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DDx

Figure 1figure1.com
A podcast about how doctors think. Presented by Figure 1, the knowledge-sharing and collaboration app for physicians and healthcare professionals. Learn more at Figure1.com/ddx
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Episodes

Special Episode: It Looked Like the Flu

A man walks into his doctor’s office with flu-like symptoms—and walks out with a lung cancer diagnosis. What happens next opens up a broader conversation about early detection, access to screening, and the clinical nuances of treating non-small cell lung cancer. In this episode, Dr. Raj Bhardwaj brings you a candid discussion between oncologists Dr. Sanjay Juneja and Dr. Eric Singhi. They unpack a real patient case and explore the practical, diagnostic, and systemic challenges that shape lung ca...

May 28, 202525 min

TRAILER: It Looked Like the Flu (Special Bonus Episode)

This is a trailer for a special bonus episode of DDx—not part of Season 12. While we work on our next season, we’re bringing you a powerful standalone case: a patient arrives with flu-like symptoms—but the diagnosis is something far more serious. In this bonus episode, Dr. Raj Bhardwaj brings you a conversation between two leading oncologists, Dr. Sanjay Juneja and Dr. Eric Singhi, as they unpack a case that challenges assumptions and reveals how great clinicians think through the unexpected. St...

May 23, 20251 min

The Human Behind the AI in the Room Part II

Last time, we spoke with the co-creator of DAX Copilot, Dr. Jared Pelo, about what DAX can actually do and the questions it raises about AI and the future of medicine. But today, we’re not just continuing that conversation—we have news. Dr. Pelo is back to share a major development, and talk about what this news means for physicians, patients and the future of clinical practice.

Mar 12, 202515 minSeason 11Ep. 6

The Human Behind The AI In The Room Part I

“Every physician has thought this idea. Every physician has thought, I should not have to write my own notes.” Dr. Raj Bhardwaj sits down with Dr. Jared Pelo, the co-creator of DAX Copilot, to delve into the origins and future of the AI-powered clinical documentation solution. Discover how DAX Copilot aims to revolutionize medical workflows, the challenges it faces, and the potential it holds for transforming patient care. Join us to hear insights from the creator himself on the evolving role of...

Mar 05, 202522 minSeason 11Ep. 5

From Clinic to Hospital

Join us as we sit down with Colorado-based allergist and immunologist Dr. Robert McDermott, who has seen first-hand what an AI-powered solution can do for care providers at facilities of all scales. Dr. McDermott offers his unique perspective as someone who has integrated DAX Copilot as a documentation assistant at both a small clinic as well as a hospital. He delves into why and how, at each scale, he has seen the investment pay off for the providers, patients, and facility alike. For Dr. McDer...

Feb 26, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 4

The Workflow Conveyor Belt

“There's so many downstream effects of having people work in an inefficient environment.” Dr. Alfred Atanda, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, shares his experiences dealing with inefficiencies in a clinical environment and the stress that results. Every day in his practice, he sees how broken workflows ripple out—straining providers and the patients who rely on them. Dr. Atanda highlights how DAX Copilot, an AI-powered solution, aims to simplify doctors' workflows by recording patient visits and ...

Feb 19, 202512 minSeason 11Ep. 3

Burnout, Interrupted

“If I’m running on empty, I can’t be the doctor my patients deserve,” said Dr. Theresa Nguyen. Dr. Nguyen, who is the Chair of Pediatrics at Greater Baltimore Medical Center and leads the Medical Staff Wellness Committee, joins us to discuss the culture of wellness at the workplace for physicians. She opens up about her own personal journey dealing with the stress of perpetual burnout, delving into the impact on her life not only as a physician, but also as a mother and human being. For Dr. Nguy...

Feb 12, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 2

The Human Connection

We sit down with Dr. Patrick McGill, who shares his experiences and challenges as Chief Transformation Officer at Community Health Network and as a family doctor at South Indy Family Practice in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. McGill discusses the growing disconnect between doctors and patients due to administrative tasks and required documentation, which often take away valuable time and focus from patient care. Dr. McGill discusses his initial skepticism about integrating AI-powered solutions and h...

Feb 05, 202510 minSeason 11Ep. 1

Season 11 Trailer

Imagine a world where doctors spend more time with patients—and less on paperwork. This season on DDx, we explore DAX Copilot, an AI assistant that listens to doctor-patient conversations and drafts notes for medical records. We’re asking doctors what it’s really like to use this technology. Does it help? Does it get in the way? And what does it mean for the doctor-patient relationship when AI is in the room too? Real stories from the frontlines of healthcare. Season 11 of DDx is coming soon.

Jan 29, 20251 min

Giving New Life Through X-linked Hypophosphatemia Research

After a lifetime of treating her rare bone disease, X-linked hypophosphatemia, a patient is at the end of her rope. Due to a genetic variation of the X chromosome — specifically the PHEX gene — there’s an imbalance of phosphate levels in her body. Because of its domino effect on bone development and mineralization, the patient is in pain, she’s frustrated, and nothing seems to help. So when a clinical trial opportunity presents itself, Dr. Suzanne Jan de Beur, a professor of medicine and the Chi...

May 29, 202411 minSeason 10Ep. 6

The Bumpy Road to Hypoparathyroidism Diagnosis and Treatment

It’s a summer day and a 45-year-old is out for a drive. As she accelerates her stick-shift car, she starts to experience familiar, and scary, symptoms: facial tingling, numbness around her mouth, and a sharp pain in her hands. Her hands cramp and lock onto the steering wheel. Fortunately, she makes it home safely, but it will take many wrong turns and the help of Dr. Google to determine a diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism, a rare bone disorder. Dr. Michael Mannstadt, the Chief of the Endocrine Uni...

May 22, 202411 minSeason 10Ep. 5

Unexpected Therapies for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Offer New Hope

A local pool in the summer is teeming with kids. A 9-year-old does a cannonball into the shallow end. As she surfaces, a stab of pain shoots through her hip. As days pass, what seems like a straightforward bump takes a complicated turn. Dr. Edward Hsiao, an endocrinologist and Director of the UCSF Metabolic Bone Clinic at the University of California, describes how after discovering a new bone growth at the site of the pain and several rounds of major (and unsuccessful) interventions, the child ...

May 15, 202411 minSeason 10Ep. 4

Overcoming the Odds of Prenatal Hypophosphatasia

In an examination room, an ultrasound technician moves a wand over a patient’s belly. The patient is 20 weeks pregnant. Usually, these appointments bring good news, but the news this day is devastating: the baby’s bones are broken and bowed. Despite this, the baby is born and does well. After testing, all signs point to hypophosphatasia for Dr. Eric Rush, a clinical geneticist at Children’s Mercy Hospital and the University of Kansas Medical Center, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at th...

May 08, 202410 minSeason 10Ep. 3

The Power and Potential of GACI Clinical Trials

In a bustling maternity ward, an infant has a case of newborn hiccups. But this quickly transforms into labored breathing. A chest X-ray unravels an unexpected discovery – calcium deposits around her shoulder. Follow-up tests paint a complex picture, revealing narrowed blood vessels and widespread calcifications. Genetic testing confirms a grim diagnosis: generalized arterial calcification of infancy, or GACI, a rare genetic condition with a challenging prognosis. Nearly half of infants don't su...

May 01, 202410 minSeason 10Ep. 2

Biosimilars and the Quiet Revolution in Medicine

On a December morning, a 62-year-old goes for a walk. There’s snow on the ground and she loses her balance. She falls and fractures her wrist. This simple fracture reveals underlying osteoporosis, requiring lifelong (and expensive) medication. But as you’ll learn from Dr. Richard Eastell, an endocrinologist and professor of Bone Metabolism at the University of Sheffield, this is where biosimilars come in. Biosimilars are extremely similar — hence the name — to the original biological drug they'r...

Apr 24, 202411 minSeason 10Ep. 1

How One Child Overcame Hemophilia Complications Despite Incredible Barriers

A 5-year-old child and his parents boarded a plane heading for a new life. They were Syrian refugees, who fled conflict in their country and then lived a difficult life in a refugee camp. Now they were heading to Canada. But soon after arriving, there’s a problem. The child has hemophilia and due to hemophilia complications, a minor injury while traveling became a major concern. Add to this a language barrier and trying to understand a new culture. Dr. Robert Klaassen, a pediatric hematologist a...

Apr 17, 202411 minSeason 9Ep. 6

Unraveling How a Hemophilia Diagnosis Went Undetected for 60 Years

It was supposed to be a simple, low-risk procedure, but for this 61-year-old patient with undiagnosed hemophilia, undergoing a lithotripsy for kidney stones proved to be anything but. The patient was born in the 1950s in Taiwan, when many people in the country had never heard of the disease. So, despite signs throughout his life, the patient’s hemophilia diagnosis evaded him for decades. Dr. Yeu-Chin Chen, a hematologist at the Tri Service General Hospital's Hemophilia Care and Research Center i...

Apr 10, 20249 minSeason 9Ep. 5

To Play or Not to Play, the Challenges of Managing Pediatric Hemophilia

A young child living with severe hemophilia is adopted by a family in the United States. Prior to his adoption, due to a lack of resources and other challenges, his hemophilia was not properly managed. Dr. Meera Chitlur, a pediatric hematologist and the director of the Hemophilia Treatment Center at the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, has treated this patient since he first came to the U.S. As he grew older, like many children, he wanted to play sports. But for people with hemophilia...

Apr 03, 202411 minSeason 9Ep. 4

The History of Hemophilia and Its Evolution Toward Preventive Care

About 40 years ago a mother brought her 6-month-old child into the hospital. He was covered in bruises. Dr. Victor Blanchette, a pediatric hematologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, met the patient that day and, following a severe hemophilia diagnosis, has treated the patient ever since. Dr. Blanchette recounts how during the patient’s childhood in the 80s, the approach to treating hemophilia was reactive, not proactive. This meant that normal childhood activities could l...

Mar 27, 202411 minSeason 9Ep. 3

Undoing the Long-Held Misunderstandings of Hemophilia in Women

A 30-year-old was in labor with her first child. Everything was going to plan … until it wasn’t. Dr. Azusa Nagao, a hematologist at Ogikubo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, shares a case that illustrates how historically it was thought that women and people assigned female at birth could only be carriers of the disease, not have the disease themselves. This misunderstanding of hemophilia in women has led to women going undiagnosed and untreated with severe repercussions. For the patient in this story, ...

Mar 20, 202411 minSeason 9Ep. 2

The Ups and Downs of Hemophilia Treatment

A patient was experiencing severe knee pain. Unfortunately, this wasn't anything new. For decades, he’d been suffering from joint disease, caused by severe bleeding in his knees from a rare blood disorder — hemophilia A. The patient was born in the 1960s, a time when the life expectancy for patients with hemophilia was only 10 years. But as Dr. Annette Von Drygalski, a board certified hematologist and the director of the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Treatment Centre at the University of California,...

Mar 13, 202413 minSeason 9Ep. 1

Go Inside the Minds of Doctors Who Specialize in Hemophilia

Go inside the minds of doctors who specialize in hemophilia — a rare, inherited bleeding disorder that once meant possibly not surviving past the age of 20. This season, we’ll explore the medical milestones that enable patients today to live longer, richer lives and examine the challenges yet to be tackled.

Mar 08, 20241 min

When the Doctor is the Bully

What can you do when your attending physician is a bully? Hear from two nurses, Melissa and Laura, about their experiences being bullied by a physician. For Melissa, it was notifying an on-call physician that a baby was ready to be delivered, only to be scolded for calling too soon. For Laura, it was being reprimanded by a physician who questioned her abilities as a nurse in front of a patient. So how do you respond to a bully, especially when the bully is in a position of power? Connie spoke wi...

Nov 22, 202314 minSeason 8Ep. 4

Critical Learning on the Job

When is it okay to admit that you don’t know how to do something? Hear the story of Tamara Kuhn, a bedside telemetry nurse, who in a moment of crisis, used her problem-solving skills to keep her patient (and herself) safe. Tamara was caring for a patient who suddenly became violent. After calling for help, Tamara was given what she thought would be a standard restraint system. But what she received was not equipment she was used to. So how do you set yourself up for success in these situations? ...

Nov 15, 202315 minSeason 8Ep. 3

Trusting Your Gut

What do you do when you know something is wrong with a patient, but don’t have the data to back it up? Hear the story of Diana Struthers Stanton, who, at the beginning of her 46 years in nursing, cared for a 10-year-old patient with Reye syndrome. The patient’s capillary refill had changed and was slowly getting worse and worse. Concerned, Diana spoke to her charge nurse and was told not to worry about it. She spoke with her colleagues who also told her not to worry. She paged the on-call reside...

Nov 08, 202316 minSeason 8Ep. 2

When Generic Symptoms Turn Serious

How do you know when generic symptoms are masquerading as something serious? Hear the story of Molly Lalonde, a pediatric nurse practitioner, who met an 11-year-old patient with an unexpected concern. While surprised by the patient’s inquiry, Molly took the time to listen and ask questions. In response to the patient’s heightened level of concern, Molly investigated further. Following an assessment by a specialist, it turned out the patient’s concern was warranted. So how do you recognize the ze...

Nov 01, 202312 minSeason 8Ep. 1

Raj recommends our new show: They Don't Teach That In Nursing School

While nursing school equips you with valuable knowledge and skills, it doesn't prepare you for the real-life challenges you’ll face on the floor. They Don't Teach That In Nursing School is your go-to guide, offering unique solutions to the unexpected problems you'll encounter as a nurse. Each week Connie Levie (RN) presents the story of a nurse facing a specific challenge and its possible solutions. Our episodes are snack-sized, designed for your commute, break time, or just when you need to dec...

Oct 25, 20232 min

RAJ WANTS YOUR VOTE

DDx has been nominated for three Signal Awards. Click the links below and vote for us now! Documentary: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/shows/general/documentary Health & Wellness: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/shows/general/health-wellness Best Writing: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/shows/craft/best-writing...

Sep 21, 202331 sec

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM RAJ

Hi DDx listeners! We’ve got something special in the works, and we want you in on it. We're developing a new podcast by and for nurses - and we're searching for a host! It’s a show about innovative solutions to the most intense challenges - whether clinical or personal - that nurses face. In each episode, you, our host, will connect with fellow nurses who are grappling with specific challenges and unravel solutions that not only elevate their practice but also enhance their overall job satisfact...

Sep 06, 202349 sec

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and a Trip Across State Lines

Following a normal first trimester, a pregnant patient starts spotting. The patient’s care provider books an urgent ultrasound to see what is causing the bleeding. The main concerns are if the spotting is caused by a miscarriage or something else. Following the ultrasound, the technician calls in obstetrician Dr. Ashley Brant to review the results with the patient. There is a problem with the fetus’ heart — specifically, a condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Essentially, the left s...

Feb 01, 202310 minSeason 7Ep. 3
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