This is the podcast for HealthNewsReview.org, a website that helps people become smarter health care consumers by helping them sharpen their critical analysis of claims about health care interventions. The 1st 25 episodes were hosted by our Publisher, veteran health care journalist Gary Schwitzer. N…
This podcast was published by HealthNewsReview.org on December 4th, 2018. For more information and related links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-the-top-ten-quotes-of-2018/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ This 50th podcast is most likely our last. In it we take a look back at some of the more memorable conversations of the past year. There's quite a mix of insights here on everything from what it means to 'cure' Alzheimer's and 'survive' cancer, to 'science-ploitation' and cutting through the hype surrounding precision medicine and the microbiome.
This track was originally published by HealthNewsReview.org on November 20, 2018. For links to more resources visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-our-team-reflects-on-what-weve-learned/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* After over 12 years of scrutinizing medical news to help improve the public dialogue on health care, HealthNewsReview.org closes up shop at the end of 2018. In this podcast, the seven members of the staff take a look back and share what they've learned from the experience.
This podcast was published by HealthNewsReview.org on October 31st, 2018. For more resources and related links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-the-polluted-stream-of-health-care-information/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* As health care information flows from its source to the general public there are several opportunities for contamination. That contamination is something we document every day at HealthNewsReview.org: imbalanced, inaccurate media messages that mislead consumers about health care. But who is polluting our health care information? And how? In this podcast we speak with four people intimately involved in understanding and explaining not only how this happens, but what we can do about it. These experts will address topics such as the influence of promotional news releases, the impact of financial conflicts of interest, and the role of patient advocacy groups who don't always advocate in patients' best interests.
This podcast was originally published on September 4th, 2018. For more background information and helpful links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-the-problematic-promise-of-a-cure-for-alzheimers-disease/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Alzheimer's is a disease in which the cause is unknown, and a treatment hasn't been found. Despite this, the Alzheimer's Association features fundraising commercials that promise "breakthroughs ... a cure ... (and) the first person to survive Alzheimer's disease is out there." In this podcast we explore whether such promises are irresponsible, unethical, and potentially harmful. You'll hear from: A gerontologist, a bioethicist ,a geriatric neurologist, and three people whose lives have been deeply impacted by the disease. [Photo Attribution: David Claxton via Flickr]
This podcast was originally published on August 13, 2018. For more background information and helpful links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-emergency-docs-highlight-toxic-health-care-myths/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A trip to the emergency department is never a welcome experience, but it can be made worse -- or even be triggered by -- a patient's unrealistic expectations. Veteran emergency doctors Jerome Hoffman, M.D., and Greg Henry, M.D., discuss how misleading media messages can feed myths that lead to patient harms, and what patients and physicians can do about it.
This podcast was originally published on August 1, 2018. For related links and resources visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/roy-moynihan-overdiagnosis/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Do we have too much health care that's supported by too little evidence? Roy Moynihan, PhD, thinks so. In this podcast, the erudite and personable Australian journalist-turned researcher helps us make sense of the complex intersection of over-diagnosis, evidence-based medicine, and conflicts of interest.
This podcast was originally published by HealthNewsReview.org on Friday, June 29th, 2018. For related links and more information visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-the-language-of-cancer/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The words we use to talk about cancer - they matter. They not only reveal our values and beliefs, but they have a certain power to them … ranging from the power to inform and inspire, to the potential to misinform and cause harm. In this podcast you'll hear five powerful perspectives on concerns regarding how our cancer vernacular has the potential to harm people. Katherine O'Brien (9 years with metastatic breast cancer); Mandy Stahre (diagnosed with cancer at age 31); Ellen Miller-Sonet (former marketing executive for a renowned cancer center, now a cancer advocate); Vinay Prasad (oncologist and evidence-based medicine specialist); and Christine Norton (28 years with Stage I breast cancer and co-founder of the Minnesota Breast Cancer Coalition).
This podcast was originally published on May 31st, 2018. For more background information and links to related resources visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-doctor-patient-relationship/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The doctor-patient relationship is a key determinant of the quality of our health care. But this relationship is changing quickly, and may actually be endangered. What does that mean for patients and providers? And what can we do about it?
This podcast was originally published on April 27th, 2018. For more background information and links to related resources visit: goo.gl/3UyMT5 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In poop we trust? It appears so. At least judging from a glut of highly clickable news stories telling us that the trillions of microbes that live in our gut (and on our skin) are important determinants of health. We're told they can cure disease, change our mood, improve athletic performance, and even be modified by our diets in such a way that it puts us in control of balancing levels of "good and bad" bacteria. Problem is, none of this is true. At least not yet. So how did we get to this misinformed place where belief in the microbiome as a panacea trumps the reality that this field -- though fascinating -- is still in its infancy? That's what this podcast aims to answer.
This podcast was published on March 19th, 2018. For additional resources and related links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-doctors-who-blog/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* This podcast is about physicians who blog ... Why do they do it, what they’ve taken away from the experience, and what they see as the role blogging plays in the medical information landscape.
This podcast was published on February 19, 2018. For additional resources and helpful links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-tim-caulfield-fighting-goop-and-cheating-death/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Timothy Caulfield, a professor at the University of Alberta, is a bit like a superhero. He can run fast, seemingly see through things clearly, and appear to be in several places at once. And he wears a lot of capes: lawyer, author, watchdog, Royal Fellow, TV host, recovering rock star, and emerging social media star. In this podcast he covers a lot of ground: the battle of science vs. hype, public trust in science, the importance of social media in health care journalism, the role of celebrity in pseudoscience, and the art of communicating health care information.
This podcast was published on January 30, 2018 at HealthNewsReview.org. To read the blog and background resources associated with this podcast visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/podcastmedia/podcast-the-promise-of-precision-medicine/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* In the past half year the FDA approved the first three gene therapies for use in the US. This comes less than 18 years after the announcement that the human genome had been fully sequenced. It was a milestone wrapped in a promise; a promise that became known as "precision medicine." But has that promise become reality? In this podcast we turn to five leaders in their respective fields who've been intimately involved with this emerging technology. We ask them them to not only contrast what precision medicine is and may become, but also to help us clarify what holds promise and what's just hype.
This podcast was published on December 22, 2017. For helpful links and to read the associated blog visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/12/top-ten-quotes-2017/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In this podcast-- our 13th of the year (and 38th episode since we started producing them in the summer of 2015) -- we take a look back at some memorable conversations from the past year. We spoke with quite a mix of inspirational individuals, covered a wide range of fascinating topics, and thought we'd share with you what we thought were some of the most compelling quotes. So here you go ... The Top 10 Quotes of 2017 !
This podcast was published on November 13, 2017. For helpful links and to read the associated blog visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/11/podcast-victor-montori-md-a-mayo-clinic-doctor-calls-for-a-patient-revolution/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Having a conversation with Victor Montori you can almost feel your hair blow back. If he were introduced at a medical conference you'd probably get something like this: Mayo Clinic diabetes physician, author of roughly 600 publications, world-class expert in shared decision-making and evidence-based medicine, director of Mayo's Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, and an advisor to The BMJ and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But in person you get this: a working wisdom of the U.S. medical industrial complex, placed in pragmatic perspective by a frontline physician who actually studies the patient-doctor relationship (yes, patient before doctor) ... all fueled by high octane passion. It's on full display in this podcast. Simply acknowledging that our $3 trillion health care industry is broken doesn't cut it with Montori. He wants to fix it. Here's how ...
This podcast was published on October 26th, 2017. For background information and related links visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/10/podcast-conflicts-interest-world-conference-science-journalists/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Today marks the opening of the 10th World Conference of Science Journalists in San Francisco. Over 1,300 people will be in attendance, and that's a big number. But there's an even bigger number that may not get as much attention but really should: The conference is receiving $400,000 from biomedical giant, Johnson & Johnson, and another $200,000 from various companies such as Bayer, Sanofi, 23andMe, and AstraZeneca. In this podcast we ask the question: Should health care journalists -- or their professional organizations -- take money from the people they report on regularly?
This track was originally published at HealthNewsReview.org on October 10th, 2017. To read the associated blog, and link to additional resources visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/10/podcast-35-allen-frances-md-psychiatrists-take-dsm-pharma-donald-trum/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Is President Donald Trump mentally ill? Do we really need over 500 psychiatric diagnoses? What do the changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or 'DSM' for short) over the past 60+ years say about psychiatry? The influence of industry? Us? This conversation with renowned psychiatrist, Allen Frances MD, although just over 10 minutes long, touches on all the above and much more. Trust me, he's not shy.
This podcast was published on HealthNewsReview.org on September 14, 2017. To read the blog -- and background resources -- associated with this podcast visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/09/podcast-34-clear-health-costs/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Why are health care costs so opaque? And medical bills so hard to understand? When you buy a car, book a flight, or put things in your grocery cart, you not only know the price in advance, but you can also shop around for the best price. But for most health care services you can't. And former New York Times editor and reporter, Jeanne Pinder, thinks that makes no sense at all. So much so that she started ClearHealthCosts.com. This is her story, and the story of those who have joined her, to challenge what she calls "a problem hiding in plain sight."
This podcast was published on August 1, 2017 at HealthNewsReview.org. To read the blog and background resources associated with this podcast visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/08/podcast-33-wild-west-stem-cells/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Stem cell clinics are booming. And hurting people. How can patients protect themselves in a marketplace where the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and state medical boards have been ineffectual? In this podcast you'll hear from George Gibson (a patient left blind after a dubious stem cell intervention), Leigh Turner PhD (a bioethicist who's been following the stem cell marketplace closely), and Drs. Jeanne Loring and Paul Knoepfler - two PhD stem cell researchers from California.
Sometimes journalists - and even the US Food & Drug Administration - will say that they can't find health care experts without financial conflicts of interest involving the health care industry. Well, for 9 years, we've hosted what we think is a one-of-a-kind list of industry-independent experts, and now a newly revised list is available. Listen to the list originators, Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer, talk about the history and the need for such a list. Read more about them at https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/07/podcast-32-newly-revised-list-of-industry-independent-experts-for-journalists/. This podcast was published on July 17, 2017.
This podcast was published on July 10, 2017 at HealthNewsReview.org. To read the blog -- and background resources -- associated with this podcast visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/07/podcast-31-dcis-searching-for-clarity/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ What is DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ? Is it an incidental abnormality that only came into existence as screening mammography became more widespread and sophisticated? Or is it a pre-cancer that affords surgeons a head start in treating breast cancer before it spreads? These are questions that nearly 60-thousand women are faced with each year in this country. The answers to these questions have changed considerably over the past few years. In this podcast you'll hear the voices of: • a health care journalist who has covered DCIS • a patient whose journey with DCIS affected her so deeply she decided to become an advocate • two breast surgeons who are at the forefront of redefining what DCIS is and how it can be treated.
This podcast was published on May 31, 2017 at HealthNewsReview.org. To read the blog -- and background resources -- associated with this blog visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/05/podcast-memoirs-female-surgeon/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Only 7 percent of orthopedic surgeons in the United States are women. Dr. Julie Switzer is one of them. In this podcast we touch on gender, but we mostly address two other topics. First, is Switzer's passion for caring for the elderly who sustain fractures. Second, the emerging sports focus in how orthopedics is covered by the media, and marketed to the public. Does this sports medicine framing reflect what orthopedics is really about? Is there more to this specialty than the jock-centric image we often associate with it? Switzer has a unique perspective on these and other important questions.
This track was published at HealthNewsReview.org on May 4, 2017. To read the associated blog and link to more resources on this issue visit: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/05/podcast-23-year-old-graduate-student-choose-live-nursing-home/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ About 6 percent of older Americans live in nursing homes. However, nearly half of us over the age of 65 will spend some time in a nursing home at some point in our life. When it comes to news stories about nursing homes and the elderly the most common tend to be about abuse and neglect, delivery of medical care, financial and reimbursement issues, and staffing challenges. But for many who live in nursing homes -- or have loved ones who live there -- the most important issues have to do with quality of life. Things like: privacy, dignity, food, activities, autonomy, security, relationships and comfort. These are things Tetyana Shippee knows about first hand ... even though she is only in her thirties ... and this is her story.
• Aired on HealthNewsReview.org on April 20th, 2017 ~ you can link to that blog and more resources here: https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/04/podcast-wellness-programs-do-they-work/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Wellness programs in the United States are an $8 billion industry. Over 50 million Americans are enrolled in such programs. They are as variable in size and quality as the companies and organizations that use them. In this podcast you'll hear 3 voices. First, a skeptic who thinks the vast majority of these programs don't work and may even be harmful. Second, a professor who helped bring down a program that illustrated what a wellness program should not be. Finally, a health policy specialist who explains why it's so difficult to gauge whether wellness programs are actually working or not.
Health News Watchdog is a production of HealthNewsReview.org ... a website dedicated to enhancing well-informed public discourse regarding healthcare news. This story features Howard Wolinsky, a seasoned health care journalist and Dr. Chris Warlick, a urologist who runs an active surveillance program for prostate cancer patients at the University of Minnesota. To read the associated blog and useful links please visit: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/03/podcast-health-care-journalist-chose-active-surveillance-prostate-cancer/
[from www.HealthNewsReview.org] One week after the inauguration of President Donald Trump we sat down with one of the most knowledgeable politicians regarding health care to serve in the US Senate over the past half century. David Durenberger served as a Republican senator for Minnesota from 1978 to 1995. He was frequently labeled as either a “moderate” or “progressive” and is the only Republican senator from Minnesota to serve three terms. He was a chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence as well as the Health Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee. He’s also a former chair of the National Institute on Health Policy at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. But through the years — much like his contemporary Senator Ted Kennedy — Durenberger became best known for his intrepid commitment to healthcare reform. Like Kennedy, he also has endured his share of scandal. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to misuse of public funds and asked for (and got) the unanimous censure of his colleagues. Now, at age 82, Durenberger continues to be sought out for his counsel on healthcare reform. It's probably not just his wisdom that people are after, but also his candor and passion, which are in full display in this interview. A broader blog post about the interview appears on our site: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/02/two-veteran-views-on-health-care-reform-a-politician-a-journalist/
Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer is a global voice in improving risk communication to the public, and risk literacy in all, including doctors. He heads the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where I recently met with him and recorded this podcast interview. More info about his work is on our blog at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=60536
James McCormack's medical music video parodies have become legendary in evidence-based medicine circles. Rarely have such complex concepts as evidence-based medicine, overdiagnosis, surrogate markers and shared decision-making been conveyed so effectively, so simply, so creatively, so humorously - not only to doctors, but to the general public. Listen here, but see some of the videos on our blog at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=60070
ShowMoreSpine.com is home for a new social movement led by a Finnish orthopedist to try to stop overdiagnosis & overtreatment of osteoporosis. Of all the members of the campaign team, we chose to interview Ajay Puri, who is applying what he knows about social media, community engagement, and grassroots organizing to this medical revolt, as it were. See the full blog post surrounding this podcast at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=60062
Only 33 years old, hematologist-oncologist Dr. Vinay Prasad has exploded into the health care public forum with often biting commentary about things he believes are wrong. He questions promotion of the Cancer Moonshot, precision medicine, overselling of screening tests, and journalism that fixates on the lowest levels of evidence. We touch on all of these themes in this episode. See broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/07/podcast-vinay-prasad-md-takes-moonshots-precision-medicine-journalism/
At 43, Melissa Phipps was diagnosed with breast cancer. While trying to make treatment choices, she was confused by news stories that seemed to emphasize options for people like her that were different than what any of her doctors recommended. Her story conveys what it's like to be in the throes of decision-making when conflicting news just turns up the noise. It causes her to still have doubts today, more than a year later. Read the broader blog post at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/06/podcast-trying-to-make-breast-cancer-decisions-while-conflicting-news-stories-swirl-about/
AnneMarie Ciccarella was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She describes herself as "Fierce advocate, activist, blogger. Passionate about research, evidence based care, empowering others to self advocate." In this podcast, she rants about celebrities telling their own breast cancer experiences in ways that mislead and misinform. See our broader blog post at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/05/podcast-chemobrainfog-blogger-criticizes-celebrity-breast-cancer-news/
In another of our series of podcasts profiling standouts in health/medical/science journalism, you have the chance to hear from Sharon Begley - someone who has been a class act with an outstanding body of work for nearly 40 years. From Newsweek > Wall Street Journal > Reuters > STAT news. Way too much for us to capture, but well worth a listen. See broader blog post - http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/05/podcast-4-decades-of-solid-medical-science-journalism-by-sharon-begley/
This week is the 10th anniversary of the launch of HealthNewsReview.org. We've now published 4,600 articles to try to improve media messages about health care interventions, and to improve the public dialogue about health care. Hear from four experts who have worked with us for that entire time span. http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/04/podcast-10th-anniversary-for-healthnewsreview-org/
When news proclaims "a new treatment for migraines," that's going to light up the migraine patient community. But smart patients get upset when they find out the story is misleading. Music credit: "Migraine Blues" by migraine specialist Fred Sheftell, MD. See the broader blog post at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2016/04/podcast-abc-stations-mislead-patients-with-migraine-treatment-news/
We profile another outstanding health care journalist as we talk with John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, with support from MedPage Today. He has chosen to specialize in asking some of the tougher questions about financial relationships between industry and researchers and clinicians. Our audio chat is wrapped inside of a broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=46038.
We present another example of how people can be harmed by misleading messages about medical research. Michele Manion leads a rare disease advocacy group, the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Foundation. She has seen how people with rare diseases may hang on every word of possible hope. Recently a medical journal article touched off a wildfire among people with PCD in their families, but she thought it was misleading. Hear her talk about the reality of how people may be harmed by the spread of poorly-worded research news. See our broader blog post at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=46051
This is the first of an occasional series profiling standout health care journalists. Christie Aschwanden is currently the lead science writer for FiveThirtyEight.com, but her work has appeared in many outlets. In her writing she keeps pursuing important basic questions, such as “How do we know what we know and how certain can we be about it?” This podcast is embedded in a broader blog post, found at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=44544.
HealthNewsReview.org is the only watchdog that regularly reviews health care news releases. The report card is poor. But this episode reveals how - more than just being inaccurate, imbalanced and incomplete - they can hurt people. We profile how the brain cancer glioblastoma hit a family, and how PR led to hope and then tears. A broader blog post, with pictures, is at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=44657. All of our news releases reviews are at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/news-release-reviews/
What a year! In 2015, HealthNewsReview.org published nearly 600 articles. Record numbers of users came to our site. After nearly 10 years, our project has clearly become a leading voice to improve the public dialogue about health care and to help people think more critically about claims about interventions. In this episode, you’ll hear from 5 of our >45 contributors as they reflect on what they’ve learned. More detail in a broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=43121.
Jennifer Miller, PhD, is president of Bioethics International and an Assistant Professor at NYU School of Medicine. She and colleagues created a Good Pharma Scorecard to rank new drugs and their manufacturers on the transparency of clinical trial information for those new drugs. There were some disturbing findings from their initial analysis, which she explains in this podcast. See more detail in our broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=42604.
Brian Nosek, PhD, is director of the Center for Open Science and a psychology professor at the University of Virginia. That center’s mission is to increase openness, integrity and reproducibility of scientific research. I talked with him at the Stanford METRICS conference, “Improving Biomedical Research 2015.” This audio is wrapped into a broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=42582
The BMJ called him "the scourge of sloppy science." Dr. John Ioannidis has made a career out of doing science about science. Doing good science about bad science, about flawed science, about irreproducible science, about science that lacks transparency – to other scientists and certainly to the general public. Ioannidis' work contains important messages for journalists and for the general public about what they need to know about so many of the studies they hear about. This is the 1st of 3 podcasts recorded at the Stanford METRICS conference, "Improving Biomedical Research 2015." This audio is wrapped into a broader blog post at http://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=42336.
Dr. Teppo Järvinen appears on the international "Too Much Medicine" stage with his concerns about the way osteoporosis - bone thinning - is diagnosed and treated. Järvinen is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Helsinki, Finland. I interviewed him at the Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference at the National Institutes of Health.
Do we really need another professional medical organization? The National Physicians Alliance obviously thought so 10 years ago. And now, on its 10th anniversary, NPA believes that it is needed more than ever. This is not your standard professional medical organization. Learn more about them in our interview with NPA executive director Jean Silver-Isenstadt, MD.
The tiny Society for Patient Centered Orthopedic Surgery has criticized the huge American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons over what should be on the orthopedic "Choosing Wisely" list. That's a campaign to have medical groups name at least 5 procedures that are commonly ordered but not always necessary. But the big group of surgeons - AAOS - didn't list any surgical procedures. We talked with Dr. James Rickert, president of the smaller Society for Patient Centered Orthopedic Surgery about its list - which had 5 surgical procedures on it. And we talked about conflicts of interest, health care journalism, and more.
Dr. Otis Brawley is the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. He has provided a strong, clear voice on cancer screening, treatment and research issues. In this podcast, he says that the belief continues that a cancer will kill because it looks like other cancers that spread and killed in the 1850s. He calls this “pathologic profiling” of cancer – and of the people who are diagnosed – based on 160-year old laboratory standards. I interviewed him at the Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference at the National Institutes of Health.
Surgeon and breast cancer specialist Dr. Laura Esserman of the University of California San Francisco is one of the innovative thought leaders in breast cancer research. We talked with her at the Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference at the National Institutes of Health, discussing, among other things, the treatment dilemma facing women diagnosed with DCIS or ductal carcinoma in situ.
Our overdiagnosis series continues with a look at radiology. The p Radiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating problems using medical imaging techniques, such as x-rays, CT and MRI scans, ultrasound and other forms of imaging. Dr. Saurabh Jha says his profession can be both the arsonist and the firefighter when it comes to overdiagnosis. And although radiologists can be at the center of overdiagnosis problems, he says his specialty has been slow to address the issues. He's on Twitter as @RogueRad.
Are doctors over-diagnosing diabetes? Such concerns have been raised - by Dr. Victor Montori of the Mayo Clinic and Dr. John S. Yudkin of University College in London. A special concern is the new category of "pre-diabetes." Yudkin is featured in this podcast episode. He talks about the "idolatry of the surrogate" - bowing to a golden calf - a false idol - of numbers from a blood sugar test "as if worthy of godlike worship whereas they should not be.” I interviewed him at the Preventing Overdiagnosis 2015 conference at the National Institutes of Health.
This is the story of Dr. Hanna Bloomfield, who had a "Howard Beale moment" when she received direct mail marketing that promoted cardiovascular screening tests that she knew she didn't need. Like Howard Beale in the movie "Network," she decided she was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore. It's a story about how careful one should think about the evidence for what you stand to gain, but what you might stand to lose - the tradeoff of potential benefits and potential harms - from pursuing health screening tests.