Shame and how it keeps us from improving
We need to change how we care for people with type two diabetes, but unless we admit we need to change people’s health will suffer.
Sep 27, 2020•5 min
Second Opinion
An examination of medical ethics and the practitioners who define them. Sign up to receive the Second Opinion topics in newsletter form at kcrw.com/newsletters .
Episodes
Inappropriate Hysterectomies
The inappropriate removal of an immigrant’s uterus is not that surprising in that it seems to be part of a much larger trend across America.
Sep 20, 2020•5 min
Inappropriate use of the emergency department
Reducing ED use isn’t as simple as it sounds, and there are competing conflicts of interests.
Sep 13, 2020•5 min
In the pursuit of happiness
Happiness is not a momentary sense of joy but a sustained sense of life satisfaction.
Sep 06, 2020•5 min
Food Safety and Security in times of COVID
Despite a sufficient food supply too many people remain hungry.
Aug 30, 2020•5 min
Variations in hospital cesarean section rates
Despite widely documented health risks, longer hospital stays, and higher costs, caesarean sections are still performed too often and risk impacting women’s health.
Aug 23, 2020•5 min
ACES and Trauma Informed Care Part 2
Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) harm children's developing brains and lead to long term physical and emotional health issues. While we can’t go back and undo early trauma, we can intervene using “trauma informed care” approaches.
Aug 16, 2020•4 min
ACES and Trauma Informed Care: Part 1
ACES are adverse childhood experiences that harm children's developing brains and lead to changing how they respond to stress and damaging their immune systems so profoundly that the effects show up decades later. ACEs cause much of our burden of chronic disease, most mental illness, and are at the root of most violence.
Aug 09, 2020•5 min
The state of Alzheimer Disease in America
A new test offers some benefits, but also some risks, to finding out if you are at high risk for Alzheimer’s - a disease for which there are currently no good treatments available.
Aug 02, 2020•5 min
The impact of race on kidney transplantation
In many ways social, economic, and medical the cards are stacked against some people getting a transplantation.
Jul 26, 2020•4 min
The prohibition against marijuana in the hospital
Why is a drug that can be so useful to a group of patients not allowed in the hospital?
Jul 19, 2020•5 min
Leaving the World Health Organization
This decision to leave the WHO is among the most irresponsible the president has made and will negatively impact not only American lives but people in every corner of the world.
Jul 12, 2020•5 min
A practical steps to protect those at risk of suicide
Extreme Risk Protection Orders are a relatively new step that can be taken to protect the public from those who are felt to be of risk to themselves or others.
Jul 05, 2020•5 min
Changes in thinking about blood pressure
For some elderly taking several blood pressure medications can be risky. Do they need to take multiple medicines? Doctor have been hesitant to stop blood pressure medications because they fear they might harm their patients. The OPTIMISE trial results provides some reassurance.
Jun 28, 2020•5 min
Practice Guidelines the drive toward racial disparities
Practice guidelines use evidence to help doctors and patients make decisions about care. But, if the guidelines are biased so too are the decisions.
Jun 21, 2020•5 min
Medical Leadership and Conflicts of Interest
Why do we listen to expert medical groups when they have conflicts of interests that involve pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers?
Jun 14, 2020•5 min
Racism and Medicine
With regard to racism, medicine is part of the problem and needs to quickly become part of the solution.
Jun 07, 2020•5 min
The dangerous use of off label prescribing in times of a pandemic
Off label prescribing as grown into an enormous problem, and it risks putting people’s health at risk.
May 31, 2020•5 min
Implicit Bias in Mental Health
Could it be that our subconscious biases lead us to make assumptions that are not based on the facts?
May 24, 2020•5 min
The right to NOT know a medical diagnosis
Doctors have a moral, ethical and legal duty to inform patients of their medical results. But, do patients have a right to NOT be told crucial medical information?
May 17, 2020•4 min
200 years of change started by one woman
Florence Nightingale is known as a champion of nursing but she did much more….
May 10, 2020•5 min
The origins of the antiviral drug Remdesivir
The long journey for Remdesivir starting with a deadly cat disease
May 03, 2020•6 min
Fake news and its impact on health
Medical journalists need to slow down and do their homework before reporting on new research. Covering medicine is not a race, but a slow evolving process.
Apr 26, 2020•5 min
The stigma around COVID can be as dangerous as the virus, says Dr. Wilkes
In many of those countries stigma around the disease plays an important role. Today we look at Tunisia and the role stigma plays in managing COVID.
Apr 19, 2020•4 min
COVID-19 in Africa
Thinking about COVID-19 may different around the world
Apr 12, 2020•4 min
Missed lessons from the Ebola Outbreak
With each epidemic there are important lessons to be learned. When we do not learn from these lessons, the next time around we are bound to make the same errors.
Apr 05, 2020•5 min
Disease patterns and planetary health
In some ways we have only ourselves to blames for our changing planet and its relationships with diseases.
Mar 29, 2020•5 min
Our behavior changes when we are being watched
For generations we’ve know that when we are watched, or think we are being watched, our behavior changes. How can we use this to improve health?
Mar 22, 2020•5 min
A health care birthday
The Affordability Care Act (aka Obama Care) turns ten this month. Despite a decade of challenges and opposition from some, the bill remains broadly popular and has improved our health in many ways. Without it, many who get sick from COVID would have been left without access to health care or with enormous bills.
Mar 15, 2020•5 min
The need to focus on de-prescribing
No drug, no matter how good, should escape regular scrutiny in terms of whether it is still needed and do the benefits outweigh the risks.
Mar 08, 2020•5 min
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