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 .
Sometimes it seems that we risk being overwhelmed by all that is thrown at us. But, resiliency is an important life skill that can be learned from interacting with those who are resilient.
Next time you are being prescribed a drug or offered a procedure, ask the doctor, “what does research suggest is the likely benefit I can expect from this intervention”?
Each year the Lown Institute calls for nominations from health care experts, journalists and others. This year an outstanding panel of judges selected 10 egregious examples of profiteering.
Are some people more deserving than others? Should queues and priorities apply to everyone or should some people be able to jump ahead?
While it depends on the pain and the cause, on average surgery for chronic musculoskeletal pain does not result in less pain compared to those who received no surgery.
Choices of who gets limited resources in health care are never easy as there are bound to be winners and losers. But, rationing policies need to be open and involve the stakeholders.
This friendly phrase can send the wrong message.
Wastewater-based epidemiology is an approach to providing real-time information on our exposure to certain diseases using pooled waste water extraction (aka “sewage”).
Superstitions and magical thinking can help protect us from what we know is out ther
Research shows that DV increases during hard economic times, social isolation, and around the holidays – creating a perfect storm.
While they may not be scientific, gut feelings can often be right.
Keeping the same doctor has many benefits but it can also increase the length of your life.
As the rates of colon cancer shift it may be time to alter the screening recommendations. But there are some unintended consequences.
We’ve seen bullying taken to new levels. The impact on civil society is profound and will be long lasting.
While PPE is lifesaving, it is creating environmental damage for the future.
We’ve got a broken mental health care system which seems unable to protect many with great needs.
Dr. Nathan Link explains how the medical science of decision-making has lots to offer America’s leaders.
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.
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.
Reducing ED use isn’t as simple as it sounds, and there are competing conflicts of interests.
Happiness is not a momentary sense of joy but a sustained sense of life satisfaction.
Despite a sufficient food supply too many people remain hungry.
Despite widely documented health risks, longer hospital stays, and higher costs, caesarean sections are still performed too often and risk impacting women’s health.
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.
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.
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.
In many ways social, economic, and medical the cards are stacked against some people getting a transplantation.
Why is a drug that can be so useful to a group of patients not allowed in the hospital?
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.
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.
