How can a country so rich in resources and farm production have people who still go to bed hungry?

A model of eye care to increase access without compromising on quality

Climate change and increased moisture have altered the habitat for mosquitos.  

Finding an effective treatment can be tricky, but it need not be a pill.

At present, the role of genetics testing in the diagnosis or treatment of depression is not ready for prime time. 

Dairy farmers play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our milk.  But, they all need to make public health their top priority.

We are not helpless, and the situation is not hopeless.  We can’t wipe out mental illness, but we can enact reasonable gun control to protect the public.

For those Americans with end-stage kidney disease, insurance coverage is never an issue. Why can’t we provide this universal coverage for others with expensive chronic conditions?

Research is required to be evaluated to protect research subjects.  But, in many cases, this is not happening.  

Hospitals strive for early discharge, but it may not be in the patient’s best interest.  

For those with worrisome symptoms the test might be useful, but it has problems when used to screen people for disease who have no symptoms  

We still have a lot to understand about bird flu (H5N1), but elephant seals have given us new reasons to worry.

The wait can be long, and our thoughts often turn to the worst-case scenario

We are regularly bombarded with advertisements promoting unproven and non-approved dietary supplements.  Congress has chosen to look the other way.

Medical and Spiritual Professionals are like two ships passing in the night

Memory is complicated and many factors impact the retention of distant memories

For years, through different administrations at the State and Federal level, we have not been able to make nursing homes safe places with high quality care.

While paying those addicted to drugs to stop using has its skeptics, studies suggest it has real potential

Gifts are unethical and drive up healthcare costs

Much of what we know about routine dental care is not based on sound science

Medicine has seen many changes over the past 30 years, but AI will be a disruptive game changer.

There are many reasons to go abroad for healthcare, but attention is needed to carefully weigh the risks and benefits.

The World Health Organization considers antimicrobial resistance one of the top 10 threats to global health alongside climate change and pandemics.

The EPA has just passed some air pollution rules that could improve our American’s health. 

Research findings are not etched in stone.

America's dependency on foreign medical graduates, helps us but disadvantages countries around the world. 

The medical needs of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often ignored, and their care suffers.  

We may still have some lingering pandemic fatigue but the new bird flu has the potential for significant harm if we are not careful.

Would you prefer to receive bad medical news in person or over the phone?

Measles, a highly contagious disease, is making a comeback in the US and we are not as prepared as we have been in the recent past.

Institutional Care for People with Neurodiversity

Surviving in the mountainous rainforests of Uganda.

On a national level, Uganda has made progress in health outcomes, but certain populations have been left behind.

Classic medical care is a start but not always enough to ensure good health.

Despite rules to promote the sharing of medical records, barriers still exist that reduce the quality and increase the cost of healthcare.

As medical schools move to pass/fail grades what impact will this have on tomorrow’s doctors?

There is a critical need to rethink healthcare delivery to reduce microplastic waste

It is hard to avoid superstitions, but they are usually harmless and can provide a boost of confidence

The condition is difficult to diagnose, and errors drive toward overdiagnosis.

Industry tries to do what it can to keep the secret that these devices just don’t work very well.

Sidney Wolfe accomplished far more than most of us mere mortals

If we can decrease the need for pelvic exams and improve the convenience of cervical cancer screening we can increase detection rates

Too many CT scans are unnecessary, and the radiation can cause problems

If you are prescribed a drug, how do you find out how effective the drug really is?

Now that there is a highly effective treatment available, how can we assure access to this life saving drug?

These tools rely on software to monitor, treat, or prevent disease.  They are still in their early stages but we need more data on their effectiveness.

Not all problems should be attributed to normal aging.

It turns out that gratitude can benefit physical and mental health.

The consequences of reporting, and not reporting abuse, can be enormous

We need to do better at matching care provided at the end of life to patient’s preferences.

Decreasing problem gambling will require a toolbox of remedies including health care interventions and new policies.

Hospital discharge can be complicated, and too often, patient’s preferences are not considered.

There are many similarities between medicine and aviation, but one change we need to make in medicine is to develop the equivalent of black boxes to improve the quality of care.

While not a perfect solution, it has been shown to work.

What drives substance abuse is complex and treatment requires a dual approach

Climate change has created unique opportunities for insects to spread disease.

These expensive tests have very little benefit and some important risks.

Trauma experienced by refugees can have a powerful effect on the biology and behaviors of future generations.

We need to agree on outcomes for a “best hospital” and then figure out how to measure those qualities. 

It turns out both adverse and positive childhood experiences impact our health as adults.

Certain rules assure that people can live with emotional support animals, but they are different rules than protect service animals.

The FDA has dropped the ball on requiring that studies are properly evaluated for ethical violations

Perhaps the white coat is no longer a fitting symbol for a patient-focused modern medical profession.

Is our life’s path already written, or can we control behaviors and impact our health?

Drug testing for elicit substances should require explicit permission from the patient

Like with all new drugs, – things are never quite what they first seem.

Should limited resources go to those with the greatest expected benefit?

Too many people use too many medications, negatively affecting their health.

Data over many years suggests that surgeons who do more surgeries have better outcomes.

Being a father isn’t easy, and the expectations have changed remarkably over the years.

A good night’s sleep is vital to well-being, but it isn’t always easy

While consuming meat can negatively impact our health, it also affects meat processing workers and those living near these processing plants.

The relationship between meat consumption and human health is complicated. 

Artificial intelligence has suddenly burst onto the world stage, but now is the time to ensure that the use of AI is transparent, confidential, and enhances health care and not just institutional profits.

We spend lots of time figuring out at what age to start screening for cancer. But when do we stop screening?

You can easily order genetic tests online, but should you?

While the death rate for prostate cancer has fallen over the past two decades, little of this is related to routine testing of older men. 

Simply providing information such as clear warning labels on restaurant menus can reduce added sugar consumption.  

Can artificial intelligence, based on machine learning, predict more accurately the care a loved one would want at the end of life compared to next of kin?

The thinking goes that testing before elective surgery can reduce risks and complications.  But, it turns out it may do the opposite.

Touch during a visit to the doctor has many benefits, but it can also negatively impact the provider-patient relationship.

While video offers some advantages to patients and providers, it also has some significant downsides.

There are several reasons for the increasing use of medical imaging tests buy they may not always benefit the patient

When is it simply avarice to profit at the expense of public health?

Sick people play a large role in driving antibiotic overuse.

First comes the disaster. What follows is predictable, but equally worrisome.

Should prisoners be allowed to donate organs in exchange for a reduced sentence?

Changes are needed to ready ourselves to treat new emerging infections

For good reason, other than the US, only one other country in the world allows drugs to be advertised directly to the public.

Small acts of kindness make a huge difference to patients and families

Good quality turns out to be complicated and unrelated to reimbursement rates

While properly ordered blood tests can help enormously with diagnosis, too often, blood tests are ordered without good reason.

Is there value in getting a second opinion?  What happens when the two opinions differ from each other?

A look at some of the topics we covered throughout the past year.

These four words may not mean the same thing to all people

Too often the use of expensive and risky technologies catch on before we have good data suggesting benefit.

When a person is a victim of systemic injustice does that constitute a medical diagnosis?

The state of California is about to take on pharmaceutical companies by producing safe, effective, FDA approved insulin.

For over 100 years we’ve had a similar approach to understanding Alzheimer’s disease which hasn’t produced many benefits. Perhaps it’s time to cast the net more broadly?

In medical care job specifications are often blurred and a focus on the person can get lost

Until we know more, it makes sense to avoid microplastics as much as possible

Using participatory science to examine local air quality.

Unnecessary medical testing often leads to a “care cascade” that results in real harm and sky-high costs.

Often medicine gets hooked on using simple tools of measurement only to discover, after they have become entrenched, that they don’t measure what they are supposed to measure. 

A unique way to focus on reducing stress in moments of great need.

Often reproductive autonomy is undermined by our partners.

Big polluters are not just cars and power plants - they include the American health care system.

When we screen for any disease, we need to make sure acceptable treatments are available.

Remote monitoring devices are now capable of tracking our health behaviors including the pills we consume, the food we eat, and the step we take.  Is this an advance in health care?

Nationally, emergency departments have become the latest battle ground around issues related to abortion.

A very large preliminary study suggests that there may be some health benefits to regularly drinking black tea.

Soil is something that often gets ignored as we think broadly about health.

It turns out that even what we chose for breakfast can have a biological origin.

The new legislation offers some major successes, but with regard to drug pricing it is not close to what it could have been.

We currently have no good communication systems to assure that those at risk for serious inherited diseases are informed of their risk.

It turns out that much of what we’ve been told about antidepressants is wrong or misleading.  The prevailing thinking has led to huge sales with little evidence of effectiveness.

Video recordings in the OR have a chance to improve quality but they also open a can of worms.

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.

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.

There are great disparities in health care and at both extremes – too much and too little – great harm can result.

Ageism - the negative attitudes directed toward older persons simply because of their age – can impact an older person’s health.   

If we are not careful, disappointment can have devastating long-term consequences.

To reduce over utilization of emergency responders, fire departments are experimenting with a new, more comprehensive approach to home visits.

Determining the fees physicians get paid is anything but transparent and only serves to drive up health care costs.

Conflicts arise when a family does not wish to tell a sick person their diagnosis.

Women are the dominant users of antidepressants and there are many possible reasons why.

Superstitions impact many aspects of our lives, but they can have a profound effect in health care.

Not traditionally considered a part of health care, transportation plays an oversized role in the management of chronic disease.

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.

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.

Health messages are often ignored or easily forgotten. Enter a novel approach using Hip Hop Music.

Hospital rankings use metrics that just aren’t very relevant to most of us.

Skeptics are a bit like the grains of sand in an oyster.

Special Olympics is working to protect those inside Ukraine and those fleeing to neighboring countries.

Human are of paramount importance, but the health of animals is important as a part of human health.

The most powerful lobbying groups rarely have our best interests at heart.

 Just as we were on the cusp of eradicating polio from the globe we have a new outbreak.

The name of a disease often has greater implications than the disease itself.

Despite lots of advances in simulation, at some point trainees still need to learn on sick patients.

A new treatment with some unusual effects we need to understand before we agree to treatment.

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.

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?

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?

For too long those with disabilities have had poorer health outcomes.

Weight loss is never easy, but is it easier to do together than alone?

Choosing wisely and setting milestones optimizes our chance of success.

It is often easy to miss the signs of elder abuse which can be insidious and deadly.

New research shows that the use of hydroxychloroquine for covid treatment was widespread and did not impact all populations equally.

If we can reliably designate some care as “low value”, then why do we still offer those treatments?

Who owns a patients’ test results and does the health provider have a duty to warn at risk relatives?

Why aren’t patients given useful information on the effectiveness of medications?

Female surgeons with similar experience and skill get fewer referrals than comparably trained male surgeons.

When people read doctor’s note they can feel offended and disrespected.

Its easy to start antidepressants but when is a good time to stop taking them?

The relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession is unhealthy and it impacts us all.

Why did it take so long to change the recommendations about the preventive effects of aspirin?

Grieving is important and complex; there is no one “right way” to do it.

Pregnancy poses unique mental health challenges that we need to address urgently.

Making profits from creating a disease and then making more profit from treating the same disease.

A close look at the health benefits of dairy products suggests the recommended 3 glasses of milk a day may not be a healthy choice.

How is advice to loose weight received from a clinician who is themselves overweight?

We have learned some important lessons about caring for people from 9-11 we can apply to those impacted by COVID.

At this point, surgical robots are not all they are cracked up to be.

Defensive medicine add costs but not value to clinical care.

While the MRI can be enormously useful for a small number of people with back pain, when overused for common back pain it can lead to some serious problems.

Bandura, one of the top five psychologists of all time challenged our approach to learning and changing human behavior.

Loneliness is everywhere and seems to be growing more common. The treatment isn’t medication but social connections.

Are there benefits of stopping smoking once diagnosed with lung cancer?

Government insurance is provided to people for medically necessary care. But, when care is not necessary should it still be provided as a benefit?

Refugees are at high risk for all the stress of changing cultures while being without their usual supports. A bit of prevention may ease their integration into American society.

But, in creating new slots we need to grow health care delivery in places where the need is greatest and the trainees will have the greatest impact on improving the community’s health.

Federal laws are putting many of our young adults in a bind and creating new disparities in health care.

Do the advantages of telemedicine suggest it is an innovation that should last past COVID?

It turns out that clinicians are not very good at estimating the probability of illness which leads to unnecessary care.

Aducanumab is not just a drug that doesn’t seem to work, but it is an enormously expensive drug but provides false hope to desperate families.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, one lesson is that we need to rethink allowing promotions for treatments that are overdone, unnecessary, or not proven effective.

For years we have used incentives and disincentives to drive people toward specific behaviors. Is driving toward COVID immunization any different?

Rather than selecting a health care provider based on ability and training, people often rely on demographic data and look for someone they think is like them.

For years pharmaceutical companies have provide gifts and kickbacks to doctors who prescribed their drugs. Medical device manufacturers are now playing the same game and it’s costing all of us.

Asking health care providers a simple question is surprisingly accurate at predicting how long a person has to live and this information can make a big difference in how people chose to live what time they have left.

It is time to re-look at laws intended to protect victims of domestic violence as they have had unintended consequences

Involuntary hospitalization is not an easy decision to make and involves balancing ethical, moral and legal issues while trying to protect a person and society.

It turns out the number of days providers treat common infections with an antibiotic is simply too long.

For years there has been a symbiotic relationship between these two giants but its time for increased transparency and some guiderails governing appropriate behaviors.

Making a diagnosis of a mental illness can be difficult and there is a great overlap between normal and illness.

Like any drug, cannabis has risks and benefits. Unfortunately, we are still limited in our knowledge of both.

Palliative care has much to offer in wrap-around services but it is being enormously underused particularly for people with illnesses other than cancer.

A new law requires all medical records including clinician’s notes to be freely available to patients. Depending on your perspective this is either a long overdue transparency benefit or a hinderance to good medical care.

Why is that results from drug research studies are so much rosier than the experience using those same drugs in the real world?

Long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC’s) are under-used and often too expensive for many women – but this significantly restricts a woman’s contraceptive autonomy. 

There as been lots of controversy on the health impact of eating eggs but some recent good studies suggest we may finally be reaching consensus.

Sex workers often experience stigma both related to their occupation as well as to mental health issues they may face.

While it often seems better to do something, there are times when it may be better to do nothing – such as taking Vitamin D or Homeopathic medicines.

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.

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. 

Practice guidelines use evidence to help doctors and patients make decisions about care. But, if the guidelines are biased so too are the decisions.

Why do we listen to expert medical groups when they have conflicts of interests that involve pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers?

With regard to racism, medicine is part of the problem and needs to quickly become part of the solution.

Off label prescribing as grown into an enormous problem, and it risks putting people’s health at risk.

Could it be that our subconscious biases lead us to make assumptions that are not based on the facts?

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?

Florence Nightingale is known as a champion of nursing but she did much more….

The long journey for Remdesivir starting with a deadly cat disease

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.    

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.

Thinking about COVID-19 may different around the world

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.

In some ways we have only ourselves to blames for our changing planet and its relationships with diseases.

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?

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.

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.

Physicians, nurses, and others at UCD are faced with a time-honored dilemma do they assume some risk to themselves to provide care to the public?

Without more research we could be under-utilizing the benefits of cannabis or over using the drug and causing additional problems.  There’s only one way to find out, and that’s with well conducted research.

Full disclosure of hospital charges and POOMS (patient oriented outcomes that matter to us) will help drive the system toward higher quality care and lower costs.

Sometime simple solutions can have huge benefits.  A group of nurses found putting some money where the mouth is can save lives and reduce costs.  The cost?  $1.35.

Is the spread of global disease the new normal?

First SARS, then MERS, and now N-Corona suggest we have a new normal.

There are many social determinants that greatly impact health, but one that takes place within the health care system is implicit bias. 

Natural gas isn’t as healthy as producers maintain, and it’s health impacts aren’t just on humans. 

Health care costs continue to rise, and much of this is due to unnecessary tests and procedures that do not improve length or quality of life.  One area that is rarely discussed are clinical laboratories that push doctors to do tests that are simply not needed.

Americans spend twice what other developed nations spend on health care and we certainly are not any healthier because of that spending

Collecting a good family medical history can be useful for the entire family.

Schools should serve as safe places for HIV infected children - a place where they can receive support and encouragement. But, in Uganda where HIV still carries stigma schools can create havoc for infected children.

Despite large barriers, Romania struggles to provide its 20 million citizens with adequate health care.

We are more than just the sum of our genes - the environment in which those genes work can have a large impact on our physical and mental health.

It feels good, but there is biology that suggests it actually improves health.

Times have changed and new data suggests that daily aspirin isn’t as helpful as once thought.

Culture plays a huge role in how we manage our last living days.

While miscommunication is never good, in medicine it can lead to poorer medical outcomes and overall dissatisfaction.

40 million American provide some level of care to members of their family, and for most it isn’t easy.

Those supplements you’re taking and paying lots for – do they really provide any benefits?

The science behind a recent report is not credible due to financial conflicts of interests by the funder.  Why were these conflicts not detected by the medical journal?

Why can a society that is clever enough to create a drug to prevent the spread of HIV not find a why to make it affordable?

It's hard to tell if the unionization of the medical profession is good or bad for patient care.  But it seems to be a growing movement.

While politicians talk about change in health care, those on the front lines have not seen much change and it is effecting their lives.

While poverty is a potent driver of poor health care there are other factors such as access, the health care system, patients, culture, and health care providers.

In Tanzania poverty can have a devastating effect on health – particularly for women and children.  But, its not just Africa that has this problem….

It is time to improve communication to assure that patient’s end of life wishes are respected.

Conflicts of interests impact most medical specialties, most hospitals, and many product manufactures – the conflicts all impact our health.

Preliminary studies suggest that for at least some people high stress jobs can cause harm to DNA.

What we seem to have lost in our discussions on health care is bipartisan moral compass to tackle some wicked problems. 

Why can’t we be as committed to providing all evidence-based health care to Americans as we are to caring for those with end stage renal disease?

Do we want health professionals to dress similarly, just as flight attendants, or should attire be an individual choice?

When people feel sick from minor illnesses, an ambulance and a trip to the ED is not in their best interest nor is it in the best interest of the public.

Know how much a medical service costs could be important in making medical decisions.  But, new regulations that require this information be provided to the public have created databases that are simply unusable.    

When sick and needing surgery do patients want to make decisions themselves or have an expert make the decision?

Improved work-life balance is an important goal, but do workplace wellness programs help us live healthier more balanced lives?

Long grueling work hours and pharmaceutical gifts are still part of medical training.

Medical decisions are complex and we often rely on our values and preferences rather than exclusively on the science.

By messing with the largest and one of the highest functioning health care systems in the nation we are putting our vet’s health at risk.     

Woman’s bodies have long been proxy for politician’s power and control – often under the guise of “morality”. Today access to pregnancy termination is in the news, but before that it was contraceptives.

The data on serious mental illness is surprising and we do not have an adequate response to address the problem.  

This week has been a bad one for woman's reproductive rights and the health care providers who care for them. 

While ordering genetic tests directly from a company seeks to empower patients and puts them in control of their own health data, the test results that are returned are often confusing and leads the person to make incorrect assumptions about their health risks.

When it error occurs it’s easy to blame an individual but its often important to looks at systems causes.

Some experts claim America needs more doctors -- what is far clearer is that we need different doctors practicing in different locations working with different communities

Social psychologists and economists are working from all sides to figure out how to change doctors' prescribing behaviors, but it is not always about what’s best for patients.

Past reasons that people suffered in silence, including stigma and price, are changing meaning more options to assist those with hearing loss.

No longer is being average acceptable.

There’s lots we still don’t know about older antidepressants and now were starting the process all over with an entire new class of drugs.

It behooves us to approach problems with a systems based orientation.

Medical Professionals unconsciously hold biases and stereotypes that impact the care they provide to different type of people.

For a variety of different controlled drugs, such as opioids and stimulants, prescriptions are more common in majority white areas. What is the impact of this disparity?

Sexually transmitted diseases and mesentaric adenitis.

Do we want a mandatory retirement age, and if we do it could impact our ability to get timely surgery?

Re-admission rates not only lower quality of life but they are expensive.

The nations is divided – are supervised injection facilities illegal and only serve to promote illicit drug use, or are they a step toward harm reduction as they save lives?

Unbridled greed and disrespect for human suffering seems to be the driver of all award winners.

At local, state, and national levels we are failing to protect and care for transgender people

There is something lost when treatment is only provided to one half of a couple.

It is high time to throw out the current model of medical training and look to designing a health care system that really works and is affordable.

Despite federal laws to assure equal access to mental and physical health care, mental health care is still far from accessible.

We are so very close but we keep making mistakes that set us backward.

Medical Scribes offer some advantages to doctors and to patients –but not everyone approves.

With legislation pending to penalize people who sign up for food and health care, the issue becomes what is the role of government?

How is a doctor to judge whether there is sufficient danger to others to break the rules around confidentiality?

Until we address the antecedents of drug use, the problem is unlikely to go away.

There are several common reasons but the most common is their don’t agree with their doctor.

Its been way too long that we have lacked research and data to help end gun violence. The medical profession feels strongly that it’s time to move this to the center stage.

While obtain access to affordable health care remains a top priority for a majority of Americans there seems no agreement that basic health care should be a human right and not a privilege.

Why do humans, and Doctors in particular, reject new knowledge simply because it contradicts what we have always believed to be true?

Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common that we need to confront brand new diseases that pose new challenges and can lead to confusion and even fear.

Kavanaugh confirmation has resulted in new and difficult conversations in the Doctor’s office.

A delicate dance -- with no leading partner.

Oct 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Flu Epidemic. There is still lots we don’t know about how to prevent a similar occurrence today.

Circumcision rates in Africa are closely tied to declining HIV rates.

Using patient satisfaction as a measure of quality can sometimes lead to bad outcomes.

A new federal research program is recruiting people willing to share their health data to develop new knowledge on genetics

Why not use real evidence that matters to us, and would drive toward higher quality?

Sticks and Stone can break our bones and words can really hurt us!

How a disease is defined can have important public health implications, but it can also lead to benefits for drug companies and medical specialists.

In exchange for free medical school students should be required to offer some public service.

Developing nations are often placed in a difficult position balancing protecting health and the environment with looking for products to sell for large profits.

Researchers in Tanzania are working with researchers in California on ways to reduce their breeding and biting.

In Tanzania the garbage from all over collects and is a huge health problem.

Climate change is increasing the stress on farmers who increasingly overwhelmed.

Diagnosis can often be a challenge.

What’s needed is effective treatment, access to care, and prevention!

The shortage of snakebite venom.

Is the nudge an example of libertarian paternalism or subliminal mind-bending?

The feelings of guilt are complex and seemingly tied to our perceptions of weight.

Why are numbers increasing and what does it tell us about our society?

We need to rethink what “exposure” to drugs means and whether health care professionals should be held to a different standard than other citizens.

What happens when a undocumented immigrant needs kidney dialysis?

In our interconnected world their problems today could be our problems tomorrow.

This is the poster child for how we can use evidence-based practice to improve outcomes.

Deciding to strike is always difficult, but there is an added twist in health care.

Trying to meet patient expectations is an art and we sometimes miss the mark.

Reporting failure often results from neglecting to look under the rocks and ask the tough questions.

Everyone’s opinions count, but leaders need to be motivated to change the status quo

A group of people being missed by health professionals.

We could be doing much better – but it takes a village

An early start to any type of substance abuse can often be a warning sign.

Millennials are our reason for hope.

Intervening to improve the health of this vulnerable population will have big payoffs as they transition to becoming tomorrow’s adults.

An important illness with several options for treatment.

Requiring a year or two of community service.

Perhaps it is time for a change in the culture of medicine – if not for doctors then for the sake of patients.

Paying doctors to change their behavior works, but it often has unintended consequences.

Despite being used thousands of times a year for decades, an innovative study shows shoulder surgery is not effective.

A medical student goes home to care for a sick family member.

A delicate dance -- with no leading partner.

We certainly could do much better with our approach to the flu.

How our eyes can deceives us.

A social dance between doctor and patient

A collective federal amnesia

Bigger now even starts with bigger baby bottles.

These new recommendations are overly aggressive and difficult to recommend to people who have no other risk factors for heart disease or stroke.

The data on the health benefits from a daily drink is weak and conflicted.

Doctors have a conflicted role as patient advocate and as a steward of the public's well-being.

Regret over actions we could have/should have/would have done -- can be painful.

In poor countries with dry climates kidney disease is killing thousands and we have no idea why.

When we draw too much blood in the hospital there is a real cost.

Hearing such advice is difficult but is often in your best interest.

Birth control is one of the greatest advances in health in the past 100 years..

We never know what tomorrow will bring so why not take care of this while it's on your mind?

The technology is easy, it changing people's behaviors that is really hard.

The misinterpretation of language can lead to inappropriate expectations and overuse of technology.

How much more evidence do we need?

We need to think of the mouth the same way we do other parts of the body.

It not just a medical problem but a social one as well.

Is the white coat really the symbol we want?

The line between normality and illness is very thin.

Perhaps another link to global climate change.

While our intentions are good time is a deal breaker.

A need for community reflection...

What is needed is to get at risk teens early help.

Should we have the right to know what attitudes the new CDC director holds?

A good reminder to extend care.

Will people find it acceptable?

They aren't what you might think.

The body’s reaction to an emotional trigger.

Sometimes the promotions are rather sneaky.

In three important ways it does.

Who decides what looks nice?

The poor are stuck and need help getting out...

No choice about a flu medicine.

The bribes and gifts continue….

For too long our heads have been in the sand...

When does the public need medical advice and when does it not?

There is still no clear answer and the decision is not easy

If we listen there is lots we can learn from those around us.

A tough question, but perhaps it's the wrong question to ask.

What we are looking for is a partnership.

It can change – but only with effort and will.

Unnecessary antibiotics...

It is long past time to end this practice.

Let's at least agree on how we measure our health.

Complaints are far more than they seem.

Why do we overuse care that offers no benefit?

What can we learn about how to be more inclusive?

Listening is powerful medicine.

Why do more than half of Americans take these products?

Going, going, GONE!

Patients deceive their doctors…but doctors also deceive their patients.

What happens when patients fib to their doctor?

Guess who funded a study showing that sugar isn't harmful?

The data is getting strong that extensive phone use can be extremely harmful.

Why do medical organizations look out only for themselves?

Our health depends on this.

Looking at federally qualified health centers, the answer is no.

This hurts and can lead to burnout.

Fences and barriers impact humans and other living things.

Are there evidence-based treatment options for depression?

Celebrities should stick to what they know best.

These three problems could be easily addressed.

What they need most is compassion.

What is the relationship between the surgeon and sales reps?

What does forgiveness really mean?

Can it be that letter grades are harmful to learning?

There is little data that predictions are accurate or necessary.

Doctors need education to use this drug effectively.

Another change that moves you away from your doctor

The solution requires a united front.  

But when bias creeps in, we all lose .

A problem that should concern us all.

Without cure there is still care.

It is not in society’s best interest.

…which lead to lots of unnecessary tests.

Even for the surgeon, this isn’t an easy decision.

Weighing benefits of one patient against another...

Access to therapy appointments differs by race and class.

After a motor vehicle accident it's the last thing you'd expect.

But beverage manufacturers stand in the way.

There are important unintended consequences.

Still, the problem is real and deserves attention…

It's a problem that should concern us all.

Women are making good choices about reproductive health.

If doctors choose, patients loose.

Is it the seed or the soil?

How did a group of people ended up with cow tuberculosis?

What defines a female athlete other than lower pay?

America's pain epidemic has its roots in social determinants.

It's no longer just drugs but now genetic testing.

How will we ever know without an autopsy?

Do we really want to raise the age when an adult can purchase cigarettes?

The impact of moral distress can be long lasting.

A new study does not come close to providing any resolution.

Over-testing people with diabetes.

This is what we currently know.

Special permits for prostitution...

Do larger animals with more cells get more cancer?

But, is this always the best idea?

How can we increase compassion?

Giving up something now to benefit others later.

Going overboard creates awkward situations.

It's time for us to have some hard discussions about the meaning and cost of extending life.

What could possibly be the purpose?

Would you want your doctor to take drugs to improve their performance?

Will the loss of money improve healthcare?

A new, and surprising, call to ban the adverts.

What we need is transparency in the process.

A live discussion to engage and enlighten.

Medical care is just one issue.

But we're not getting quite what's promised.

Not exactly high tech!

A result of a changing climate...

What is easy to start can be far more difficult to stop.

Drug prices with no caps...

Changing the goals in emergency medicine...

Why tease us with punch lines we can’t understand?

Change does not come easily....

A perspective from Dr. Susan Love...

What good can come of new medical evidence?

It seems as if this is not in anyone's best interest.

The mental health parity law is just not working.

Doctors and patients can’t seem to get this right

We've come a long way.

Chronic kidney disease in rice farmers...

Ayurvedic Medicine and its new sibling “western medicine”...

Disease spread from humans to animals.

How do you change long held beliefs?

We're all from the same family...

Recommendations to approve two drugs that are not ready for prime time.

We need to proceed with care.

Sometime our help isn't really help.

It turns out air pollution impacts far more than our lungs.

Is deception ok when it helps the patient?

What are our global priorities? 

The biology of bonding.

Something is amiss in how we re-certify doctors.

It is clear why one in three kids is overweight.

It's expensive, but does it work?

An important cultural “no-no”...

There is no easy way to screen so we need to rely on trust.

Why are we paying twice for this ultra-expensive drug?

When patients and doctors are not on the same page...

No change in recommendation needed.

And the web seems to be the great equalizer...

If only we knew more about costs…

It isn't very good news...

It's often not what we first suspect...

Fair pay and physician strikes...

When do we stop what isn't necessary?

The data now provides us with some surprising answers.

New recommendations may surprise you.

The electronic medical record is no passing fad.

You won’t be seeing your primary care doctor in the hospital...

We have some things we could learn…

We really want to believe...

Caregiver fatigue impacts us all...

Experience may not be all it is cracked up to be.

Customer care a thing of the past...

We can pay now or pay later…

Is family size a personal or population matter?

A loser all around...

Alarms intended to protect are actually dangerous...

Perhaps we need a new type of dialogue...

A giant step toward female empowerment...

Have you protected your end-of-life wishes?

Despite all we know, there’s lots we don’t know...

As the population ages, new problems arise...

A unique pattern of despair...

Personal protective equipment has its limits...

What doctors might recommend…

Exploring the mind and body link...

It isn’t only the treatment of disease…

A new IOM report questions existing approaches.

Robots in medicine...

Turn to water!

When to prescribe a pill that really isn’t needed...

It all depends on what you believe...

For healthy people, we just don't need our vitamin D levels checked...

Much of what we do to sick people is poorly studied...

Can two types of doctors agree to play together?

Steps we can take toward prevention

When does a behavior become a disease?

Should we all chip in to pay people to stay healthy?

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.

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.

Do those first minutes with the doctor seem forced?

The health of young women is vital...

It isn't perfect but it may help...

A one health approach to childhood diarrhea...

Gorillas in the mist...

Can atrocities ever be forgiven?

An ugly chapter in human history...

What happens when the doctor tells you to "return if...."?

Long-term impacts of genocide...

What happens when there is no refrigerator?

We need to slow down, buckle up and drive sober.

The growing medical problems of disability...

Can we agree on some ground rules?

Do we have an obligation to stand up even when not asked?

Eating on the street...

Could it happen here?

Zebras in Medicine

Women need more choices...

What is a physician's duty?

One reason women drop out of school...

An advantage of seniority...

Clever solutions with few resources...

Beating the nonprofits at their own game...

Some remarkable progress...

Nothing is done more often than lab tests...

Can doctors select what care they will offer?

It is time for task shifting...

The ethics of being compassionate...

There are benefits from recordings but not to secrecy.

But, we need medical student to get practice...

CEO Salaries

Doing nothing can often have important benefits.

Do you want a private room?

How common is it?

Why do we not take our medications?

Haven't we learned anything?

We are often creatures of habit...

Cognitive psychology can shed some light on medical error.

The doctor and patient need to work together.

Does it mean you get better health care?

Should family be allowed to witness the resuscitation?

Why can't we cancel these meetings?

Yet another way to keep drug prices high...

A test in search of a problem...

Can a person just decide (s)he wants surgery?

Why can't we stop using treatments that don't work?

One group for which bias seems deep rooted...

Clinical testing is not always a panacea...

What will it take for nurse practitioners and doctors to collaborate and focus on us?

What do rates and cost differ from one location to the next?

In what ways does the medical profession depend on mothers?

Is it ethical to use secret shoppers to evaluate doctors?

The new DSM 5 creates the labels...

How do we understand the risk of life?

The lessons of inappropriate care...

New access for young women who make a mistake.

Why are there so many treatments?

Words really do matter...

Failing to see what is right in front of our nose...

How will old health problems fare under new laws?

What do we do when people won't help themselves?

Does limiting contact between drug companies and doctors make a difference?

Should doctors be involved in politics?

Can we all agree on pregnancy prevention?

Why have drug prices increased?

Why must doctors work bankers' hours?

When should the government step in to protect us?

Male menopause...

Can we better understand how children perceive research?