Second Opinion

KCRW•www.kcrw.com

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 .

Last refreshed: January 26th, 2026 at 3:26 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Emergency Contraception for Teens

A ruling that sets up back decades…

Dec 11, 2011•4 min

When a Patient Decides NOT to Know

Contrary to popular opinion there are times you might not want to know...

Dec 04, 2011•4 min

Choosing the Best Hospital

Looking at quality of care has become much easier...

Nov 27, 2011•4 min

Difficult Discussions

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to talk about end of life care...

Nov 20, 2011•4 min

Teenage Drivers

Reducing teen traffic accidents...

Nov 13, 2011•4 min

Back Pain and Placebos

What do we tell the patient?

Nov 06, 2011•4 min

Why Do the Japanese Live So Long?

Perhaps public health and universal health insurance...

Oct 30, 2011•4 min

Why Are People Going to the Doctor Less Often?

One sure way to decrease doctor visits is to increase co-payments…

Oct 23, 2011•4 min

Sound Recommendations about Prostate Cancer Screening

Finally, after years of politics, some good common sense...

Oct 16, 2011•4 min

New Federal Conflicts of Interest Regulations

Why can't we just say no?

Oct 09, 2011•4 min

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

Why is blood pressure different in the doctor's office than it is at home?

Oct 02, 2011•4 min

Nurses Go on Strike

When is it ethical for health professionals to strike?

Sep 25, 2011•4 min

Outlawing Female Circumcision

It often takes more than laws to change cultural practices...

Sep 18, 2011•4 min

Expedited Partner Therapy

A more effective way to decrease sexually transmitted infections...

Sep 11, 2011•4 min

Medical Scribes

There's a new person working with the doctor in the Emergency Department...

Sep 04, 2011•4 min

Be Careful about Unnecessary Genetic Tests

How companies convince doctors to order unnecessary genetic tests...

Aug 28, 2011•4 min

It's Not the Person, It's the Pill

Why is it important how a pill looks?

Aug 21, 2011•4 min

Is the Doctor's Duty Only to the Patient or to Society as Well?

What does the doctor do with genetic information that could benefit the family?

Aug 07, 2011•4 min

The Quest for Beauty

Cultural overtones for skin tones...

Jul 31, 2011•4 min

A Giant Step Forward for Women's Health

Free birth control is a winning policy for nearly everyone...

Jul 24, 2011•4 min

Doctors Don't Deal with Uncertainty

If we can find the cause it must not exist….

Jul 17, 2011•4 min

New Research Findings with Some Obvious Results

Sometime research doesn't always advance our understanding...

Jul 10, 2011•4 min

New rules to reduce medical resident fatigue

Another step to reduce medical errors.

Jul 03, 2011•4 min

The Pro-Pharmaceutical Opinion of the Supreme Court

What implications will the Court's ruling have on you and I?

Jun 26, 2011•4 min

A listener is angry his doctor asks him to make medical decisions

Who should make difficult medical choices – doctors or patients?

Jun 19, 2011•4 min

Limiting Care

Please, only one problem per visit!

Jun 12, 2011•4 min

Big Problems with Bias

Heavy people are often treated differently by the healthcare system...

Jun 05, 2011•4 min

A Sudden Hit to the Head

What is the doctor's duty when there is a sports injury?

May 28, 2011•4 min

Vermont’s Bold Move on Health Care

The state of Vermont moves toward universal care for all

May 22, 2011•4 min

A Couple of Odd Causes of Prescription Drug Abuse

Hint: a leading source of illegal prescription drugs is not the guy standing on the corner.

May 15, 2011•4 min

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