Wild and domestic pigs
With changes in domestic pig farming we may solve one problem of inhuman care, but risk another problem by exposing pigs to diseases that can impact our health.
Jul 17, 2022•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 .
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Episodes
Ignoring monkeypox at our own peril
Public trust in expert opinions on infectious diseases is low, but that’s no reason to ignore what is potentially a large public health problem.
Jul 10, 2022•5 min
The harms of too much and too little care
There are great disparities in health care and at both extremes – too much and too little – great harm can result.
Jul 03, 2022•5 min
Ageism and its impact on health
Ageism - the negative attitudes directed toward older persons simply because of their age – can impact an older person’s health.
Jun 26, 2022•5 min
Disappointment
If we are not careful, disappointment can have devastating long-term consequences.
Jun 19, 2022•5 min
A new kind of first responder
To reduce over utilization of emergency responders, fire departments are experimenting with a new, more comprehensive approach to home visits.
Jun 12, 2022•5 min
The Black Box Around Determining Physician Fees
Determining the fees physicians get paid is anything but transparent and only serves to drive up health care costs.
Jun 05, 2022•5 min
Sharing information against a family’s wish
Conflicts arise when a family does not wish to tell a sick person their diagnosis.
May 29, 2022•5 min
The heavy use of antidepressants in women
Women are the dominant users of antidepressants and there are many possible reasons why.
May 22, 2022•5 min
Friday the 13th
Superstitions impact many aspects of our lives, but they can have a profound effect in health care.
May 15, 2022•5 min
The importance of non-emergency transportation in health care
Not traditionally considered a part of health care, transportation plays an oversized role in the management of chronic disease.
May 08, 2022•5 min
A One Health approach to tick borne diseases
Veterinarians and Human health providers often deal similar diseases and that would stand a better chance of treatment with improved communication between the two professions.
May 01, 2022•5 min
Why do we still use the ineffective drug ivermectin for COVID-19?
Armed with good science that shows the drug is ineffective and dangerous people are still using it and often skipping their vaccines that are proven safe and effective. Go figure.
Apr 24, 2022•5 min
Messages to reach the heart and mind
Health messages are often ignored or easily forgotten. Enter a novel approach using Hip Hop Music.
Apr 17, 2022•5 min
What do hospital rankings really tell us?
Hospital rankings use metrics that just aren’t very relevant to most of us.
Apr 10, 2022•5 min
Challenging cholesterol statin use
Skeptics are a bit like the grains of sand in an oyster.
Apr 03, 2022•5 min
Those with intellectual disabilities
Special Olympics is working to protect those inside Ukraine and those fleeing to neighboring countries.
Mar 27, 2022•5 min
The care of animals in times of war
Human are of paramount importance, but the health of animals is important as a part of human health.
Mar 20, 2022•5 min
The power of the health lobby
The most powerful lobbying groups rarely have our best interests at heart.
Mar 13, 2022•5 min
A re-emergence of polio
Just as we were on the cusp of eradicating polio from the globe we have a new outbreak.
Mar 06, 2022•5 min
The impact of a changing mental health diagnosis
The name of a disease often has greater implications than the disease itself.
Feb 27, 2022•5 min
Learning and Practicing Medicine on Real Patients
Despite lots of advances in simulation, at some point trainees still need to learn on sick patients.
Feb 20, 2022•5 min
Psilocybin: a treatment for depression
A new treatment with some unusual effects we need to understand before we agree to treatment.
Feb 13, 2022•5 min
Medical prior authorizations for drugs and devices
Medical prior authorizations are intended to deter prescribing and save insurance companies money. Their real impact is to decrease the quality of care for people with chronic diseases.
Feb 06, 2022•5 min
Orphan drugs to treat rare disease
Orphan drugs are often exceedingly expensive which beg the question of how much should we pay for a drug and how do we measure effectiveness?
Jan 30, 2022•5 min
Can the treatment of serious mental illness be futile?
Can we reach a point when there is nothing left to offer a person with serious mental illness? Can they refuse treatment at this point?
Jan 23, 2022•5 min
Health Disparities for those with disabilities
For too long those with disabilities have had poorer health outcomes.
Jan 16, 2022•5 min
Do friends influence our body weight?
Weight loss is never easy, but is it easier to do together than alone?
Jan 09, 2022•5 min
The science behind setting goals
Choosing wisely and setting milestones optimizes our chance of success.
Jan 02, 2022•5 min
Missing signs of elder abuse
It is often easy to miss the signs of elder abuse which can be insidious and deadly.
Dec 26, 2021•5 min
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