hadler, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina discusses his new book Worried Sick. A prescription for Health in an Overtreated America. He documents how the consumer needs to adopt an attitude of skepticism regarding the claims of modern medicine and arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions about what care is truly necessary. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard
Guest: Bertha Madras, PhD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
According to Dr. Bertha Madras, deputy director of demand reduction in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George W. Bush, random drug testing gives young people a good reason not to succumb to peer pressure. But the implementation of random drug testing in schools has stirred a controversial public health debate. Is this an invasion of privacy? Is school an appropriate environment for these measures? Dr. Madras provides a detailed explanation of current policy, and responds to critical comments from groups that oppose the widespread implementation of random drug testing in schools. Dr. Bill Rutenberg hosts.
Guest: Laurie Edwards
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Better technology and treatments mean that people with serious childhood illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and type one diabetes are reaching adulthood in unprecedented numbers. That means they are also struggling with college, relationships, fertility and employment. Laurie Edwards, a health journalist and author of Life Disrupted, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss these issues.
Guest: Harry Keyserling, MD
Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
A single vaccine is now available for immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. As we consider offering this to our pediatric patients, what are the vaccine's unique challenges and benefits? How does this combination vaccine compare with other options for immunization? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu examines these questions and more with Dr. Harry Keyserling, professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine.
Guest: Jonathan Kimmelman, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
What should be done if research subjects become ill from phase 1 clinical trials? Dr. Jonathan Kimmelman, assistant professor of the Biomedical Research unit at McGill University says most programs do not provide health care or compensation from loss of time from work or for pain and suffering. He also tells host Dr. Pickard that data is viewed as proprietary and is not shared. With trials continuing to move to for-profit companies, is federal oversight being lost? Furthermore, does this lead to increased risk for all those concerned?
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Jonathan Kimmelman, PhD
Dr. Jonathan Kimmelman, assistant professor of the Biomedical Research unit at McGill University, discusses with host Dr. Maurice Pickard what appears to be a ‘job' that may exploit the underclass in Phase 1 clinical studies. The poor in the studies are less likely to have access to the drugs when approved, which calls the risk/benefit ratio into question. Do for-profit research companies and for-profit Institutional Review Boards provide adequate protection for the rights of the volunteers?
Guest: Kristine A. Rapp
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Kristine Rapp, vice president of global ethics & compliance at Hospira, Inc., discusses with host Dr. Maurice Pickard the new PhRMA Code and the significant limitations on gifts to healthcare professionals. The hope is that marketing practices will be held to a higher ethical level.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf, MD, PhD
Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf, medical director of the Pain and Palliative Care Program at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, discusses a range of topics within the field of pediatric palliative care. In contrast to the expected standard of care for adults, many children with life-limiting and terminal diseases receive inferior treatment in this area. Given that a child's condition may last well into adulthood, effective programs embrace physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements, with a focus on enhancing the child's quality of life and providing support for their family. Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: William Jessee, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Should doctors also be running their own practices? Dr. William Jessee, president and chief executive officer of the Medical Group Management Association, tells Bruce Japsen about how a team approach between doctor and administrator may be in order to improve the patients' experience, boost doctor revenue and help foster more consumer-friendly medicine.
Guest: Sam Nussbaum, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
What is the value of a subjective patient ranking system? WellPoint's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Samuel Nussbaum joins us to better explain the goals of the physician ranking system that is being developed by Zagat and Wellpoint, Inc. Dr. Nussbaum says we should carefully distinguish between the technical quality of care and the office experience. The patient's perception of the office experience can teach us to do better. Hosted by Dr. Larry Kaskel.
Guest: Shepard Stone, PA
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Lisa D'Andrea talks with Shepard Stone, a Physician Associate Anesthesiologist at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Shepard Stone is one of a very elite group of PAs practicing in the field of Anesthesia today.
Guest: Katrina Hedberg, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Who chooses to participate in Oregon's Death With Dignity Act? What's their education level? What type of diagnosis is required? How does religion come into play? In further exploring Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, epidemiologist, Dr. Katrina Hedberg, from the Oregon Department of Human Services addresses the facts and figures with your host, Dr. Michael Greenberg, including the rights and regulation of those physicians writing the lethal prescription.
Guest: Katrina Hedberg, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Is Oregon's Death with Dignity Act a violation of the Hippocratic Oath or a humane solution? ReachMD's Dr. Michael Greenberg discusses this originally citizen-led initiative, and current law with epidemiologist, Dr. Katrina Hedberg, from the Oregon Department of Human Services. Dr. Hedberg addresses the requirements for patients to opt for this non-euthanasian, yet lethal prescription. The consent, patient motivations, controversy, and the statistics of those who've chosen to take advantage of Oregon's law are discussed.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Irvin Yalom, MD
Dr. Irvin Yalom, professor emeritus of psychiatry at Stanford University and the author of several highly acclaimed booksspeaks about how striving for direct engagement with others opens us to the many possibilities of life enrichment. Compassionate connections combined with wisdom of great thinkers allow us to overcome the terror of death that is the theme of his new book Staring at the Sun. Join host Dr. Maurie Pickard.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Irvin Yalom, MD
Can addressing death directly through open dialogue inform us about the way we live? Dr. Irvin Yalom, professor emeritus of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of several highly acclaimed books,discusses his newest book, Staring at the Sun, which deals with how thoughts of our own mortality can interfere with life's fulfillments. First, we must become aware that this anxiety exists for both patients and physicians. Then, we can begin to use the power of ideas such as transiency to avoid accumulating regrets. Dr. Maurie Pickard hosts.
Host: Paul Doghramji, MD
Guest: Russell Breish, MD
Is family practice a dying profession? Host Dr. Paul Doghramji welcomes Dr. Russell S. Breish, director of family practice and director of the residency program at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia to discuss factors affecting family physicians. They will cover the effect of the increase in nurse practitioners and physician assistants, the increase of women medical students, as well as what fields medical students are choosing after graduation.
Guest: Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
How valid are consumer based physician ranking systems? In this segment Dr. Larry Kaskel learns the American Medical Association's position on physician ranking from AMA President Nancy Nielsen, MD, PhD who says while the information in these systems obviously cannot be relied upon we should try to understand why these systems are being created. Consumers want to know more about the quality of their doctor. What to do if you have been rated poorly? How do you find your true ranking? Join us to find out.
Guest: Nicola Maffulli, MD, MS, PhD
Host: Sherwin Ho, MD
How can you help your patients with overused tendons and tendinopathies, like Achilles tendon problems and tennis elbow? Dr. Nicolas Maffulli, professor and chair of trauma and orthopaedic surgery at Keele University School of Medicine in Staffordshire, England, clinically specializes is tendinopathy. He says that we often misconceive tendinopathy as a degenerated tendon, when the problem is an actually injured tendon that cannot heal. Studies show that genetics as well as overuse may play a role in tendinopathy. Join us to learn about the latest research, treatment options and when the best solution may be surgery. Dr. Sherwin Ho hosts.
Guest: Mark Hughes, MD, PhD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
In the context of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), the revolutionary prospects of the human genome are quite striking. Dr. Mark Hughes, professor of molecular medicine and genetics at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and director of the Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to address the inescapable ethical debate surrounding this technology. Further, are there any safety concerns tied to PGD?
Guest: Peter Baquie, MD
Host: Mary Leuchars, MD
Dr. Mary Leuchars is joined by guest Dr. Peter Baquie, Medical Director for the 2008 Australian Olympic Team. They will discuss unique measures being undertaken by the Australian medical personnel to protect the health of elite athletes abroad. What are some of the challenges inherent in overseeing the "medical home" of a traveling team, or in tending to the diverse spectra of health problems among athletes from every sport discipline? Learn more from this interesting discussion.
Guest: Ken Fitch, MD
Host: Mary Leuchars, MD
Dr. Mary Leuchars is joined by guest Dr. Ken Fitch, past-Chairperson of the Australian Olympic Committee's Medical Commission and current member of the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee. The topic is asthma in elite athletes, and Dr. Fitch shares insights on how the Australian Olympic team's physicians assess, treat, and prepare their top competitors to perform in Beijing's hot climate conditions.
Guest: Ken Fitch, MD
Host: Mary Leuchars, MD
Host Dr. Mary Leuchars speaks with Dr. Ken Fitch, past-Chairperson of the Australian Olympic Committee's Medical Commission and current member of the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee. Their topic of conversation is sports medicine and the differences in clinical care of athletes between American and Australian health systems. They will discuss how these differences may separate care plans and rehabilitation efforts for athletes representing the American and Australian Olympic teams respectively.
Guest: Arlin Rogers, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Arlin Rogers, PhD, chief of comparative pathology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, details a new genome study which is helping to explain why men are saddled with liver cancer more often than their gender counterparts. Dr. Rogers aims to raise awareness for the influence of hepatitis B and C, and the role of an important cell mediator, in this disease trajectory. Find out more with host Dr. Maurice Pickard.
Guest: Geoffrey Joyce, PhD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
The individual's healthcare in the last 12 months of life costs about 25% of total healthcare costs for that person's life. Should policy makers’ better control end-of-life costs? This is just one of many questions addressed in this segment about weighing the effectiveness of treatment vs. cost. Join us as host Dr. Bill Rutenberg interviews Senior Medical Economist of the Rand Corporation, Geoffrey Joyce PhD.
Guest: Joseph Hill, MD, PhD
Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH
Dr. Joseph Hill, Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, talks to host Dr. Matthew Sorrentino about the changes that occur in the myocardium when the heart begins to fail. They explore more specifically autophagy, a new concept of cardiac remodeling that may be both beneficial and detrimental to cardiac function.
Guest: Suzanne Clough, MD
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Dr. Suzanne Sysko Clough is the Chief Medical Officer of WellDoc Communications, a technology based healthcare company located in Baltimore, Maryland. Hear Dr. Clough as she discusses how the WellDoc cell phone-based technology helps patients manage their diabetes.
Guest: Mitchel Berger, MD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Malignant Glioma: A diagnosis your patient wants do not want to receive. As their primary physician what more can you tell your patient? What does the latest research indicate about the pathobiology of Gliomas? In this segment our guest Dr. Mitchel Berger, Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, talks with host Dr. Bill Rutenberg about the latest Glioma research. They discuss the genetic advances that may lead to new treatments including a possible vaccination currently being developed that could one day replace mainstay treatments including radiation and chemotherapy.
Guest: Richard Rosenfeld, MD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, professor of otolaryngology at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center, joins host Dr. Bill Rutenberg for an in-depth discussion of the current guidelines for the management of sinusitis. Dr. Rosenfeld discusses current criteria for evidence-based diagnosis and recommended treatment.
Guest: Richard Rosenfeld, MD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, professor of otolaryngology at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center, joins host Dr. Bill Rutenberg for an insightful discussion of the current care guidelines for pediatric otitis media. Dr. Rosenfeld addresses difficulty and necessity of accurate diagnosis in order to safely apply "watchful waiting" as first-line treatment. What do you do if the patient doesn't get better?
Guest: Mira Milas, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
There are many new techniques to evaluate patients with thyroid and parathyroid disease. Dr. Mira Milas, associate professor at the Institute of Surgery, Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, speaks about the use of ultrasound in thyroid disease detection. She also updates host Dr. Maurice Pickard on the development of a new test, TSHrmRNA, to augment intermediate FNA as well as to show if there is residual disease or recurrence. They also discuss osteoporosis found in some men with parathyroid disease.
Guest: Mira Milas, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Mira Milas, associate professor of surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, discusses with host Dr. Maurie Pickard the expanding field of endocrine surgery and how ultrasound and fine needle aspirations have led to successful pre-operative evolutions. Intraoperative parathyroid procedures can help avoid reoperations. In addition, we learn that decisions to operate on asymptomatic patients with hyperparathyroidism need to be seriously considered.
Guest: Robert Klitzman, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
The current research in Huntington's disease still leaves us with more questions than answers. We know the causative gene, identified the proteins involved, and can postulate the mechanisms. Yet despite the universal outcome from this disease, patients may still live much of their adult lives productively, leading to added dfficulty in making life choices. Dr. Robert Klitzman, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, joins host Dr. Maurie Pickard on the subject of counseling patients with Huntington's Disease through life's milestones.
Guest: Robert Klitzman, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Robert Klitzman, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia speaks about the need for more genetic counselors to help with families of Huntington's disease, breast cancer, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and familial polyposis. People can order genetic testing and disease ancestry search directly on the internet. Many physicians have not been able to keep up with developments of the genome but will be asked to be knowledgeable about this exploding field. Dr. Maurie Pickard hosts.
Guest: Robert Klitzman, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Robert Klitzman, associate professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, discusses how to prepare patients and their families to deal with the complex issues that arise in families that have inherited Huntington's disease. Join host Dr. Maurice Pickard for this important discussion.
Guest: Renu Virmani, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Drug-eluting stents or bare metal stents: can pathology research give us a clearer picture? An internationally recognized cardiopathologist, Dr. Renu Virmani, sorts through what we know and what don’t know about drug-eluting stents with host Dr. Larry Kaskel. According to Dr. Virmani, the long-term outlook for stents is quite good, with key improvements in polymers and advances that afford us better quantitative control over the drugs administered via stents.
Guest: Renu Virmani, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
What does pathological data tell us about vulnerable plaque and how can we detect it before it’s too late? Join internationally recognized cardio pathologist, Dr. Renu Virmani talking about what she has discovered in the path lab about patients who have died from plaque rupture. She discusses with Dr. Kaskel the variations in soft and hard plaque, the role of the vaso vasorum in disease and whether or not non-invasive techniques can lead to a diagnosis about plaque.
Understanding the unique stressors of growing up in today’s world is an important part of treating children and adolescents. One of the most challenging events that our children endure is the college application process. Competition for spots at top colleges is at an all-time high. How does this affect our children and their families? Author of Fat Envelope Frenzy, Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College, Joie Jager-Hyman joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt.
Guest: Leon Sloman, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Dr. Leon Sloman has developed a new comprehensive evolutionary model of depression and anxiety which may prompt a radically new approach to psychotherapy. He joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss IDS – the involuntary defeat strategy.
Guest: Maria Boosalis, PhD, MPH, R.D L.D
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Selenium functions as a dietary antioxidant and may play a role in many chronic diseases. When should we consider selenium augmentation? Dr. Maria Boosalis joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss this exciting new area of nutritional research.
Guest: Craig Nichols, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Testicular cancer has received significant media attention in recent years, thanks in part to the very public cancer battle of cyclist Lance Armstrong during the late 1990s. The treatment aspect of Armstrong’s spirited and ultimately successful drive to beat cancer was led by Dr. Craig Nichols who, at the time, was a professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Armstrong, now a seven-time Tour de France champion, has used his immense success as a springboard for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). We’ll learn more about the work of the LAF from Dr. Nichols. He serves as secretary and a member of the board of directors for the LAF, in addition to his duties as medical director of lymphoma and testicular cancer research at Providence Portland Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.
Dr. Nichols also shares his perspective on his patient’s success—both as a champion of cycling’s most prestigious event and a champion for the many millions of people battling cancer. Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.
Guest: Benjamin Hippen, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Benjamin Hippen speaks about the Iranian system that allows an individual's kidney to be sold by the donor, whom we can also think of as the vendor. Examination has shown that the recipients are on a level playing field and there is no tourism or fraud. The responsibility for recruiting potential vendors becomes separated from the responsibility for approving the vendor's medical and surgical candidacy. But moral concerns in the US may have to be resolved in the future by a hybrid system that combines features of both systems.
Guest: Benjamin Hippen, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Benjamin Hippen reviews the kidney transplantation policy failure in the United States. The cost is now 21 billion dollars in Medicare commitment to end-stage renal disease and 50 percent of those on the transplant waiting list will likely die before receiving an organ. This situation is getting worse by the day. Iran is the only country in the world that has no organ shortage. Is their system of legal organ "vending" worth examining?
Guest: Walter Stadler, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Targeted and Individualized Therapies for Cancer. Where are we? What's on the horizon? Associate Dean of Clinical Research, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Genitourinary program at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Walter Stadler, cites the majority of patients struggling with the side effects - while grasping for the benefits - of cancer therapy as a necessity for individualized therapy. Dr. Stadler and Dr. Bloom discuss individualized treatment as a reality via biomarker identification, and management of cancer heterogeneity of various cancers within the same patient.
Guest: Walter Stadler, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
In 1971 Dr. Judah Folkman announced to the world that angiogenesis would be the Achilles heel of cancer-what's happened in the last 35 years? Dr. Walter M. Stadler, professor of medicine, director of Genitourinary Program, and associate dean of Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Medical Center joins host Dr. Bruce Bloom to fast forward from that early discovery to the current cutting edge uses for Avastin and other anti-angiogenics in cancer, including successes and shortcomings of this class of drugs in treating both solid tumors and blood cancers .
Guest: Sandra Aamodt, PhD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
With a myriad of overlapping hormones and neurotransmitters involved, weight regulation is a complex task. While our bodies aim to stow away energy reserves for emergent times, our patients simultaneously try desperately to shed unwanted pounds. As Sandra Aamodt, PhD, author and former editor-in-chief of Nature Neuroscience, tells host Dr. Leslie Lundt, thanks to leptin, and a host of other regulatory compounds, many patients face long odds making a permanent change in food intake.
Guest: Sandra Aamodt, PhD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Our patients use their brains every moment of their lives. So do we! How well do you know your brain? You may be distressed at the answer. Dr. Sandra Aamodt, co-author along with Dr. Sam Wang of Welcome to Your Brain joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss common misconceptions about neurobiology.
Guest: Rama Maganti, MD
Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD
Status epilepticus. What does that bring to mind? For most of us, we think of convulsions. But this is not always the case. Epileptologist Dr. Rama Maganti discusses nonconvulsive status epilepticus with host Dr. Leslie Lundt.
Guest: James Berenson, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Advances in multiple myeloma therapy are suppressing the dreaded expectations of a daunting disease. How are the latest treatment modalities presenting new avenues for cancer therapy? How can we work to improve our awareness of the changing face of multiple myeloma? Dr. James Berenson, founding president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research in West Hollywood, Calif., explores developments in multiple myeloma therapy that are improving prognoses for our patients. Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.
Guest: James Berenson, MD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Extended survival outcomes are becoming increasingly common after a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. What are some of the therapies responsible for these advances, and how far are we extending survival? Further, we’re learning that certain combination therapies are more effective for certain patients. How can we determine which patients are viable candidates for a specific treatment regimen? Dr. James Berenson, founding president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research in West Hollywood, Calif., probes these issues and more with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.
Guest: Frederic Luskin, PhD
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Dr. Frederic Luskin is the author of Forgive for Good and Forgive for Love. Hear Dr. Luskin discuss the latest research findings on forgiveness.
Guest: John Bissler, MD
Host: Gary Kohn, MD
Dr. John Bissler, professor of pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in the division of nephrology and hypertension, discusses tuberous sclerosis, its prevalence, and the potential for non-surgical treatment with host Dr. Gary Kohn.
Guest: Mininder Kocher, MD, MPH
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
In pediatric sports medicine, it is now recognized that ACL injuries are increasingly common in kids. But their still-growing bodies present added risk when considering treatment options, not the least of which is the grueling recovery process following surgery to repair the injury. Dr. Mininder Kocher, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, and associate director of sports medicine at the Children's Hospital in Boston, assesses the relative risks of operative and non-operative treatment for ACL injuries in young athletes. How can we counsel our young patients who will not have surgery, but also refuse to adjust their activity level? Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Mininder Kocher, MD, MPH
In years past, we understood that children rarely suffered ACL injuries. But we're now learning that this diagnosis, previously reserved for adults, has become increasingly common in children. How can we best counsel a young patient who suffers an ACL injury? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Dr. Mininder Kocher, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, and associate director of sports medicine at the Children's Hospital in Boston.
Guest: Lawrence Robbins, MD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
What do we currently know about the factitious disorder, Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP)? How is it diagnosed, what are the symptoms, and what treatments are recommended? Host Dr. Shira Johnson speaks with Dr. Lawrence Robbins about this interesting and controversial subject.
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Guest: Andrew Vickers, PhD
We all know that practice makes perfect, but how much practice is necessary to be considered beyond the learning curve? In this segment, Dr. Andrew Vickers shares his research in which his team evaluated the surgical outcomes for radical prostectomies based on chemical recurrence. What do the outcomes of this study indicate about the training and experience level of surgeons? Join us to find out.
Guest: Dana King, MD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
The cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have been studied with positive results in the alcohol consuming population. But what about non-drinkers? Should we be recommending a drink or two a day to our patients currently abstaining from alcohol? Dr. Dana King, Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, speaks with your host, Dr. Lee Freedman, regarding the surprising results of a study published in the American Journal of Medicine exploring the benefits of initiating alcohol consumption in middle age.
Guest: Mark Merchant, PhD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Surely the first question you’re asking yourself is, how does one extract blood from an alligator? Mark Merchant, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at McNeese State University, is one researcher brave enough to tackle this arduous task. Exactly why would Dr. Merchant go this far to get ahold of alligator serum? The answer, indeed, lies in its potentially unique medicinal value. Host Dr. Shira Johnson finds out what features of alligator serum may make it a strong candidate for future use in the clinical setting. The answer may surprise you.
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Guest: Mark Merchant, PhD
Dr. Shira Johnson interviews Dr. Mark Merchant on his recent research into the immunity of alligators in their natural habitat. Listen to learn what the implications are for future work with topical products in burn research and more. Why is alligator serum effective against HIV in vitro and is there a take home message for human research in all of this work?
Guest: Rick Stouffer, MD
Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH
Hemodynamic measurements are a crucial component of diagnosing patients with aortic stenosis and evaluating their need for valve replacement surgery. Dr. Rick Stouffer, Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, underscores the value of hemodynamics in managing aortic stenosis, distinguishing critical disease from low-gradient or pseudo-aortic stenosis and cardiac dysfunction.
Guest: Rick Stouffer, MD
Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH
Dr. Rick Stouffer and his collegues at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill have written a book entitled “Cardiovascular Hemodynamics for the Clinician” about using hemodynamic information for the diagnosis and management of cardiac disease. He will discuss the role of hemodynamics in assessing patients in both the cardiac catheterization laboratory and the intensive care unit.
Guest: Randal Mills, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
While politicians debate whether there should be federal funding of embryonic stem cells, they might be over-looking a key point: the fact that all of the momentum in stem cell research is not in cells derived from human embryos at all. Randal Mills, the chief executive officer of Osiris Therapeutics tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how all of the major clinical research in the U.S. is in adult stem cells.
Guest: Aaron Baggish, MD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
How close are we to tailoring exercise programs to patients based on their level of cardiac health? One study, conducted by Dr. Aaron Baggish, a cardiology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and the lead author of research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, reveals the specific cardiac structure and function changes in a group of university aged athletes when comparing the effects of strength vs. endurance exercise. Your host, Dr. Lee Freedman, discusses with Dr. Baggish the variance observed in ventricular dilation, wall thickness, diastolic function, and other areas between the two groups, and the potential this study could have in the exam room.
Guest: Vivian Faden, PhD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
What effects does underage drinking have on the brain of an adolescent and are these changes reversible? In this segment join Dr. Vivian Faden, Leader of the NIH NIAAA Underage Drinking Initiative talk about both external and internal consequences of underage drinking. Dr. Faden also presents her the NIAAA Five Point Plan to change underage drinking in our society and the important role that a Physician plays in helping to make change.
Guest: Vivian Faden, PhD
Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD
Using alcohol, the apparent drug of choice for adolescents in our society, is often considered a normative right of passage. In this segment, Dr. Vivian Faden, leader of the NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's Underage Drinking Initiative, talks with host Dr. Bill Rutenberg about the perceptions of alcohol for children in different age groups, and the predictability of future alcohol behavior. How can physicians effectively screen their patients for risks and warnings of possible abuse.
Guest: Jo Quetsch, RN
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
A new technology for the operating room, bar-coded surgical sponges are helping us keep track of one crucial aspect of any surgical procedure: ensuring that all sponges are safely removed at the conclusion of the process. How does the protocol change for a procedure using bar-coded sponges? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Jo Quetsch, RN, clinical director of surgical services at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., one of the first institutions in the United States to put these sponges into practice in their operating rooms. Ms. Quetsch shares Loyola’s experience in utilizing these sponges.
Guest: Jo Quetsch, RN
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
A new technology for the operating room, bar-coded surgical sponges are helping us keep track of one crucial aspect of any surgical procedure: ensuring that all sponges are safely removed at the conclusion of the process. How can these digitized sponges improve outcomes in the operating room? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill talks with Jo Quetsch, RN, clinical director of surgical services at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., one of the first institutions in the United States to put these sponges into practice in their operating rooms.
Guest: Anjan Chaterjee, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
What are the intended or unintended consequences of a person without pathology taking medication that enhances mental performance? Could the practice of cosmetic neurology become a standard one day encouraging researchers, physicians or other workers to enhance attention to get the job done? Could the use of mental enhancing medications diminish individuality? Creativity? For a fascinating discussion join host Dr. Maurie Pickard talking with our guest Dr. Anjan Chatterjee.
Guest: Anjan Chaterjee, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discusses the off label use of drugs that could lead to issues of safety, coercion and distributive justice. Will physicians will be faced with pressure to manipulate patients' emotional lives, eroding the character of medicine both individually and communally? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.
Guest: Wayne Gordon, PhD
Host: Gary Kohn, MD
The inability to function as expected in certain situations may be the result of an undiagnosed brain injury or head trauma. Discussing treatment for patients dealing with the social ills associated with a traumatic brain injury - and the process of unearthing a diagnosis - with your host, Dr. Gary Kohn, is Dr. Wayne Gordon, the Jack Nash Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Associate Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Guest: Wayne Gordon, PhD
Host: Gary Kohn, MD
Substance abuse, homelessness, criminal behavior. Highlighting the surprising link between head injuries and these social ills with your host, Dr. Gary Kohn, is Dr. Wayne Gordon, the Jack Nash Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Associate Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine- and the process of unearthing a diagnosis - with your host, Dr. Gary Kohn, is Dr. Wayne Gordon, the Jack Nash Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Associate Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Guest: Paul Iaizzo, PhD
Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH
How do opioids, fish oils and hibernating bears relate to the study of heart disease? It’s a fascinating correlation, currently under the meticulous study of Paul Iaizzo, PhD, professor of anesthesiology, physiology, and surgery, and the principal investigator in the Visible Heart Laboratory at the Medical School at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Iaizzo joins host Dr. Matthew Sorrentino to detail the remarkable cardioprotective possibilities of an array of hormones found in hibernating bears, and the hormonal interactions with morphine, as well as a separate but related investigation into targeted deliveries of omega-3’s.
Guest: Paul Iaizzo, PhD
Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH
Dr. Paul Iaizzo is the Principal Investigator of the Visible Heart Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. His laboratory has perfected use of large mammalian isolated heart models and conducts translational research from the cellular to the organ and whole body investigations. Dr. Iaizzo will discuss both the research and education endeavors of the Visible Heart Laboratory.