2 Docs Talk: The podcast about healthcare, the science of medicine and everything in between.

Over the last several decades a shift from independent physicians to corporate-employed physicians has changed the healthcare landscape.  It would make sense to consolidate and take advantage of economies of scaled to make healthcare for efficient.  Today 2 Docs Talk about whether this supposition plays out. Who is happier - independent or employed physicians? And whose patients fare better. 

With stronger regulations on pesticides (for good reason), bedbug infestations have been on the rise in recent years. These little parasites live in the nooks and crannies of places where humans like to rest and recharge.  Today, 2 Docs Talk about bedbugs, what they are, what they do, and why they are on the rise. 

When Kendall and Amy began medical training, the HIV/AIDS crisis was at its peak. The number of infections were blowing up, and people were dying in frightening numbers.  But looking back at the story of HIV, it's a lesson in how public health systems work and why fear should not guide our decisions.  Today 2 Docs Talk about the history of HIV and the current status of HIV-related disease.

When EMRs or EHRS first started popping up, it was an exciting time to be alive. The promise of no longer having to dig through fat charts to locate a lab report or trying to decipher some all but illegible note from a consultant left many physicians downright hopeful. But, as with most changes in medicine over the past few decades, the real reason for shifting to electronic was financial. This means that many EMRs are not designed to better patient care, but to better the billing process.  Today,  2 Docs Talk about the role of EMRs, where they have failed us, and how we can still make them work for us with a little effort.

A lot has changed over the past 50 years. We've gone from a society that used baby oil and reflective tanning mats in the 70s to one that will spend $50 and up on a rashguard with UV protection. These changes were prompted by the growing number of melanoma diagnoses.  In this episode, 2 Docs Talk about what melanoma is and how it's demographics have shifted over time. We also take a look at prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of melanoma. 

With the continued persistence of the modern anti-vaccination movement, even with the studies that originated it debunked, we have to ask some difficult questions about what we know and how we reach people with accurate medical evidence.  The Dunning-Kruger effect is the wrench in the works when we ask those questions. How does it, and our modern love of celebrity, stand in our way? Today, 2 Docs Talk about those questions and ponder some solutions.

For so long, colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 50 has been gospel in preventative medicine. But recently, trends in the incidence of colorectal cancer suggest we may be doing to much screening in the wrong people, and not enough screening in the right people. This means missed diagnoses and unnecessary interventions.  But recent research offers an alternative that we hope will target screening for the right people, while the rest of us get to avoid the "scope." Does this approach provide what we need to keep the most people the healthiest for the longest time? Resources: USPSTF recommendations for colorectal cancer screening (note -a new draft update is in progress now, so these could potentially change in the near future). BMJ recommendations on colorectal cancer screening QCancer risk calculator for 15 year risk of colorectal cancer

For those who pay attention to the state of healthcare in the U.S., the idea that we face a looming physician shortage is nothing new. Today, 2 Docs Talk about where the idea of a potential shortfall comes from, what is being done to try to remedy the problem, and some numbers that suggest maybe a shortage isn't on the horizon anyway. Resources: AAMC predictions of physician shortage Ezekiel Emanuel's response to AAMC prediction    

There has been a lot of commentary in the news and in medical journals about the problem of maternal mortality - specifically how we are really crappy at tracking it, which makes it really difficult to know if interventions are working or making things worse. In a country with healthcare as advanced as it is in the U.S., this is just stupid. I mean, we could use fancier words, but the bottom line is stupid.  Today, 2 Docs Talk about maternal mortality, the problems with tracking it, and one place that's done a pretty good job of both tracking and improving the numbers.  Resources: That Propublica article we kept referring to. Obstetrics and Gynecology article about trends and tracking Identifying Maternal Deaths in Texas CMQCC Toolkits WHO's Trends in Maternal Mortality

Medicare can be confusing for a lot of folks. Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D – some are automatic, some require enrollment; some have premiums, some don't; some have eligibility requirements besides age, some don't. It can get confusing.  To try to take some of the mystery out of Medicare, today 2 Docs Talk about Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage Plans. Take a listen and decide for yourself if these plans really offer any advantage.

Have you ever had water in your ear after swimming, gotten a bug in there, or just felt the urge to clean that wax out of there? If so you might have experienced otitis externa, or an infection of the outer ear. In today's episode, 2 Docs Talk about cotton swabs (should you use them to clean out your ears?), ear wax (what is it, how do you get rid of it, and do you really want to get rid of it?), and how the outer ear can become infected (swimmer's ear anyone?).   

Kratom doesn't sound like your typical herbal supplement, but it does come with all the issues common to the supplement industry. Namely, it hasn't withstood the test of clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy.  And that causes problems.  Problems like not knowing how much of the ingredient is in the supplement, or how much of other ingredients for that matter. Or wht kind of side effects might be evident if it were subjected to randomized placebo-controlled trials.  But another problem is that it might actually offer a solution to a very big problem—opioid addiction But we don't know if it does because guess what? It hasn't been studied.  This week, 2 Docs Talk about Kratom and why the regulatory requirements (or absence thereof) on the supplement industry might be causing us to miss out on some real benefits.

With our apologies to and appreciation of Frances McDormand. The opioid crisis is showing no signs of tapering off any time soon, so today, 2 Docs Talk about the cornerstone of opioid addiction treatment - medication assisted therapy or MAT. We also (because we can't resist) talk about the irony of the very company who triggered the epidemic with their deceitful marketing practices now profiting from selling the treatment for that very problem. Resources: Previously, we disucssed the opioid epidemic in episode 12 - you can find it right here.

After a hiatus that lasted much longer than planned, we are back with our fall 2018 season of 2 Docs Talk, with look back on previous topic and an update on what's been going on since we first discussed them. We'll talk about the following episodes: Hormone Supplementation and Menopause Right to Try Legislation The Flu, the Flu Shot and the Future Cervical Cancer and the HPV Vaccine Medicaid Expansion The Mumps   Other resources for this episode can be found here: JAMA article on racial differences in vasomotor symptoms  Info on HPV vaccine expanded recommendations Mumps booster information

If you've had many conversations about healthcare reform, it is likely you've heard some variation on this theme:  "Hospitals have to provide care for people who show up. So everyone can get healthcare when they need it. So when people say that can't get healthcare, that isn't true." Is there any merit to that argument? Spoiler: NO. But if you want to hear more about where that idea comes from, take a listen.  Resources: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EMTALA/ http://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/medicaid-income-eligibility-limits-for-parents/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

If you aren't taking an SSRI yourself, there it's almost certain you know someone who does. Selective Serotoning Reuptake Inhibitors are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs out there. Is their widespread use earned on the basis of good evidence? It's not clear - let's take a look. References: Genetic and clinical predictors of sexual dysfunction in citalopram-treated depressed patients. Perlis RH, Laje G, Smoller JW, Fava M, Rush AJ, McMahon FJ Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009;34(7):1819. Epub 2009 Mar 18.  Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

Right to Try laws have come about as a response to cumbersome paperwork required to access the FDA's compassionate use program. However, the FDA has lessened the paperwork required for terminally ill patients to access investigational drugs.  So is Right to Try a meaningful movement, or is it simply one piece of an overaraching ideology. Today, 2 Docs Talk about Right to Try laws and who they help. Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

For decades, much has been made of the healthvbenefits of drinking alcohol. And those benefits are real. But, what exactly are the benefits, and how do they stack up against the risks associated with alcohol?  Today, 2 Docs Talk about the ways alcohol and help and harm your health, and we offer some of our opinions, too.  Resources: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story/ https://www.cdc.gov/features/costsofdrinking/index.html https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/dsmfactsheet/dsmfact.pdf Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

If you are of a certain age, you remember a time when pretty much every kid got chicken pox. But those days are behind us as most of our children are vaccinated agains varicella, the virus that causes chicken pox. But for us old folks, shingles is the still around to remind of the old days when we still got chicken pox.  Today 2 docs talk about the effect of the varicella vaccine, the problem with shingles, and what you can do about it.   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Senator McCain has a malignant brain tumor called a Glioblastoma Multiforme, orglioblastoma or GBM for short. He’s not the first person politically connected to get one of these things. I think this is what Senator Ted Kennedy had back in 2008 and also Beau Biden, Joe Biden’s son died of a glioblastoma. Glioblastomas are one of a class of brain tumors called Gliomas. Gliomas can be low grade which are considered pre-malginant or pre-cancerous or they can be high grade malignancies such as GBMs.   Today 2 Docs Talk about Glioblastoma Multiforme, and the difficulties associated with treating - or not treating - the tumor.  Resources: Don't Tell John McCain to Fight His Cancer FDA approval of Optune device for Glioblastoma 2 Docs Talk episode on hospice Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

We all know that exercise is beneficial for our health. But how much  - how long - what type? Understanding what offers the best outcomes is tricky because it's difficult to conduct rigorous research with long term endpoints such as reduction of disease and death.  Today 2 Docs Talk about some interesting studies on exercise and what they reveal about the benefits of physical activity.  Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25844730 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25844882 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/mets-activity-table/ http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343%2814%2900138-7/abstract https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5868-9-89 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18332184 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612003565 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2852580/#R12 http://www.aacr.org/Newsroom/Pages/News-Release-Detail.aspx?ItemID=580#.Wlt9eSOZM_W Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

The normally staid world of hypertension was a bit controversial in 2017, so this week 2 Docs Talk about the recent recommendations — and their accompanying controversies — for treating high blood pressure.  Resources: Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly (SHEP) Study Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) blood pressure trial. Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) JNC 8 blood pressure treatment guidelines

Does your doctor sell dietary supplements? Have you considered the ethics of such an arrangement? The American Medical Association has, and they think it's a bad idea. 2 Docs Talk about the ethics of physicians profiting from supplement sales. Resources: About DSHEA 1994 ER visits due to supplements Study showing supplement reduces LDL AMA Ethics Statements on Supplement Sales Pharmceutical marketing and prescribing habits  

This has been a particularly bad year for the flu. More people are getting sicker than in most years. And the vaccine is not working well.  In this episode, 2 Docs Talk about why the influenza virus circulating this year is causing so many problems. Beware there is a little bit of basic science involved. But not too much. Resources:  Our information is from the Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/current.htm Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

If you’ve paid any attention to the news over the past year or so, you’ve likely seen stories of greedy capitalists gouging the vulnerable by hiking up the prices of their life-saving drugs. But are the prices hikes all that bad? Yes. Yes, they are. And we talk about that to day on 2 Docs Talk. Resources: JAMA on Drug Pricing Our episode on Hep C Our episode on Alzheimers Our episode on Pricing Transparency Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

If you’ve paid any attention to the news over the past year or so, you’ve likely seen stories of greedy capitalists gouging the vulnerable by hiking up the prices of their life-saving drugs. But are the prices hikes all that bad? Yes. Yes, they are. And we talk about that to day on 2 Docs Talk. Resources: JAMA on Drug Pricing Our episode on Hep C Our episode on Alzheimers Our episode on Pricing Transparency Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

You’d think that something like screening for prostate cancer would be free of controversy, but that just isn’t the case. The benefits and risks of screening have been hotly debated by different medical organizations over the years. Today, 2 Docs Talk about how prostate screening and the various issues surrounding it. This is a topic every man should discuss with his physicians, and we hope this hepls you know what questions to ask when you do. Resources: Weiner AB, Matulewicz RS, Eggener SE, Schaeffer EM. Increasing incidence of metastatic prostate cancer in the United States (2004-2013). Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2016 Jul 19.] AU Tacklind J, Macdonald R, Rutks I, Stanke JU, Wilt TJ. TI Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia. SO Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;12:CD001423. https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/hp/prostate-screening-pdq   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

If you’ve ever tried to figure out the price of a medical procedure, you know it’s not that easy. In fact, research shows that complete pricing for medical procedures is unavailable when requested over one-third of the time. As healthcare deductibles rise and indidviduals are affected more and directly by these costs, the issue of pricing transparency is growing. In this episode we talk about the problem posed by opaque medical pricing practices. We also dig into two innovative practice models that solve this transparency problem, as well as a few other issues in the delivery of healthcare and medicine. Resources: Surgery Center of Oklahoma Turntable Health Iora Health JAMA: Availability of Consumer Prices from US Hospitals for a Common Surgical Procedure   Listen on iTunes Listen on Libsyn  

Vaccines are both one of the most widely used and most widely misunderstood preventive medical treatments available. People have concerns about autism, efficacy, the promotion of unhealthy behaviors. We dig into the evidence on some of those topics, as well as take a look at the effectiveness of vaccines against some of the scariest disease of our time – including cancer.   NEJM study on vaccines and autism Lancet study on vaccines and autism Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality an ebook by the Institute of Medicine that states, “The evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between MMR vaccine and autism.” About Cancer vaccines 2014-2015 Flu vaccine info – why it was less effective, but did reduce disease severity Information on current research into an ebola vaccine     Check out this episode! Subscribe in iTunes

All you have to do is take a quick drive around town to see that low testosterone clinics are all the rage. A little math will tell you why. Males make up around 50 percent of the population, and their testosterone declines, naturally, at a rate of 1 percent per year after age 30. If that decline merits treatment, it’s no wonder those clinics are everywhere. But, does it merit treatment? Is testosterone replacement safe? Is it even effective? We dig into those questions on this episode of 2 Docs Talk. Resources JAMA: Effects of Testosterone on Subclinical Atherosclerosis Testosterone Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Testosterone Increases Cardiovascular Risk FDA Drug Safety Communication on Testosterone Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher  

In healthcare, the holy graille seems to be longevity. We look at whether a treatment increases lifespan and use that as a barometer for it's value.  But should that be the yardstick we use? Or would we be better off with a more subjective measure of improving quality of life, even if that means sacrificing some of the quantity. Today, 2 Docs Talk about this question propose some things to consider as you consider your approach to aging and healthcare.   Resources: Colonoscopy study in the Annals of Internal Medicine  Research on lifespan in Nature The Austad/Olshansky Wager  

One of the latest technological advances in food production is the introduction of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, to the food supply. They have the potential to offer many benefits including increased productivity, pest and herbicide resistance, longer shelf life, and the list goes on. But many are concerned that this relatively new technology isn’t safe – for health, the environment or the economy. We dig into the evidence surrounding GMOs in this episode. We might even share an opinion or two on whether the crops are just GMOs or Frankenfood. Resources: Primer on the retracted study that indicated GMOs caused tumors How GMOs are tested for safety Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher  

Back pain is second only to cancer as a cause of long term disability. This health problem is damaging to individuals and costly to society. And we don’t have much in our arsenal that is effective at treating it. This week, we discuss the difference between acute and chronic back pain with regard to treatment and outcomes. We also discuss the role of surgery, medications, alternative therapies, and some interesting new research on what helps resolve chronic back pain. Resources: Research on efficacy of epidural steroid injections for back pain Trends in spinal fusion surgery American College of Physicians Guidelines for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Screening mammography is widely used throughout the U.S. and is thought of as a great success in the prevention of breast cancer deaths. But what does the evidence say? Are we getting what we are paying for with mammography, or simply shouldering the extra cost of false positives and overdiagnosis? We examine these issues and more on this episode of 2 Docs Talk. References: What does the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) do? USPSTF current (2009) breast cancer screening recs  USPSTF proposed (2015) breast cancer screening recs American Cancer Society updated breast cancer screening recs American College of Obstetricians and Radiologists breast cancer screening recs American College of Radiology breast cancer screening recs Switzerland’s stance on screening mammography Cost of false positive mammograms BMJ study that showed no benefit from screening mammography performed in 1980’s JAMA Oncology study on ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) An excellent (and long!) discussion of overdiagnosis and screening mammography Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Physician burnout is a big issue in the medical community. According the the Medscape Lifestyle Report 2017, over half of physicians report burnout. But physician burnout isn’t just a problem for physicians. It is a problem for patients, for other medical staff, and for the health care economy. Today we dig into the causes of physician burnout and how it can be addressed. Here’s a hint: It doesn’t involve meditation or counseling. Resources: Medscape Lifestyle Report 2017 2 Docs Talk About Pricing Transparency 2 Docs Talk About Medicare for All 2 Docs Talk About Drug Pricing Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

If you watch any tv at all, it’s likely you’ve seen a drug ad. These ads generally show seemingly healthy people living normal lives, the message being the drug did this for them. But are the drug ads telling the whole story? And should they even be advertising directly to consumers to begin with? We discuss this issue on today’s episode.   Resources: Nivolumab Research from New England Journal of Medicine What the FDA has to say about drug ads Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

With the recent release of the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, depression and suicide have been getting a lot of press time. In this episode, we talk about depression, what it is, how it is treated and what’s on the horizon for this far too common disorder. We also talk a bit about the Netflix series and the problem of suicide. Take a listen and see what you think. If you think you may be depressed please seek help from a trusted healthcare provider. And if you are contemplating suicide, there is help for you – please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Someone will answer your call and help you find the resources you need to deal with your depression. Brains of people with depression are different Brain imaging reveals different types of depression Summary of effectiveness of SSRIs and other antidepressant medications   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Historically, cervical cancer has been one of the major killers of young women. But since the advent of the pap smear, death from the disease has dropped dramatically. However, treatment of lesions identified on pap smear can lead to significant issues including infertility. And in other parts of the world where screenign is not easily accessed, cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death for women in the prime of life. As with any disease, prevention is better than treatment, and this is where the HPV vaccine comes into play. Known mainly by its trade name, Gardasil, the vaccine has been on the market for over a decade. That’s long enough to provide data to draw reasonable conclusions about its safety and efficacy. Resources: Prevalence of HPV after introduction of vaccine Population-Based Incidence Rates of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Era   Safety Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21907257 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23027469 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24108159 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1886177 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/pdf/data-summary-hpv-gardasil-vaccine-is-safe.pdf   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

A BMJ report earlier this year declared that 1 in 3 hospital deaths were the result of medical errors. A flurry of headlines about the dangers of hospitals soon followed. Just what is a medical error? What are the dangers of being in a hospital? And what can we do about it? We talk about these questions in today's episode.  Resources: BMJ on medical error KATZ scale To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System Hospital at Home Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Thousands of people die each year from influenza. The CDC recommends that almost all people (with a few rare exceptions) receive the flu vaccine every year. But the disease and the vaccine are poorly understood. In this episode, we discuss the flu, its treatment and its prevention. Resources: Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing outpatient, inpatient, and severe cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza Oseltamivir treatment for influenza in adults: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Kendall and Amy are in agreement that hospice care is an important, compassionate aspect of healthcare that humanizes what can be a very clinical, impersonal process. We've both experience with hospice - personally and professionally.  Sadly, like most aspects of healthcare, the potential for profit has introduced some ugly practices into what should be focused solely on the needs of dying patients and their families. Today, Kendall and Amy talk about the good and the bad of hospice as it exists in 2017. Resources: Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

Most people probably know someone who has had thyroid disease of some sort, most commonly hypothyroidism - the term low thyroid hormone. But there has been a significant rise in diagnosed thyroid disease in the past couple of decades due to screening. These diagnoses include problems with thyroid hormone as well as thyroid cancers. It's easy to get excited about diagnosing more disease - you catch it earlier and help people prevent the consequences of the disease. Or do you? Today we are going to talk about screening asymptomatic patients for thyroid disease. We're also going to address that slipppery category of "subclinical" thyroid disease.  Resources British Medical Journal on Increased Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer Thyroid Cancer in Korea

Medicaid is the subject of a lot of talk in today's political environment. Sadly much of what is said isn't based in fact, or it focuses on parts of the program that represent a tiny portion of its cost.  Today, 2 Docs Talk about Medicaid, who it serves, and how it was affected (or, rather, supposed to be affected) by the Affordable Care Act.

End stage renal disease, ESRD, is a growing problem in the U.S. When Medicare began covering renal dialysis, there were on 16,000 patient who required that type of care. Today that number exceeds 650,000 and continues to grow. Today, 2 Docs Talk about what causes end stage renal disease, how can it be treated, and, most importantly, how can it be prevented.    Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

If you've had many conversations about healthcare reform, it is likely you've heard some variation on this theme:  "Hospitals have to provide care for people who show up. So everyone can get healthcare when they need it. So when people say that can't get healthcare, that isn't true." Is there any merit to that argument? Spoiler: NO. But if you want to hear more about where that idea comes from, take a listen.  Resources: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EMTALA/ http://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/medicaid-income-eligibility-limits-for-parents/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

The pap smear has been one of the greatest public health wins of the past century. Deaths from cervical cancer in the U.S. have dropped from 37.5 per 100,000 women to 7.5 per 100,000 women as a result of the simple screening test. But with our increasing understanding of the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of cervical cancer, the pap test may end up being pushed aside by HPV screening. Today, 2 Docs Talk about Pap smears, HPV screening, the current recommendations for cervical cancer screening, and the research that may push us to shifting away from the pap smear to the HPV test. Resources: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60644-9/fulltext?rss=yes https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/cervical-cancer-screening https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Cervical-Cancer-Screening https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/RecommendationStatementFinal/cervical-cancer-screening#consider

The process of drug approval is long and expensive. To complicate matters, pharmaceutical companies, patients, an the FDA are all invested in the process, for different reasons – and they aren’t always the same. Today we discuss the story of how a new drug came to market and the unusual circumstances around its approval.  Resources: FDA grants accelerated approval to first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy CDC on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Right to Try Compassionate Use Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!  

If there is a hot button issue in politics these days, it's abortion. But abortion is the result of a long line of issues that are being inadequately addressed in this country. Today we take a look at contraception - what it is, how it works, its history and its future.  We also offer a look at an innovative program that has the potential to help both pro-choice and pro-life groups happy.    Resources: Details on various types of birth control The Choice Project Use of LARCs in Colorado Slang for using a condom (adult humor - you've been warned)   Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t already.  And you know we’d appreciate it so much if you would tell your friends about 2 Docs Talk! Listen on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Now Available on Google Play Music!

As we enter primary season for this election year, gun violence and control is a hot topic. However, much of the discussion lives in one of two extremes, and little of it is based on actual evidence.  With over 30,000 gun deaths each year, and over 20,000 of those death from suicide, the reality is that gun violence is a public health issue. This means we need to treat this issue from the point of view of the medical evidence.  Today we look at the scope of the problem, what has and hasn't worked, and some thougths about what lies ahead.  Resources: CDC All Injuries Statistics CDC Accidental Death Statistics CDC Homicide and Assault Statistics CDC Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury Statistics CDC Depression Statistics Discussion of Australia's Gun Laws in the New York Times Discussion of Missouri's Gun Laws in the New York Times Survey of Defensive Gun Use Cited Frequently by NRA  Methodological issues with Defensive Gun Use Survey

Concussions are not uncommon in contact sports such as football, soccer and basketball.  But we aren't trying to scare or shock anyone. On today's podcast we'd like to educate and inform so that parents and players can make decisions that aren't based on fear and misinformation. We'll cover concussions return-to-play policies second impact syndrome post-concussive syndrome chronic traumatic encephalopathy Take a listen and let us know what you think. Article referenced in podcast: McKinney ISD Concussion Protocol