Podcasts about fixing healthcare

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl go in search of the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show opens with one of the hottest and least understood medical topics: experimental peptides. Pearl explains that an FDA advisory committee narrowly recommended allowing compounding pharmacies to provide six experimental peptides to patients. This is not the same as traditional FDA approval. Rather than reviewing a drug through the usual three-phase clinical trial process, the recommendation would allow suppliers to provide peptide ingredients that compounding pharmacies could use to fill prescriptions. Pearl then explains why this distinction matters. If the FDA follows the committee's recommendation, many patients may assume the peptides have been vetted like other approved medications. He warns that this could leave the nation in a medical gray zone, with broad access but little rigorous evidence on safety, effectiveness, dosing or long-term risk. The episode then turns to several follow-up stories and new medical developments, including the cyclospora outbreak, CDC leadership, pediatric e-bike injuries, AI-designed viruses, Ebola, mRNA flu vaccines and the continuing politicization of vaccine policy: The cyclospora outbreak appears to be slowing, but the total case count remains high and the exact source has not been fully confirmed. Erica Schwartz has been confirmed as CDC director, becoming the agency's first full-time leader in a year. Pearl says Schwartz has strong credentials but will face major challenges, including depleted agency staffing, infectious disease outbreaks and political pressure around vaccines. Pediatric e-scooter and e-bike injuries surpassed 2,000 incidents from 2020 to 2024, according to data from Johns Hopkins researchers. Pearl warns that more states may need to restrict use among young children. AI can design viruses that do not currently exist in nature, a new Stanford study showed. This opens possibilities for new treatments but also raising biosecurity concerns. Pearl says the technology could one day help fight antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, but it also raises concerns about bad actors. Ebola is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 1,500 deaths and a mortality rate estimated at 40% to 50%. The FDA approved the first mRNA flu vaccine, developed by Moderna, for adults 50 and older. Pearl explains that mRNA technology could improve flu vaccination by allowing scientists to update vaccines closer to the arrival of each year's viral strain. The episode closes with Pearl's strongest warning: medical decisions made on politics rather than science lead to harm. He points to President Trump's executive order changing childhood vaccine recommendations and encouraging separation of the MMR vaccine into individual measles, mumps and rubella shots. Pearl says there is no scientific evidence supporting the president's claim that the combined MMR vaccine may be dangerous, while numerous studies show it is safe, effective and lifesaving. His conclusion: when scientific evidence is overwhelming, leaders need a compelling scientific reason to deviate from it. Whether the subject is experimental peptides, AI-designed viruses, mRNA vaccines or childhood immunization, medicine cannot protect patients if politics replaces data. Tune in to hear the full discussion and subscribe to Medicine: The Truth for more fact-based analysis of the medical, scientific and policy stories shaping American healthcare. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #110: Peptides, politics & the perils of medicine without evidence appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

There's a number attached to every patient's chart that quietly shapes the resources they receive, the care they're offered, and whether their health conditions are fully seen — and most providers don't fully understand it. In this episode, Jamie sits down with Ericka Bauman, Director of Quality Assurance at Your Health, to break down the Risk Adjustment Factor — better known as the RAF score. Ericka has spent years traveling across Georgia and South Carolina, walking into provider offices, sitting with care teams, and doing the work of turning confusing data into meaningful patient outcomes. What you'll hear in this episode: What the RAF score actually is — explained the way Erica explains it to every team she visits, from providers to front desk staff Why most RAF scores are too low — and how underdocumenting a patient's conditions leaves them exposed to missed care, hospitalizations, and unmet needs The biggest misconception providers have about RAF (hint: it's not another box to check) How RAF and quality measurement are really asking the same question from two different angles — and why treating them separately is a mistake What changes for patients when care teams show up prepared, proactive, and looking at the whole person — not just the reason for today's visit The numbers will follow when you take care of the patient. This episode will show you how. www.YourHealth.Org

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher join cohost Jeremy Corr for a wide-ranging conversation about burnout, kindness, leadership, medical errors and what American healthcare can learn from other nations. The episode begins with Fisher's recent trip to Australia, where he joined physicians and other healthcare professionals for a program focused on individual well-being, organizational well-being and burnout. Held near Uluru, on sacred Aboriginal land, the gathering included conversations with tribal elders about the connection between land, culture, traditional remedies and healing. Fisher explains that some Australian hospitals have incorporated Aboriginal traditions alongside Western medicine, not as a replacement for modern care, but as a way to build trust and honor patients' cultural identity. That approach, he says, has helped Indigenous patients feel more respected by the healthcare system. Pearl connects the discussion to a larger economic reality. Although the United States spends far more on healthcare than other nations, many countries are facing the same underlying pressure: medical costs rising faster than wages, GDP or general inflation. For clinicians, the result is familiar across borders: more work, more bureaucracy, more isolation and growing frustration. From there, the conversation shifts to kindness in leadership. Fisher draws an important distinction between being kind and being nice. Niceness, he argues, is often about wanting people to like us or avoiding discomfort. Kindness is different. True kindness may require difficult conversations, honest feedback and decisions that create short-term discomfort but protect patients, teams and organizations over time. That distinction leads into one of the episode's central leadership questions: How should medical leaders respond when a physician is struggling, underperforming or causing avoidable harm? Pearl emphasizes that leaders must keep the patient at the center. Fisher adds that fairness matters deeply, especially in how feedback is delivered. Leaders should be prompt, clear, transparent about process and respectful of the physician's dignity. Finally, the discussion shifts to generative AI and diagnostic errors. Pearl raises the possibility that AI tools could help identify missed diagnoses in emergency departments before patients are discharged or admitted. Fisher agrees that AI can help prevent harm, but warns that emergency physicians are already overwhelmed. A tool that produces too many alerts, even if well intended, could worsen cognitive overload and be ignored. Jeremy closes with a patient-centered question about what both physicians have seen in other countries that they wish existed in the United States. Fisher points to the sense, in some countries with socialized medicine, that everyone deserves a basic level of care. Pearl describes a hospital visit in Sweden, where strong social supports and clinician collaboration produced better outcomes by addressing many social determinants before they reached the medical system. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #225: Kindness, burnout and the limits of medical leadership appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. Austin Chiang has built one of medicine's most distinctive public platforms. He is a triple board-certified gastroenterologist, Chief Medical Officer for Medtronic's Endoscopy business and Associate Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. He is also one of healthcare's most influential physician voices online, with hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. That makes him an ideal guest for Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. This season asks what patients, clinicians and healthcare leaders are saying now that feels meaningfully different from the past. Chiang hears those concerns from several vantage points: as a practicing physician, medical technology leader, educator and public-facing doctor. For Chiang, three issues stand out: Clinician burnout and loss of autonomy Chiang says physicians are struggling with administrative burden, documentation demands, prior authorization, staffing shortages, reimbursement pressure and a growing sense that medical decisions are no longer fully in their hands. Pearl pushes further, asking whether clinicians must take more responsibility for affordability rather than simply objecting to the oversight created in response to rising costs. Chiang agrees that physicians need a better understanding of the broader healthcare ecosystem if they want to help change it. Medical misinformation and social media Chiang has spent more than a decade learning how to communicate across platforms and audiences. He explains that accurate medical information must now compete with sensationalized claims from people who are not held to the same professional standards as clinicians. For doctors, the challenge is to be credible without being boring, engaging without becoming irresponsible and platform-specific without compromising the message. That tension is especially important in areas like gut health, diet, probiotics and the microbiome, where uncertainty creates space for simple but potentially misleading answers. Clinician-led innovation As Medtronic's Chief Medical Officer for Endoscopy, Chiang works at the intersection of clinical practice and medical technology. He explains that innovation in medicine is slow for good reason: new tools must prove safety, clinical value, workflow fit and real-world usefulness before becoming mainstream. But he argues that clinicians need to be more involved in that process because they understand the nuances of patient care, staff experience and adoption better than outsiders can. The conversation also explores colorectal cancer, which is rising among younger adults. Chiang explains why colonoscopy remains the gold standard for prevention, while also noting that lowering screening ages further would create major capacity challenges. He also discusses AI-assisted polyp detection, the future of endoscopy and why fully autonomous colonoscopy remains difficult given the complexity of human anatomy. There's much more in this conversation, including physician career paths beyond traditional practice, how doctors should respond when patients bring AI-generated information to appointments and what people with chronic GI conditions need from clinicians, platforms and online communities. Tune in to hear one of medicine's most visible digital physician leaders explain how doctors can help shape a future where technology, social media and medical innovation better serve patients. * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #224: Austin Chiang on burnout, misinformation and the future of med-tech appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine two big questions facing American medicine: how generative AI can make healthcare more affordable and what the World Cup can teach doctors about strategy, teamwork and leadership. The conversation begins with a counterintuitive point: In other industries, technology often lowers costs by allowing companies to produce the same output with fewer workers. But Dr. Pearl knows medicine is different. In healthcare, the biggest costs arise when preventable and controllable conditions turn into life-threatening complications. Therefore, he does not believe GenAI's greatest financial value in healthcare will come from replacing doctors and nurses. Pearl argues that the surest way to lower healthcare spending is by keeping people healthier. Poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes, heart failure and kidney disease drive many of the nation's most expensive complications, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, hospitalizations and surgeries. GenAI can help prevent those outcomes, and the savings could far exceed anything gained by reducing clinician headcount. From there, Pearl identifies three major opportunities for GenAI-driven improvements: Control chronic diseases by helping patients understand their conditions, track data from home devices and get medication adjustments sooner (rather than waiting months between office visits). Expand access to medical expertise after hours and on weekends. Improve care coordination and medication safety, especially for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. But technology alone will not be enough. So, the second half of the episode turns to entrepreneurship and leadership. Pearl discusses new research comparing expensive physician-facing AI tools with general-purpose large language models such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. His takeaway for entrepreneurs is clear: the biggest opportunity may not be building costly tools for hospitals, but helping patients use the AI tools already available on their computers and smartphones to manage their health more effectively. That point leads into a broader lesson from the recent World Cup. Pearl argues that American medicine, like many talented teams that failed to win soccer's biggest prize, has extraordinary resources but lacks a shared strategy. The United States has exceptional doctors, world-class hospitals and more healthcare spending than any nation, yet outcomes remain inconsistent, access unreliable and costs unaffordable. The episode closes with a warning and a challenge. American medicine already has the talent, technology and financial resources to succeed. What it lacks is a clear strategy, coordinated teamwork and effective clinician leadership. If doctors want to improve care for patients and preserve the profession's values, Pearl argues, they will need to embrace new technology, work together differently and take responsibility for the system's performance. For more, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links: Entrepreneurs Beware: Inexpensive AI Is The Future Of Medicine (Forbes) GenAI Won't Lower Medical Costs By Replacing Doctors And Nurses (Forbes) 47 World Cup Teams Fell Short. US Medicine Should Learn From Them (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #223: How GenAI & World Cup strategy can help fix healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl dig for the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show opens with the issue most likely to shape how Americans think about healthcare heading into the midterm elections: affordability. Dr. Pearl explains that medical costs have now reached $5.7 trillion, rising more than 7% for the third consecutive year. Federal actuaries project that healthcare spending could approach $9 trillion by 2034, accounting for more than 20% of the U.S. GDP. For voters, employers, patients and families, those numbers aren't just an endless string of zeroes. They're impacting everyday life. Premiums, deductibles, copays and prescription drug costs are forcing people with private insurance, Medicare and exchange coverage to delay care, take on debt or choose worse coverage. Two major drivers stand out: hospital spending and drug costs. Hospital care remains the largest share of national healthcare expenses, while drug spending is rising fastest, driven in part by the growing use of GLP-1 medications. Pearl sees enormous potential in these drugs to improve health and reduce complications over time, but only if prices fall low enough for the long-term savings to justify the near-term expense. That tension becomes clearer in the discussion of Medicare's new GLP-1 pilot program for weight loss. Under the “bridge program,” eligible Medicare enrollees will be able to obtain GLP-1 medications for $50 a month, far below current retail prices. Pearl calls the program an important experiment, but also notes its limitations: coverage is not automatic, eligibility is restricted, administrative hurdles remain and the pilot may end after 18 months. If patients lose access and regain weight, the program could fail despite the promise of the medication. The episode then moves into several unusual and important stories, including new research into the origins of life, the medical risks of cannibalism, the promise and limitations of wearable health data, a large cyclosporiasis outbreak, rising e-bike injuries among children and adolescents, a new cholesterol-lowering pill, CDC leadership and measles. Here are the major storylines from episode 109: Researchers studying the origin of life made progress by taking a counterintuitive approach: building a synthetic cell from simple inorganic materials rather than stripping existing life forms down to their minimum parts. “Spud cell” research could eventually help scientists understand which genes are essential and create engineered cells capable of producing new medical treatments. A new study suggests cannibalism may have disappeared in part because of medical consequences, including infections and prion diseases that harmed tribes practicing it. Wearable devices are generating valuable health data, but most doctors lack the time, reimbursement and regulatory pathways needed to integrate that information into clinical care. A large cyclosporiasis outbreak has raised concerns about foodborne illness surveillance, produce safety and the difficulty of identifying contamination sources when symptoms appear one to two weeks after exposure. E-bike injuries are rising, especially among children and adolescents, with head, face and neck injuries posing particular concern. The FDA has approved a new pill that can lower LDL cholesterol to very low levels, though Pearl emphasizes that most average-risk patients should still rely on low-cost generic statins. The nomination hearing for Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director highlighted the continuing tension between science and politics, especially around vaccines, RFK Jr. and public trust in federal health agencies. Measles cases continue to rise, with nearly all occurring among unvaccinated people and with serious risks for those whose immunity has waned. Generative AI may reduce costs and accelerate parts of drug development, but no AI-generated medication has yet obtained FDA approval. The episode closes with a broader reflection on Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare. Pearl notes that the concerns raised by guests with large public followings are often different from the priorities emphasized by clinicians and national medical societies. Most Americans are not asking for unreasonable things. They want healthcare that is easier to access, affordable for their families and personalized to their circumstances. That gap, Pearl argues, may change how patients use technology. Large language models such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are available 24/7, provide information at no additional cost and become more personalized as patients share more details. While many doctors worry that hospitals or insurers will replace them with AI, Pearl sees a different threat emerging: patients at home, frustrated by delays, high costs and feeling unheard, turning to generative AI because the healthcare system has not met their needs. Tune in to hear the full discussion and subscribe to Medicine: The Truth for more fact-based analysis of the medical, scientific and policy stories shaping American healthcare. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #109: Healthcare affordability, GLP-1s and the patient revolt ahead appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl dig for the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show opens with the issue most ... The post MTT #109: Healthcare affordability, GLP-1s and the patient revolt ahead appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher explore what medicine can learn from positive psychology, elite sports teams and the daily pressures facing clinicians, leaders and patients. The conversation begins with Fisher's recent trip to Ireland, where he spoke at a conference on positive psychology, organizational well-being and leadership. Fisher explains that positive psychology is not simply about optimism or self-help. At its best, the field asks a more useful question: What can we learn from people, teams and organizations that are already flourishing? That shift applies greatly in healthcare. Fisher argues that physician burnout cannot be solved by treating it only as an individual failure or by focusing only on what's broken. Pearl connects that idea to leadership. In business and medicine, he says, leaders often try to motivate people through fear, urgency and the “burning platform.” But both he and Fisher question whether threat-based leadership can produce the creativity, teamwork and judgment healthcare needs. Fisher points to research showing that when people feel threatened, their attention narrows. When they feel supported, curious and connected to a larger purpose, they can see more possibilities and make better decisions. The conversation then turns to the World Cup. Pearl uses the tournament as a metaphor for medical practice, asking whether some doctors, like great athletes, are simply better performers than others. Fisher says yes, although the answer depends on what is being measured. Technical excellence matters, but so do teamwork, emotional regulation, communication and the experience of patients and colleagues. That leads to one of the episode's most important questions: What should healthcare do with brilliant clinicians who deliver exceptional technical results but damage the teams around them? Fisher argues that leaders must widen the definition of performance. Safety and volume matter, but so do turnover, culture, communication and the psychological impact one physician has on the rest of the team. A doctor can care deeply about patients and still harm the people required to care for them. The final portion of the conversation returns to medical training. Fisher describes his work with new residents, where he teaches self-awareness, self-regulation, compassion and the ability to reset between difficult patient encounters. Pearl pushes the idea further, arguing that future physicians will also need strategic training: how to lead through others, apply technology, redesign care delivery and help medicine shift from disease reversal to health creation. Cohost Jeremy Corr closes with a patient-centered question that extends the conversation beyond medicine: What should people do when work consumes their lives and leaves no space for health, relationships or meaning? Fisher cautions against simple hacks, arguing that people often need courage, help and boundaries to step off the hamster wheel. Pearl adds that for many Americans, the pace and expectations of modern life have become unsustainable. Strategy, he says, is not only about what people choose to do. It is also about what they are willing not to do. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #222: From burnout to leadership: how physicians can flourish appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. Jerry Penso leads one of the most influential organizations in American healthcare. As president and CEO of AMGA, the American Medical Group Association, Penso represents 440 medical groups and health systems that care for nearly 100 million Americans. That vantage point makes him an ideal guest for Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. This season's guests are being asked what they are hearing from patients, clinicians and healthcare leaders right now. For Penso, three concerns rise above the rest: A payment system that is fundamentally broken. Worsening access to care. A workforce under severe strain. Penso begins with payment, especially Medicare and Medicaid. He explains that Medicare's physician fee schedule has failed to keep up with inflation, leaving medical groups paid less in real terms while the cost of running a practice continues to rise. Medicaid cuts, he warns, will add further financial strain, especially for hospitals and medical groups that cannot choose which patients come through the emergency department or clinic doors. The second major concern is access. Penso describes emergency rooms backed up across the country, patients waiting weeks to see specialists and primary care practices unable to accept new patients. He shares the story of his own mother, who spent five days in an emergency department before a hospital bed became available. For Penso, this is a symptom of a system in which demand is rising, the population is aging, chronic disease is growing and clinicians cannot simply “turn the hamster wheel” any faster. That leads to the third issue: workforce. Physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, pharmacists and staff are being asked to operate inside a system not designed for today's volume, complexity or patient needs. Penso notes that most physicians are now employed by hospitals, health systems, insurers or private equity-backed organizations, a shift that has changed the psychology and day-to-day experience of medical practice. Loss of autonomy, bureaucracy and poor integration across systems all contribute to frustration and burnout. There's much more in this conversation, including the role of employer-sponsored health benefits, the limits of government reform, the promise and risk of generative AI, the future of physician autonomy and how AMGA is helping medical groups learn from one another. Tune in to hear one of healthcare's most experienced physician-executives explain what medical groups are seeing now, what must change next and why he remains optimistic that American healthcare can still move toward better payment, easier access and a more sustainable workforce. * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #221: What 440 medical groups are saying about healthcare today appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

What happens when the rules everyone follows weren't actually rules to begin with? In this episode, Scott Middleton — Owner of Your Health and Chief Disruption Officer — shares what he's seeing on the ground as the TCPA and Providence Care merger moves toward its final close. But the real conversation goes deeper: the quiet, dangerous habit of staff making up policies, enforcing phantom restrictions, and defaulting to "no" when the answer should have been "let's figure it out." Key topics covered: Why fabricated rules (like requiring a psych NP referral for talk therapy) become embedded in organizations — and how to stop it How Scott is approaching the merger with radical transparency, and why "don't tell until it's done" has no place in his culture The one thing that will get you fired fast: "don't tell Scott" What TCPA's nursing home model is teaching Your Health about patient frequency, hospitalizations, and what actually works Why the chaplain conversation changed Scott's entire philosophy — and how advanced care planning pays for it The system doesn't need more rules. It needs more people willing to ask. Listen now and ask yourself: what rule in your organization did somebody just make up? www.YourHealth.Org

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore what a breakthrough in mathematics can teach healthcare about generative AI, outdated assumptions and the future of medical practice. The conversation begins with Paul Erdős, the brilliant Hungarian mathematician whose unit-distance problem stumped experts for 80 years. Generations of mathematicians tried to prove Erdős' conjecture using the tools and assumptions of geometry. Then OpenAI announced that one of its models had found a different path, one that challenged the assumptions of humans. For Pearl, the lesson for medicine is not about math. It is about the danger of staying trapped inside old models of thought. American healthcare faces persistent crises in quality, access and affordability, yet the proposed fixes focus on small adjustments to a system that has failed for decades. Pearl argues that generative AI will not reach its full potential if clinicians continue to use it merely for administrative tasks, documentation support or occasional diagnostic assistance. Instead, he says, medicine must be willing to abandon three longstanding fallacies. The second half of the episode shifts the discussion from assumptions to urgency. Pearl compares generative AI in medicine to the sudden invention of cars in a world where people could only travel by foot, bicycle or horseback. If faster transportation could save far more lives than it cost, society would not wait until cars were risk-free before building roads and teaching people to drive. He argues medicine should think similarly about GenAI: not as a finished product, but as a rapidly improving tool that could save lives if implemented wisely and quickly. In the episode, Pearl highlights three areas where GenAI could have immediate impact. In each case, he returns to the same point: the greatest risk is not only that AI might make mistakes, but that medicine will ignore the harms already caused by today's failures. For more, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links: What GenAI's Math Breakthrough Means For Medicine (Forbes) GenAI Is Ready To Change Medicine. America Isn't Prepared (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #220: How AI is challenging old assumptions in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show opens with a scientific breakthrough that could change the future of inherited disease: a new gene-editing technique that may allow researchers to correct DNA errors in human embryos with far greater precision than earlier CRISPR approaches. Dr. Pearl explains that the advance, developed by researchers at Columbia University, uses a method called base editing. Unlike traditional CRISPR, which cuts out and replaces sections of DNA, base editing can alter individual nucleotides (the “letters” that make up genetic code). The difference, Pearl says, is comparable to moving from rewriting entire pages of text to correcting a single wrong letter inside a single word. The promise is extraordinary. For families affected by one of the thousands of rare genetic diseases caused by single DNA errors, this technology could one day make it possible to prevent devastating inherited conditions before birth. Children who otherwise might face blindness, severe disability or premature death could instead be born free of the genetic defect. But the ethical concerns are equally profound. The same technology that could prevent horrific disease could also be used to modify embryos for non-medical traits. Pearl warns that this possibility raises fears about “designer babies,” eugenics, private-sector incentives and the lack of federally funded oversight for embryo research in the United States. Here are the other major storylines from episode 108: A large study of 9 million patients found that four risk factors (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking) are associated with nearly all heart attacks and strokes. The FDA approved a new sunscreen ingredient already used in Europe for decades, highlighting both the promise of better melanoma prevention and the slow pace of U.S. sunscreen regulation. Employers are preparing for further increases in healthcare premiums, deductibles and copayments, with many companies limiting or eliminating GLP-1 coverage for obesity. Preliminary data show U.S. infant mortality has reached an all-time low, but progress remains slow. Medicaid work requirements could cause millions of eligible people to lose coverage because of paperwork errors, shifting costs to emergency rooms, hospitals and state budgets. New rules under the No Surprises Act aim to speed dispute resolution between insurers and providers, but Pearl warns that payment disputes will continue as long as healthcare costs rise faster than people's ability to pay. Pearl outlines three requirements for real healthcare transformation: keeping people healthy by controlling chronic disease, moving more care into the home with generative AI support and shifting payment from fee-for-service to capitation. The episode closes with two examples of AI already helping clinicians see what they might otherwise miss. Tune in to hear the full discussion and subscribe to Medicine: The Truth for more fact-based analysis of the medical, scientific and policy stories shaping American healthcare. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #108: Designer babies, chronic disease & AI-powered care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show opens with a scientific breakthrough that ... The post MTT #108: Designer babies, chronic disease & AI-powered care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher join cohost Jeremy Corr for a fascinating conversation about the physician's mind, the promise and limits of generative AI, and what medicine risks losing when technology advances faster than humans can tolerate. In this episode, Pearl turns to a realization he had during a recent hiking trip in Portugal: his brain felt different while walking through the woods than it does while solving analytical problems. That observation leads to a deeper discussion of “left brain” and “right brain” thinking in medicine. Fisher explains that while the popular labels are oversimplified, the underlying challenge is real. Doctors must integrate structured reasoning with emotional awareness, diagnosis with relationship, and technical expertise with the human experience of illness. The discussion then moves into one of the episode's most provocative questions: Can generative AI be taught to express empathy and relational intelligence as well as humans? Pearl points to studies showing that AI-generated responses to patient questions can be rated as highly empathetic, comprehensive and accurate. Fisher pushes back, arguing that there is a difference between perceived empathy in written answers and the embodied presence of a physician sitting with a fearful patient and family in a vulnerable moment. What follows is a thoughtful disagreement about the future of medicine. Pearl sees generative AI as a way to fill dangerous gaps in American healthcare, including lack of access after hours, rural shortages, diagnostic errors, preventable medical mistakes and poorly controlled chronic disease. Fisher worries that if AI begins taking over both analytical and relational parts of care, physicians may feel even more threatened in a profession already marked by burnout and uncertainty. This leads to the debate's central question: Will generative AI become the enslaver of clinicians or the liberator? Pearl argues that AI could help physicians escape the growing corporatization of medicine by taking on routine work, expanding access and enabling doctors to practice with more autonomy. Fisher agrees that this future is possible but cautions that in a fee-for-service system, efficiency gains may simply become an excuse to increase volume, billing and pressure on clinicians. Finally, Jeremy brings the conversation back to everyday life by asking whether heavy reliance on technology and AI could weaken the mind the same way physical inactivity weakens the body. Fisher warns that when people offload too much thinking, emotion and relationship-building to devices, they risk losing cognitive sharpness and emotional attunement. Pearl agrees that every technology carries benefits and harms, arguing that the goal should be balance: using AI to learn, understand and solve problems without letting it flatten life's richer, more meaningful experiences. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #219: Can AI help doctors think without losing medicine’s humanity? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. Anthony “Mazz” Mazzarelli brings a rare combination of perspectives to American healthcare: physician, executive, lawyer, bioethicist, author and media voice. As co-president and CEO of Cooper University Health Care and associate dean of clinical affairs at Cooper Medical School, Mazzarelli leads a major safety-net health system while continuing to see patients himself. He is also co-author of Compassionomics, a book that makes the evidence-based case that compassion in medicine improves outcomes, lowers costs and reduces clinician burnout. That combination makes him an ideal guest for Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. This season's guests are being asked what they are hearing from patients, clinicians and the public right now. For Mazzarelli, three themes rise to the top: Growing concern over Medicaid cuts and rising uninsurance Excitement about generative AI and other new technologies Awe at the speed of change healthcare leaders will need to manage Key episode highlights include: Medicaid cuts will hit safety-net patients hardest. At Cooper, roughly one-third of patients are covered by Medicaid or are self-pay. Mazzarelli explains that many of these patients live paycheck to paycheck or depend on coverage to manage chronic disease. When they lose access, prevention disappears and patients often delay care until they show up sicker in emergency departments and hospitals. Generative AI is a promising tool for rethinking how care is delivered. Ambient listening and automated notes are helpful, he says, but the larger opportunity lies in decision support, preventive outreach, chronic disease management, medication adherence and giving clinicians more time to connect with patients. Fraud prevention should not become a barrier to legitimate care. Mazzarelli supports catching fraud and abuse in Medicaid and Medicare, but argues that AI should be used to identify bad actors more precisely so the system can reduce unnecessary checkboxes. Employer-based healthcare has hidden the true cost crisis. Employers and government programs have absorbed much of the rising cost of care, preventing individuals from feeling the full impact. That delay has reduced pressure for major reform, even as the system becomes increasingly unaffordable. Payment reform remains the real lever for change. While Mazzarelli supports incremental improvements, he says the biggest changes will require addressing the way care is paid for, including the misaligned incentives that shape nearly every part of American healthcare. AI can help clinicians reconnect with patients. Compassion is not a soft concept. Stronger patient connection has been linked to better outcomes, lower costs, fewer unnecessary tests and less burnout among clinicians. Technology should redesign care, not automate bad workflows. Mazzarelli cautions that healthcare does not simply need better AI models. It needs leaders willing to redesign workflows in an “AI-native” way rather than layering technology on top of broken processes. Convenience must be balanced with human connection. Jeremy raises concerns about the broader health consequences of modern convenience, including loneliness and isolation. Mazzarelli agrees, noting that loneliness is a major public health risk and that healthcare organizations have a responsibility to address it. Burnout requires more than wellness programs. Mazzarelli argues that yoga, walks and wellness initiatives are not enough if clinicians feel disconnected from the work itself. The real antidote, he says, is restoring meaning at the point of care by helping clinicians connect with patients and see the difference they make. There's much more in this conversation, including Cooper's co-president model, the impact of private equity on physician practice, the future of 24/7 access and how policymakers should think about AI safety without slowing progress. Tune in to hear what one of healthcare's most thoughtful physician-executives believes patients, clinicians and leaders should expect from the next era of medicine. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #218: Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli on healthcare’s next burning platform appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

What if the most important care in the entire healthcare system is also the most underfunded? While hospitals and inpatient reimbursements rise with inflation, the physician fee schedule has quietly declined roughly 33% in real terms over 25 years — and this year it's facing another cut. In this episode, Jamie Preston sits down with Your Health CEO Matt Staub, just back from Capitol Hill, where he spent a record-setting 95-degree day meeting with seven legislative offices to advocate for physicians, providers, and the patients they serve across rural South Carolina, Georgia, and beyond. What follows is part field report, part reflection on why preventive primary care saves money and lives — and why we plan meticulously for weddings, retirement, and vacations, but treat our own health with a "call us if something happens" approach. In this conversation: Why a 2.5–5% physician fee cut hits frontline rural practices hardest The bipartisan doctors' caucus and the real appetite for reform Why winning can come from a loss — the Kobe Bryant mindset on process over outcome How a Disney ride (Spaceship Earth) reframes humanity's whole story around communication The case for proactive, team-based primary care over reactive sick visits Press play for a conversation about advocacy, communication, and a simple, powerful idea: the change you need to make starts with you.

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine the rapid advance of generative AI, along with the growing conflict between medicine's mission to heal and doctors' need for financial security. The conversation begins with a question now echoing across every profession: Will AI replace highly trained workers? In medicine, Dr. Pearl argues, the answer is less about replacement than redefinition. Drawing on recent changes in software development, he explains how “vibe coding” has allowed programmers to stop writing much of the code themselves and instead use generative AI to build, test and refine applications from plain-language instructions. Rather than feeling diminished, many coders report greater satisfaction because AI has taken over the repetitive, error-prone work and left them more time for problem-solving. Pearl sees a similar possibility in healthcare. Like coding, medicine relies on years of training, structured reasoning and repeatable processes. Chronic disease management offers the clearest example. Hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are leading causes of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, yet proven treatments often fail because doctors lack the time to monitor patients continuously and adjust medications quickly. With home devices, physician-set targets and generative AI support, care could shift from occasional office visits to ongoing management, helping more patients achieve control while freeing physicians to focus on complex cases. The second half of the episode turns from technology to mission. Using Tim Cook's legacy at Apple as a case study, Pearl examines what happens when values and financial incentives collide. Cook's tenure produced extraordinary business results, but critics have questioned whether some of his choices conflicted with his own values and Apple's public statements around privacy, dignity and human-centered technology. Pearl uses that as background for a similar question about medicine: What happens when doctors, who train to help and heal others above all else, feel increasingly forced to make career decisions shaped by money? For generations, medicine was understood as a calling. Today, most physicians no longer own their practices. Many now work for hospitals, health systems, insurers or private equity-backed groups, while others have moved into concierge or direct primary care models. Pearl stresses that these choices are rational. But the financial upside comes with psychological and moral consequences that are rarely discussed — and that may shape the future of physician fulfillment. For more, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links The AI Revolution In Coding Offers A Preview Of Medicine's Future (Forbes) What Tim Cook's Legacy Teaches Doctors About Money And Mission (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #217: GenAI, physician fulfillment & the future of medical practice appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show examines the accelerating progress of generative AI, the political turmoil inside America's leading health agencies and the infectious disease threats testing the nation's public health readiness. The conversation opens with a listener question about how close generative AI is to matching clinicians. Dr. Pearl explains that the technology is advancing faster than he predicted in ChatGPT, MD, with recent research showing an OpenAI model outperforming experienced physicians on emergency room triage and management in text-based clinical cases. He cautions that medicine is more complicated than written scenarios but argues that the trajectory is clear: before today's incoming medical students finish training, generative AI tools are likely to be used in emergency rooms across the country From there, the episode turns to the resignation of former FDA commissioner and Dr. Marty Makary, a two-time Fixing Healthcare guest. Pearl describes Makary as a respected clinician and patient-safety expert who found himself caught between scientific rigor, political pressure, industry opposition and public health critics. His departure, along with other leadership upheaval at FDA, CDC, NIH and HHS, raises a larger concern about whether America's once-trusted scientific agencies can regain their independence and credibility. Here are the other major storylines from episode 107: RFK Jr. removes preventive-care leaders. Pearl criticizes the firing of two respected co-chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, warning that prevention policy may be pushed away from scientific evidence. The surgeon general nomination moving toward confirmation. Nicole Safier appears more confirmable than Dr. Casey Means because her vaccine views are closer to the scientific mainstream. A hantavirus outbreak raises public health concerns. A cruise ship outbreak involving the Andes virus appears to have spread person-to-person, causing at least 13 cases, several severe illnesses and three deaths. The U.S. remains vulnerable to fast-moving outbreaks. Pearl says the slow federal response to hantavirus shows how weakened public health capacity could become dangerous if a highly lethal virus were also easily transmissible. Tick bites are rising sharply. ER visits related to tick bites have climbed well above typical levels, driven in part by warmer temperatures and the spread of deer ticks into the Midwest and South. Ebola exposes the cost of global health cuts. A new Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo has no vaccine or effective treatment, and the outbreak was recognized only after spreading for weeks. USAID and WHO cuts increase risk to Americans. Pearl argues that reducing global public health support does not put “America first” because viruses ignore national borders. Patients should be more concerned when doctors avoid AI entirely. Pearl says he would worry more about clinicians who refuse to use reliable generative AI tools than those who consult them regularly. Opioid overdose deaths are falling but remain devastating. New CDC data show overdose deaths down for the third straight year, but annual fatalities still total roughly 70,000, with overdoses remaining the leading cause of death among adults ages 18 to 44. Vaccine safety data are being suppressed. Pearl closes by describing blocked FDA and CDC research showing COVID and shingles vaccines to be safe and effective, warning that political censorship undermines trust and harms patients. Tune in for more fact-based analysis and practical perspective on the healthcare policies, technologies and trends shaping medicine today. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #107: How politics is weakening America's public health defenses appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare's biggest headlines. Today's show examines the accelerating progress of generative ... The post MTT #107: How politics is weakening America's public health defenses appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

How can interoperability, policy, and technology come together to solve some of healthcare's most stubborn challenges? On episode 108 of Astonishing Healthcare, host Justin Venneri sits down with Brendan Keeler, Interoperability Practice Lead at HTD Health and author of the popular Health API Guy Substack. Brendan shares his journey from working at Epic Systems to becoming a leading voice in healthcare interoperability, offering insights into the intersection of policy, technology, and workflows.Together, they explore the current state of interoperability in healthcare, the impact of CMS rulemaking on prior authorizations, and the challenges of modernizing entrenched systems of record. Brendan also highlights the importance of empathy in solving healthcare's complex problems and shares his thoughts on the future of digital identity and patient data access.Key TakeawaysInteroperability is about ubiquity, not just standards. While digital standards like FHIR and NCPDP are important, true interoperability requires widespread adoption across all stakeholders to ensure seamless data exchange.CMS rulemaking is driving change in prior authorizations. New regulations aim to digitize and standardize prior authorization processes, reducing manual burdens while potentially increasing overall transaction volumes.Modernizing healthcare infrastructure is a monumental challenge. Systems of record like EHRs and claims processing platforms are deeply entrenched, making change costly and complex. Leaders often opt for incremental improvements, such as layering AI on top, rather than full-scale replacements.Empathy is key to solving healthcare problems. Bridging the "empathy gap" by making complex issues like benefit design and regulation accessible to non-experts is essential for attracting talent and driving innovation.Digital identity is foundational for the future of healthcare. Strong identity verification systems unlock trust and enable secure, seamless data sharing between patients, providers, and payers, paving the way for better outcomes.Related ContentHow to obtain Rx data and what to do with itReplay - Unified Care Navigation: A Critical Component of the Future of Health Benefits DesignAH064 - Empowering Plan Sponsors: Data Access & Analysis, with Bridget MulvennaJudi Health Policy Update – It's a Tangled Web of ProgressDisclaimerThis podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of our guests, do not constitute professional advice, and may not represent Judi Health's/Capital Rx's position on any matters discussed. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content; information is subject to change and may not be updated.

Your healthcare benefits could be quietly draining $4,000 per employee every year while your broker profits from the status quo. Donovan Pyle, CEO of Health Compass Consulting and author of Fixing Healthcare, exposes the hidden incentive conflicts that cost US employers $325 billion in annual waste. Built for entrepreneurs scaling their business while protecting what they have built, this episode covers: why fiduciary-based advice is the most critical shift in benefits strategy, the two broker questions every founder must ask, how healthcare analytics becomes a competitive weapon for talent retention, and why better coverage and lower costs are not a trade-off. Pyle reveals how one organization saved $3.6 million by replacing a single vendor.  No act of Congress required.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher explore three questions that reach across medicine, leadership and life itself: What legacy do physicians leave behind? How does mindset shape health and longevity? And can doctors still find fulfillment as medical practice shifts from independence to employment? The conversation begins with Tim Cook's legacy at Apple, using his tenure as CEO to ask a larger question about values, mission and compromise. Pearl and Fisher examine whether legacy is something others assign after a career ends or something professionals create daily through their choices, actions and alignment with their deepest values. For physicians, the question becomes especially personal when financial, organizational or career decisions collide with the promise to put patients first. Midway through, the discussion turns to longevity and the science of mindset. Drawing on research from Yale and Fisher's work in Just One Heart, the two physicians explore how beliefs about aging can influence physical function, cognitive health, inflammation and long-term well-being. Fisher explains why optimism is not merely a pleasant attitude but a physiologic force that can shape stress hormones, inflammatory pathways and the daily behaviors that determine health. Finally, Pearl and Fisher examine one of the biggest structural shifts in modern medicine: the movement from physician-owned practices to employment by hospitals, health systems and insurers. Fisher notes that independent doctors may report lower burnout, but autonomy is no longer guaranteed when administrative burdens, call schedules and financial pressures consume the practice of medicine. Employment offers support and stability, but often at the cost of control. By the end, the episode connects all three themes: legacy, health and professional fulfillment are rooted in purpose. Whether through family, patient care, mission trips, mentoring or the daily work of medicine, Pearl and Fisher suggest that doctors may live longer, healthier and more meaningful lives when they preserve the mission that brought them to medicine in the first place. For listeners who connected with Fisher's reflections on burnout, autonomy and the search for renewed purpose in medicine, his upcoming ASPIRE physician retreat offers a deeper opportunity for reflection and recovery. Co-facilitated with Dr. Robyn Tiger, ASPIRE is a CME-accredited retreat designed exclusively for healthcare professionals, taking place June 12-14 at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina. Use code ASPIRE15 for 15% off registration. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #216: An unfiltered look at what legacy means in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Fixing Healthcare hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl are revisiting a past episode of Diving Deep while Dr. Pearl travels and keynotes events around the world. And like last week's replay, this conversation was selected for a reason. Originally recorded more than three years ago, this episode explores two issues that remain central to the future of American medicine: how healthcare leaders respond to technological change and whether the nation can finally move beyond fee-for-service reimbursement. Looking back now, the discussion feels strikingly current. Many of the opportunities Dr. Pearl identified at the time still exist today. Generative AI has advanced dramatically. Remote monitoring tools are more powerful and accessible than ever. And healthcare leaders continue to acknowledge the need for better chronic disease management, prevention and lower-cost care delivery. Yet despite these advances, many of the nation's biggest healthcare problems remain unresolved. U.S. quality outcomes still lag peer nations. Life expectancy remains years shorter than in comparable countries. And healthcare costs continue rising at rates that far exceed inflation, wage growth and GDP. Throughout the episode, Dr. Pearl argues that these failures are not primarily technological. The tools to improve care already existed — and continue to improve rapidly today. The greater challenge is leadership itself: helping clinicians embrace change, aligning incentives around patient outcomes and building the operational systems required to make better care possible at scale. The conversation also revisits capitation and value-based care, themes that have resurfaced repeatedly in recent Fixing Healthcare episodes. Dr. Pearl explains why fee-for-service reimbursement continues to reward volume over outcomes and why meaningful progress in affordability will require shifting financial incentives toward prevention, chronic disease control and long-term patient health. Revisiting this episode now offers a useful perspective on the past several years of healthcare transformation: technology has accelerated, but the deeper structural changes required to improve affordability and outcomes have moved far more slowly. Helpful links The Anatomy Of Healthcare Leadership: A Mind For Technology (Forbes) Healthcare Leadership: Following The Money Can Lead To Positive Change (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #215: Revisiting healthcare leadership, technology & capitation appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Yes, it's all discussed here! And how to add more houses for first-time homebuyers! Almost forgot that topic too! It's all important, including the alien stuff. Listen in.

For the next two weeks, Fixing Healthcare hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl will be replaying past episodes of Diving Deep while Dr. Pearl travels and keynotes events around the world. But these aren't random reruns. They were selected for a reason: to highlight just how quickly technology is advancing and how slowly healthcare is adapting. This week's flashback revisits a July 2024 conversation recorded shortly after OpenAI released GPT-4o, a major leap forward in generative AI at the time. Less than two years later, the pace of change is striking. Capabilities that once felt groundbreaking now seem primitive compared to what today's AI tools can accomplish for patients, physicians and healthcare organizations. At the same time, the episode's broader themes remain remarkably current. Dr. Pearl and Jeremy discuss the future role of generative AI in medicine, how these tools could improve diagnosis and patient monitoring and why healthcare institutions often struggle to embrace transformative technology quickly. The episode also examines another issue that remains unresolved today: the high cost of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Ozempic. Dr. Pearl explains why these highly effective obesity treatments remain financially out of reach for many Americans despite growing demand and expanding clinical use. Revisiting this conversation now offers a useful reminder: technology can advance extraordinarily fast, but healthcare systems, incentives and policies often lag far behind. Helpful links:  OpenAI's Rule-Shattering GPT-4o Update Will Be Lifesaving, Too (Forbes) Wegovy And Ozempic Are Overpriced By 400-500% — Here's A Quick Solution (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #214: Revisiting GLP-1 prices and ChatGPT’s early leap forward appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Jay Fajardo, serial entrepreneur and CEO of BetterClinic, straight from Manila, Philippines. Jay discusses his return to the founder's seat at age 58, driven by the massive paradigm shift of the Artificial Intelligence supercycle. We dive deep into how AI is completely transforming digital healthcare by eliminating doctor burnout and drastically reducing administrative "pajama time" from 40% to 10%. Jay also reveals why AI makes being a solo founder an absolute superpower, how cloud tools are changing the venture capital landscape, and the looming impact of AI on the Philippine BPO industry. If you are building a startup in Southeast Asia or are fascinated by the future of AI health tech, this is a masterclass in adapting to technological shifts. 00:00 - Introduction & The AI Supercycle 01:55 - The Shift from Ecosystem Builder to AI Founder 04:26 - Why AI is a "Superpower" for Experienced Founders 05:10 - Fixing Healthcare & Reducing Doctor Burnout 08:44 - Eradicating "Pajama Time": AI Scribes & Clinic Workflows 10:52 - A Hybrid Go-To-Market Strategy for HealthTech in SEA 14:43 - The Rise of the Solo Founder Movement 18:29 - Age vs. Experience: Building Startups in Your 50s 20:00 - The Future of AI in Medicine (An AI Assistant?) 22:50 - AI's Looming Threat to the Philippine BPO Industry 23:40 - 3 Key Takeaways Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jay-fajardo-betterclinic Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at https://www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter X : https://x.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Send us Fan MailIs American healthcare collapsing?In this clip from our episode "How AI Could Save a Collapsing Healthcare System," host David E. Williams and Dr. Robert Pearl, Author of ChatGPT MD, break down why the current system is financially unsustainable and why physicians have never had the tools to fight back. Until now.Listen to the full episode here

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr dissect two issues that are often discussed separately but are deeply intertwined: how Americans can live longer, healthier lives and how the nation can make healthcare more affordable. The conversation begins with longevity. As interest in lifespan and “healthspan” grows, Dr. Pearl challenges three widely held beliefs that, in his view, are holding Americans back. First, the idea that physical and cognitive decline is inevitable with age. New research suggests that nearly half of older adults improve over time, particularly when they maintain a positive outlook and stay physically and mentally active. Second, the belief that longevity can be “hacked” through supplements, peptides and other quick fixes. Despite a $50 billion market and widespread adoption, Pearl explains that most of these interventions lack strong clinical evidence in humans. And third, the assumption that prevention can wait until middle age. Updated cardiovascular guidelines show that earlier screening and intervention, particularly around LDL cholesterol, can dramatically reduce long-term risk. From there, the discussion shifts to the financial side of healthcare. Pearl argues that improving population health is the most effective way to reduce costs, but that meaningful change will also require a fundamental redesign of how care is delivered. Drawing on behavioral research, he introduces a central concept: healthcare leaders tend to solve problems by adding more resources (staff, beds, technology) when better outcomes often require subtraction first. The second half of the episode applies this “subtraction before addition” framework across the healthcare system. In outpatient care, Pearl describes how the traditional small physician office has become increasingly inefficient in an era dominated by chronic disease and administrative complexity. He proposes larger, integrated models that share staff, leverage generative AI and shift from calendar-based visits to continuous, need-based care. In emergency departments, he outlines how segmenting patients by clinical severity could reduce wait times, improve outcomes and lower costs by treating low-risk cases through primary care pathways. And in inpatient settings, he points to hospital-at-home programs as a way to safely care for a significant share of patients at lower cost and with better outcomes. Taken together, this episode teaches that Americans can extend both lifespan and healthspan by rejecting outdated assumptions and focusing on proven behaviors. At the same time, healthcare affordability will not improve by continuing to add more of the same. It will require eliminating inefficiencies, redesigning care delivery and replacing outdated models with ones better suited to modern medicine. For more, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links New Studies Show Americans Are Thinking About Longevity All Wrong (Forbes) The More We Add To U.S. Healthcare, The Worse It Gets (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #213: Longevity myths, healthcare costs & why medicine must subtract to improve appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Isaiah Granet, co-founder and CEO of Bland, for a sharp and eye-opening conversation about one of the most overlooked bottlenecks in healthcare: the phone call. Bland now handles 3.5 million phone calls a week, has raised over $100 million, including a $40 million Series B, and is backed by Emergence Capital, Scale, and Y Combinator. Isaiah brings a refreshingly honest take on what it actually takes to get voice AI into production in healthcare, why most vendors are just talking about it rather than doing it, and why the security risks hiding in third-party AI dependencies should be keeping every healthcare CIO up at night. In this episode, they talk about: Most people call a call center because they are at the end of the line and cannot solve their problem any other way The best voice AI systems conform to the caller, not the other way around Intake is the fastest path to ROI for health systems deploying voice AI for the first time Bland tracks emotional sentiment, call escalation rates, and a unique metric called utterances to measure patient experience quality Bland does not use OpenAI or any third-party LLM under the hood, meaning PHI never touches an outside vendor Health systems should demand that calls go live within 30 days and measurable automation within 60 days A single third-party dependency, three steps removed from a vendor, recently led to a class action lawsuit Always declare that it is an AI agent on the call; deceptive practices destroy the trust that voice AI depends on The CIO role is becoming one of the most important in any healthcare organization, as AI decisions multiply A Little About Isaiah: Isaiah values community, family, and impact above all else. He believes that building for impact is what makes life. In addition to being the cofounder and CEO of Bland, he also sits on the board of the nonprofit he founded, the San Diego Chill.

Send us Fan MailAmerican employers now spend over $25,000 a year to cover a single family, and chronic disease is driving the system toward collapse. Yet medicine is still built around a doctor's office visit every three to four months.Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, Stanford professor, and author of ChatGPT MD, joins host David E. Williams to make the case that generative AI is the only tool that can shift medicine from episodic to continuous care, and why without it, the chronic disease crisis will break American healthcare entirely.

This special Organic Growth Podcast was recorded live at the McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity & Finance Conference. Revenue doesn't disappear—it gets stuck. In this episode, Brian Plamondon of SuperDial explains how AI is transforming revenue cycle management by automating payer communication and clearing long-standing bottlenecks.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare biggest headlines. Today's show features an in-depth look at sweeping federal budget cuts, the expanding (and often misunderstood) impact of GLP-1 medications and what's destabilizing health coverage. The conversation opens with a stark warning. Dr. Pearl reviews the president's proposed 2027 budget, which includes a $15.8 billion reduction in healthcare spending. He explains why cuts to Medicaid, NIH research and global health programs could have consequences that extend far beyond the next fiscal year, potentially slowing innovation, increasing patient risk and shifting costs to states and families. From there, the episode turns to one of the most asked-about topics from listeners: GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. While these medications clearly produce meaningful weight loss and improve outcomes in conditions tied to obesity, Dr. Pearl cautions that many of the broader health claims attributed to them may simply reflect the benefits of weight loss itself, not unique properties of the drugs. Throughout the episode, an underlying truth: scientific progress continues but policy decisions, pricing dynamics and system design may limit who benefits (and at what cost). Here are the other major storylines from episode 106: Federal health cuts threaten long-term progress: The proposed budget reduces overall healthcare funding by 12.5%, cuts NIH support by $5 billion and consolidates public health agencies. Global health funding drops sharply: International health spending is being cut nearly in half, while continued withdrawal from the World Health Organization leaves the U.S. more vulnerable to future pandemics. CDC leadership signals a policy shift: The nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as permanent CDC director suggests a move back toward a more traditional, science-driven approach to vaccines. RFK Jr. softens vaccine stance amid political pressure: In congressional testimony, the HHS secretary publicly acknowledged the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine. GLP-1 drugs deliver clear weight loss and major benefits: Studies show 10-20% weight reduction, along with approximately 20% improvements in kidney and cardiovascular outcomes. Many GLP-1 “breakthroughs” may reflect weight loss alone: Evidence linking these drugs to reduced cancer risk, improved cognition or lower addiction rates remains fuzzy at best. Exercise rivals the impact of breakthrough drugs: A large study shows vigorous physical activity reduces risks of dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death at levels comparable to or greater than GLP-1 outcomes. Stress does not directly cause cancer: Pearl explains that while many Americans believe stress leads to cancer, the real risk comes from behavioral responses such as increased smoking and alcohol use. Concierge medicine expands access for some: Patients who can afford annual fees gain faster access and more time with physicians, but the model reduces availability for others. China rapidly closes the drug development gap: New data show China's share of global pharmaceutical research rising to over 32%, nearly matching the United States. Exchange coverage declines and risk pools worsen: Millions may lose insurance due to subsidy changes, premium nonpayment and shifts to high-deductible plans. Drug prices continue to rise despite reform efforts: Under the TrumpRx program, lower prices on select drugs have been offset by increases elsewhere, with new medications averaging $353,000 annually. Robotics and AI may arrive faster than expected: A dramatic improvement in robot race performance leads Dr. Pearl to revise his estimate for clinical adoption of robotic procedures. Tune in for more fact-based analysis and practical perspective on the healthcare policies, technologies and trends shaping medicine today. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #106: Trump’s 2027 budget & the other threats to U.S. healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl probe the facts beneath healthcare biggest headlines. Today's show features an in-depth look at sweeping ... The post MTT #106: Trump’s 2027 budget & the other threats to U.S. healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

OpenAI didn't need to convince patients to try generative AI. According to Dr. Nate Gross, Health of Health at OpenAI, 230 million people already use ChatGPT each week to interpret lab results, prepare for visits, understand diagnoses or ask health-related questions they didn't have time (or confidence) to raise in the exam room. But what about clinicians? On this episode of Fixing Healthcare, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr speak with Dr. Gross, who previously co-founded Doximity and Rock Health, about OpenAI's latest step: the release of ChatGPT for Clinicians, a new offering that brings healthcare-specific AI tools directly to individual providers, without requiring access through a large health system contract. In other words, the same capabilities previously limited to enterprise deployments are now being placed in the hands of front-line clinicians. But as Dr. Gross makes clear in this timely interview, the story of AI in medicine is much bigger than a single product. It's about how generative AI is beginning to reshape healthcare across three fronts at once: patients, clinicians and health systems. Key highlights include: Patients are already using AI at massive scale. Gross notes that roughly 40 million people turn to ChatGPT for help outside the clinical setting each day, often at night or between visits. They're using it to understand symptoms, interpret medical advice and navigate a fragmented healthcare system. Clinicians don't want another AI tool. They want less friction. From documentation and inbox overload to prior authorizations and evidence review, physicians are looking for ways to reduce administrative burden and focus on patient care. Generative AI, when applied well, can help “sweep the floor” of repetitive work. ChatGPT for clinicians expands access beyond health systems. Previously, OpenAI's healthcare tools were deployed through enterprise environments. This new release allows individual physicians, nurses and other providers to access clinical-grade AI tools directly, regardless of where they practice. Healthcare is shifting from “if” to “how” with AI. Health systems are no longer debating whether generative AI is real or ready. Instead, leaders are focused on how to deploy it safely, securely and in ways that improve care without introducing new risks. Fragmentation remains healthcare's biggest challenge. Patients often act as the “integration layer” between specialists, systems and settings. Gross sees AI as a potential tool to help synthesize information, coordinate care and improve communication across the system. The future of care extends beyond the clinic. From chronic disease management to hospital-at-home models, AI tools could help patients better understand and follow care plans in their daily lives, improving outcomes between visits, not just during them. Medical education and research are also evolving. Gross highlights OpenAI's work to personalize learning for clinicians and accelerate scientific discovery, including new AI models designed to support biology, genomics and drug development. Skepticism still matters. Despite the momentum, Gross emphasizes the importance of validation, clinician oversight and continuous feedback to ensure these tools are used responsibly and effectively. Dr. Pearl shares his thoughts. Pearl embraces Gross's three-part framework of patients, clinicians and health systems, but believes the greatest opportunity lies in transforming how care is delivered. From chronic disease management to AI-powered care in the home, he emphasizes that the real impact will come not from administrative gains, but from improving outcomes at scale—provided healthcare moves fast enough to keep today's challenges from becoming tomorrow's crises. There's much more in this conversation, including how healthcare leaders should think about AI in long-term planning and a deeper dive into the biggest opportunities that lie ahead. Tune in to hear what physicians, patients and health systems should expect from the next chapter of medicine. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the bestselling author of ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #212: OpenAI’s Nate Gross on ChatGPT’s next big move in healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher join cohost Jeremy Corr to explore one of medicine's least discussed forces: how professional culture gradually reshapes physician identity. The conversation begins with relationships using an unlikely touchpoint: FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Using marriage, friendship, doctor-patient dynamics and colleague trust as a launching point, Pearl and Fisher examine how stress, burnout and emotional spillover affect the people clinicians care about both at home and at work. Fisher draws on his retreat work with healthcare professionals to explain why slowing down, reconnecting socially and stepping outside the clinical environment are often prerequisites for restoring empathy and perspective. Midway through, the discussion deepens into the powerful theme introduced through the popular SHOWTIME show Billions: the way workplace environments subtly redefine who people become over time. In medicine, that process can begin as early as the first weeks of training. Small acts of conformity, repeated decisions at the edge of one's values and cultural reinforcement gradually shift how physicians think, behave and ultimately define themselves. The result is a larger question that runs through the entire episode: How do clinicians preserve their humanity, relationships and deepest values inside a system that often rewards speed, hierarchy and productivity over reflection and connection? Finally, Jeremy's closing question on behalf of patients helps to push both physicians to confront a national reality: when specialist access takes months, compassion must be communicated quickly and system design must improve the patient experience itself. For listeners who connected with Jonathan’s discussion of physician recovery, reflection and emotional renewal, check out his upcoming ASPIRE physician retreat, a CME-accredited experience for healthcare professionals, taking place June 12-14 in Boone, North Carolina. Use code ASPIRE15 for 15% off registration. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #211: How medical culture slowly reshapes physician identity appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr connect two forces that are beginning to reshape the future of medicine: healthcare's worsening economic inefficiency and the rise of physician-built generative AI tools. The conversation opens with a provocative interpretation of the latest U.S. jobs reports. While healthcare has become the nation's primary engine of employment growth, Dr. Pearl argues that this is not a sign of strength. It is evidence that medicine continues to meet rising demand by adding labor instead of improving productivity. In his view, that failure to modernize is driving higher costs for employers, families and government programs while setting the stage for inevitable disruption. From there, the discussion shifts to what that disruption could look like. Pearl outlines how generative AI could improve chronic disease monitoring, reduce unnecessary hospital stays and detect inpatient decline earlier than current workflows allow. These advances, he argues, would lower costs not by rationing care but by improving outcomes. The second half of the episode turns to one of the most practical and exciting developments in generative AI: vibe coding. Here, Pearl explains how physicians can now use plain-English prompts to create customized digital tools that reflect their own clinical judgment and practice preferences. Rather than relying on static handouts or generic patient portals, doctors could build affordable applications that monitor patients continuously between visits and intervene earlier when problems arise. Taken together, the episode puts forth a clear thesis: healthcare's worsening economics are not a sign of resilience. They are a sign that medicine has failed to modernize. What's more: generative AI, especially through vibe coding, may be the most practical path to higher-quality, lower-cost care. For more, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links US Jobs Report Spotlights Healthcare's Inefficiency, Signals Disruption (Forbes) How Vibe Coding Will Reshape Medical Practice (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post FHC #210: Healthcare's productivity crisis & how vibe coding could help appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl balance two sides of American healthcare: the encouraging scientific advances that could help people live longer and healthier lives, and the growing affordability and trust crises threatening patients across the country. The conversation opens on an optimistic note. Dr. Pearl highlights new Yale research showing that aging is far less deterministic than many Americans assume. Rather than a steady and unavoidable decline, the study found that nearly half of adults over 65 improved physically, cognitively or both over a 12-year period. He pairs that story with new cardiovascular guidance from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, which shifts prevention toward a much longer time horizon and argues that earlier LDL management could prevent a significant share of heart attacks and strokes later in life. The episode then pivots to the mounting financial and institutional pressures facing patients, hospitals and public-health agencies. From rising medical debt and medication nonadherence to declining vaccine trust, hospital cost inflation and the political barriers keeping GLP-1 drugs unaffordable in the United States, the discussion captures both the promise and the fragility of healthcare in 2026. Here are the other major storylines from episode 105: Supplements fail the evidence test: Pearl reviews clinical trial data showing that commonly used supplements such as fish oil, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and red yeast rice performed no better than placebo in lowering LDL, reinforcing the continued value of lifestyle interventions and low-cost statins. Medical costs continue to destabilize families: New Gallup-linked research shows that 82 million Americans are already making sacrifices to pay medical bills, from skipping meals to delaying retirement. Drug unaffordability worsens medication adherence: A new KFF survey finds that nearly 60% of Americans worry about affording prescriptions, with 43% reporting they have not taken medications as prescribed because of cost. Generative AI adoption surges among physicians: According to a new AMA survey, 81% of doctors now use generative AI in clinical practice, most commonly for documentation, literature summaries and chart support. Hospitals face intensifying economic pressure: The American Hospital Association reports that care delivery costs rose 7.5% last year, driven by higher labor expenses, drug prices, supply inflation and sicker patients. Trust in vaccine authorities continues to erode: Following the legal challenge to RFK Jr.'s overhaul of the federal vaccine advisory committee, new polling shows trust in federal vaccine recommendations has fallen sharply. Newborn preventive care is now affected by distrust: Pearl warns that refusal of vitamin K shots, hepatitis B vaccination and antibiotic eye ointment at birth is rising, reversing decades of scientific progress and reintroducing preventable newborn risks. Alzheimer's blood tests show progress, but not prediction: New FDA-cleared blood tests can help identify Alzheimer's disease as the likely cause of current dementia, but Dr. Pearl explains why they remain far less useful for predicting disease years before symptoms begin. The fax machine may finally be dying: In one of the episode's lighter moments, Dr. Pearl notes that CMS is moving to phase out fax-machine communication across HIPAA-covered entities, a long-overdue modernization step that could save taxpayers nearly $1 billion annually. Residency match reaches record size: The 2026 residency match was the largest in history, with more than 48,000 applicants competing for over 44,000 positions. Early heat waves carry serious health consequences: With unusual March heat across parts of the country, Dr. Pearl explains why early-season heat is especially dangerous, increasing risks of dehydration, kidney injury, cardiovascular strain and mental health emergencies. GLP-1 drugs go generic abroad while U.S. prices stay high: As Novo Nordisk's blockbuster GLP-1 medications go generic in India and other global markets, Dr. Pearl contrasts international pricing with U.S. costs and argues that congressional inaction on drug pricing remains one of healthcare's clearest failures. Tune in for more fact-based analysis and practical perspective on the healthcare stories shaping medicine today. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn. The post MTT #105: New science on aging, rising medical debt & healthcare’s fax problem appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl balance two sides of American healthcare: the encouraging scientific advances that could help people live ... The post MTT #105: New science on aging, rising medical debt & healthcare’s fax problem appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. John Whyte has spent his career at the intersection of medicine, media and public policy. Now, as CEO of the American Medical Association, he hears firsthand what physicians, patients and health leaders are most concerned about and what they expect from the future of healthcare. That perspective makes him an ideal guest for Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. This season's guests bring more than impressive résumés and large social-media followings. They bring insight into what people across the country are actually talking about: the fears they express, the questions they ask and the expectations they carry into exam rooms, boardrooms and online conversations. Whyte has held leadership roles at the FDA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He later became chief medical officer at WebMD and chief medical expert for Discovery Channel. In each position, he has focused on translating complex medical issues into clear, actionable information. In this conversation, he shares what he is hearing now and why the answers will require both cultural and structural change. Key highlights include: Three concerns dominate for physicians. Whyte opens by identifying what he hears most often across the country: frustration with prior authorization and payment incentives in Medicare and Medicaid, anxiety about scope-of-practice changes, and uncertainty about how physicians should lead (rather than react to) the rapid rise of digital health and generative AI. Medicaid disruption and impact on children. Whyte explains that policy changes at both federal and state levels could leave vulnerable populations without coverage or access to care. He emphasizes that nearly half of U.S. children rely on Medicaid. Payment models and physician autonomy. The discussion explores tensions between fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage and value-based approaches. Whyte argues that physicians must retain meaningful choice in how they practice and get paid, even as consolidation and employment models reduce autonomy. Generative AI as “augmented intelligence.” Whyte notes that more than 80% of physicians now use AI tools professionally, largely for documentation and communication tasks. The real opportunity, he says, lies in improving diagnosis, personalization and continuous monitoring. Home as the future site of care. From wearables to smart diagnostic devices, Whyte envisions a shift away from episodic office visits toward continuous monitoring and preventive care. Outcome-based reimbursement. Pearl asks whether paying for outcomes could unlock broader adoption of AI-enabled tools. Whyte acknowledges the promise but highlights practical challenges, including patient complexity, burnout and the risk that efficiency gains could simply lead to higher patient volumes. The evolving physician-patient relationship in the AI era. With a growing share of patients using generative AI before appointments, Whyte encourages clinicians to view digitally informed patients as partners. Open dialogue, trusted sources and shared decision-making, he argues, will define effective care in the years ahead. There's so much more to this episode. Tune in to find out what physicians and patients should expect from the future of medicine. * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn The post FHC #209: What the AMA’s new CEO is hearing from doctors & patients right now appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Jonathan Fisher for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, strategy and the future of physician influence in American medicine. The discussion begins with a challenge to a popular point of view: that empathy, transparency and trust make for an effective leader in medicine. While those qualities matter, Dr. Pearl argues that healthcare also requires strategic thinking, operational discipline and the ability to align people around a common direction. In medicine, says Dr. Fisher, many physicians are taught how to care for patients but not how to lead organizations. From there, the conversation expands into the deeper reasons doctors so often remain subordinate to administrators, why burnout makes strategy harder to execute and why the economics of healthcare continue to reward treatment more than prevention. Some of the key ideas discussed: Empathy is necessary, but not sufficient. Healthcare often treats empathy and trust as the highest forms of leadership. Pearl argues that great leaders also need strategic thinking, financial understanding and operational skill. Doctors are rarely trained to lead. Fisher and Pearl discuss how physicians are taught to avoid mistakes and follow established pathways, not necessarily to take strategic risks. Burnout undermines strategy. A burned-out workforce may struggle to understand, trust or implement leadership goals. Fisher notes that wellness programs can help individuals cope, but they cannot substitute for fixing the systemic forces driving exhaustion. Primary care remains undervalued. Pearl argues that fee-for-service medicine fails to reward prevention. Until payment models shift toward capitation and long-term disease control, primary care will continue to be under-supported despite its central importance. Strategy without implementation goes nowhere. The group explores the difference between setting a vision and making it real. Pearl argues that healthcare too often suffers from one or the other: plans with no execution or action without coherent strategy. Physicians need broader leadership development. To reclaim influence over the future of medicine, doctors will need more than clinical expertise. They will need training in finance, organizational behavior, incentives and the mechanics of large-scale change. The future of medicine will be collaborative. As generative AI takes on more algorithmic tasks, doctors who succeed will not be the ones who resist change but those who learn to combine clinical judgment, human connection and technological support. Pressure changes performance. Using examples from the Winter Olympics, Fisher explains how elite performers can “freeze” when stress overrides instinct. The same phenomenon can happen in medicine when clinicians are forced into high-stakes moments without the right preparation or support. Machines don't freeze. That observation leads to one of the episode's most provocative questions: if AI and robotics continue to improve, will certain technical tasks eventually be performed more reliably by machines than by humans under pressure? Competition should lead to unity, not division. In the closing segment, the discussion broadens from sports to society with a question from Jeremy Corr, offering the patient's point of view. Pearl argues that high-level competition should ultimately strengthen collective purpose, whether in athletics, healthcare or public life. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #208: Why empathy alone won’t fix healthcare leadership appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of the One Dream Podcast, Paul Renner discusses his journey from military service to politics, emphasizing the importance of leadership under pressure. He highlights his commitment to parental rights, healthcare reform, and the need for data privacy in education, particularly concerning AI. Renner positions Florida as a beacon of freedom, advocating for individual rights and family values while critiquing the impact of Obamacare. He expresses a desire to trust individuals with their health decisions and to guard against fear-driven policies in governance, aiming to leave a legacy of freedom in Florida. Resources Mentioned Paul Renner for Florida Governor One Dream on Instagram: @onedream.podcast — DM us your detox questions Follow The One Dream Podcast:

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Cor return to a question listeners have been asking for months: What role will generative AI realistically play in American healthcare? Dr. Pearl opens the discussion around three urgent threats that, if ignored, may soon become too large and too expensive to solve: The affordability cliff The chronic disease crisis The risk of training doctors for the wrong future This examination offers a stark warning about healthcare's lack of flexibility. Unlike most industries, medicine cannot quickly reconfigure its workforce, adopt new care models or cut costs without years of delay. That rigidity, Pearl argues, is what makes the current moment so dangerous. By the time healthcare leaders respond to major problems, those problems often have already deepened into crises. The episode's second half explores whether generative AI could help avert that future. Pearl argues that the technology is already capable of improving chronic disease management, reducing medical errors and extending care into patients' homes. The larger barrier is no longer technical but cultural. To illustrate that divide, Pearl uses HBO's hit show The Pitt to examine how medicine still frames AI as either a helpful tool or an existential threat rather than what it could be: a valuable clinical partner. He credits the show for capturing physicians' skepticism and enthusiasm but argues that it misses the more important question: not whether AI is perfect, but whether it performs better than clinicians working alone in a system already riddled with error. Looking further ahead, Pearl argues that when it comes to GenAI taking on clinical tasks once exclusive to humans, the Rubicon has already been crossed. Major health systems are beginning to use generative AI for clinical intake and treatment planning. Large technology companies are building patient-facing health tools tied to personal medical data. And states such as Utah are already testing whether AI can safely handle parts of chronic disease care without direct physician oversight. Taken together, these developments point toward a new future for medicine. Primary care physicians may spend less time on routine algorithmic tasks and more time on complex patients. Specialists may become more procedural as outpatient evaluation shifts. And health systems that want to benefit from these changes will need to move away from fee-for-service and toward value-based care. For more on these developments, tune into this month's episode and check out the links below. Helpful links Three Healthcare Threats That Will Soon Become Too Big To Solve (Forbes) What The Pitt Gets Right And Wrong About Generative AI In Medicine (Forbes) GenAI Will Replace Much Of What Clinicians Do — It's Already Happening (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #207: Three major healthcare threats GenAI can help solve appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl unpack a wide range of developments shaping healthcare in America today, including the TrumpRx drug discount program. From new legislation affecting telehealth and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to the rapid spread of measles and growing public concern about vaccine policy, this month's discussion highlights the policy decisions and scientific debates influencing medicine right now. The episode opens with the latest federal legislation passed to avert a government shutdown. While healthcare was not the central focus of this particular political battle, the bill contains several provisions that affect medical practice. These include extensions for telehealth coverage and hospital-at-home programs, reforms targeting PBM transparency and new requirements designed to address “ghost networks” in Medicare Advantage provider directories. Dr. Pearl explains that while these provisions represent incremental progress, they are unlikely to solve the larger problems driving healthcare costs and access challenges in the United States. Here are the other major storylines from episode 104: Healthcare costs remain nation's top concern: A new KFF poll finds that healthcare expenses rank above food, housing and utilities as the economic issue Americans worry about most. Prior authorization frustrations grow: Many patients report delays or denials of care due to insurance requirements, highlighting persistent tension between insurers, physicians and patients. Drug pricing debates continue: Pearl examines a new prescription drug website initiative and explains why it may have limited impact compared with broader policy proposals such as “most favored nation” pricing. Telehealth's uncertain future: Although the latest legislation extends certain pandemic-era flexibilities, the lack of a permanent solution leaves virtual care programs in limbo. PBM reforms move forward slowly: New policies aim to increase transparency and reduce incentives tied to drug list prices, though Pearl notes that meaningful change will depend on future implementation. Site-neutral payment gains attention: A provision requiring unique identifiers for outpatient services could pave the way for policies that eliminate higher reimbursement for hospital-owned facilities providing identical care. Measles outbreaks surge: Nearly a thousand cases have already been reported in 2026, with the overwhelming majority occurring among unvaccinated children. Trust in the CDC declines: Polling shows confidence in the agency has dropped significantly following changes to vaccine recommendations. Independent vaccine review groups emerge: Medical organizations and states are forming new committees to evaluate vaccine evidence as federal guidance becomes more contested. Early colon cancer deaths rise: The death of actor James Van Der Beek at age 48 highlights the growing incidence of colorectal cancer among younger adults and the importance of earlier screening. FDA confusion over a new flu vaccine: The agency initially declined to review Moderna's mRNA-based flu vaccine before reversing course and agreeing to evaluate it ahead of the next flu season. Younger Americans face worsening health trends: New claims data suggest chronic disease is appearing earlier among millennials and Gen Z, driven by lifestyle factors and reduced connection to primary care. Wearable data reveal health disparities: Apple Watch data show significant differences in resting heart rates across states, reflecting variations in lifestyle, access to care and public health conditions. As the episode concludes, Dr. Pearl warns that growing political conflict around vaccines and biomedical research risks undermining public trust in science. The consequences, he argues, could shape American medicine for decades to come. Tune in for more fact-based analysis and discussion of the biggest stories in healthcare. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn The post MTT #104: TrumpRx, rising measles cases & the politics of vaccine science appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

What if the most expensive healthcare decisions aren't made in the boardroom — but in the exam room, when the wrong infection gets treated with the wrong antibiotic? In this episode of the Your Health University, Podcast, Jamie sits down with Madison Browning, a registered nurse in urology at Your Health, to talk about what proper urological care actually looks like, why it matters far beyond the individual patient, and how a strong, collaborative provider team is the difference between a patient thriving and a patient stuck in a revolving door of emergency room visits. What you'll hear in this episode: Why getting a UTI diagnosis right the first time has massive implications for patient health and system costs The role nurse practitioners play in specialized urology care — and why their expertise is often underestimated How the team-based model at Your Health empowers every provider to collaborate and deliver better outcomes The direct connection between outpatient urology care and reduced hospital stays, ER visits, and downstream Medicare and tax costs Madison's genuine gratitude for the team around her — and what it looks like when a healthcare culture actually works If you've ever wondered whether the healthcare system could do better — this episode is proof that it already is, one patient at a time. www.YourHealth.Org

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its shift away from the traditional top-down model of interviewing CEOs, policymakers and medical leaders to focus this week on something new, different and fascinating: listening to the generation that is inheriting this American healthcare system. In this episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr speak with Grace Lynn Keller, VP at Executive Podcast Solutions, former Miss America contestant and the show's first-ever Gen Z guest. Grace brings a rare vantage point: Professionally, she is immersed in conversations with healthcare executives. Personally, she is part of the generation that consumes health information through social media, wearables and AI tools. For healthcare professionals, the conversation offers an important lens on how Gen Z gathers health information, how they decide when to seek care and what they expect from clinicians, insurers and government leaders. One insight stood out immediately. When asked where she would turn first with a non-emergency symptom, Grace answered without hesitation: ChatGPT. Her answer signals how much the healthcare landscape is changing. While Gen Z may turn to generative AI for initial medical advice, that is only one piece of a broader shift. In this conversation, Grace outlines how her generation is redefining health, prevention and trust. Key insights include: Verification Over Blind Trust. Gen Z does not simply accept what it reads online. Grace describes a culture of cross-referencing, double-checking and comparing sources across platforms before acting. Prevention As Identity. Her generation emphasizes whole foods, ingredient awareness and minimizing processed products. Health is considered a long-term lifestyle investment rather than reactive medical intervention. Wearables As Standard Equipment. Smart watches and rings are commonplace. Continuous data on sleep, movement, heart rate and hormonal cycles shape daily decisions and reinforce prevention. Convenience And Cost Sensitivity. Time away from work, co-pays and scheduling delays influence care decisions. If reliable AI-based treatment were available for routine conditions, many Gen Zers would use it immediately. Mental Health As Mainstream. Therapy is normalized. Work-life balance is considered protective, not indulgent. “Mental health days” may frustrate older generations but are viewed as necessary boundaries by younger workers. Skepticism Of Bureaucracy. Insurance complexity is a major frustration. Deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and opaque pricing create confusion for first-time independent users. Demand For Transparency. Grace compares healthcare to e-commerce: if nearly every other industry offers clear pricing and frictionless purchasing, why not medicine? Alcohol And Cultural Moderation. Among her peers, alcohol consumption is more situational and less habitual. Health-conscious decision-making extends beyond diet and exercise. Education Gaps. Public school health education was limited largely to sex ed and anti-drug messaging. She sees schools as the only scalable venue to improve health literacy nationwide. There's so much more to this episode. Tune in to find out what the next generation of patients expects from doctors, nurses and healthcare leaders. Helpful links “From TikTok to Telehealth: 3 Ways Medicine Must Evolve to Reach Gen Z” (Fulcrum) “Why younger patients turn away from doctors & toward GenAI” (Fixing Healthcare podcast) “Healthcare Regulators' Outdated Thinking Will Cost American Lives” (Forbes) “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Doctors and Patients Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” (Pearl's newest book) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #206: What Gen Z expects from healthcare & why it matters appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Jonathan Fisher for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, culture and team performance, inspired by lessons from the movie F1. What begins as a discussion about racing quickly becomes a deep exploration of how high-performing teams operate under pressure. In the movie (and in real Formula 1 racing), success depends not on a single star driver but on flawless coordination, communication and shared accountability. The same, the trio argues, is true in healthcare where patient outcomes increasingly depend on the strength of teams, not individual brilliance. From there, Drs. Pearl and Fisher focus on how leaders are developed, how to handle disruptive personalities, how to align departments and how physicians can prepare for long-term career success in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape that includes the rise of generative AI. Some of the key ideas discussed: Healthcare is a team sport. Like an F1 pit crew, modern medical teams operate in high-stakes, time-sensitive environments. Excellence requires clarity of roles, rehearsal, debriefing and mutual trust not just individual skill. Leadership can be learned. Charisma helps, but effective leadership is less about personality and more about behavior. Empathy, emotional regulation and intentional communication are skills that can be developed with practice. Delivery often matters more than content. Fisher emphasizes the gap between what leaders intend to communicate and what their teams hear. Non-verbal cues (posture, tone, eye contact and “prosody”) often determine whether a message lands. Curiosity over judgment. When faced with disruptive or “toxic” behavior, leaders must stay regulated, address unacceptable actions clearly and then seek to understand the underlying drivers. Culture flows from leadership. If an entire department resists change, the issue often centers on the department's leader. Alignment requires clarity of values, expectations and consequences … and sometimes difficult conversations. Excellence requires transparency. High-performing organizations define standards, measure outcomes and make performance visible. Coaching and incentives must align with expectations. Physician leaders need training not just promotion. The group discusses how brilliant clinicians are often elevated into leadership roles without preparation, and why formal leadership development is essential for healthcare's future. Planning for succession matters. Pearl points out that great leaders build a “bench.” Teams should be structured to endure transitions, not collapse when one individual exits. The future of medicine will reward human skills. As generative AI takes on more algorithmic tasks, communication, empathy and leadership will become even more essential competencies for physicians. Throughout the episode, Dr. Fisher reminds listeners that leadership is not about dominance or perfection. It is about presence, self-awareness and the willingness to understand how others think, feel and respond. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources: ‘Just One Heart' (Jonathan Fisher's newest book) ‘ChatGPT, MD' (Robert Pearl's newest book) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl's newsletter) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #205: What ‘F1' movie teaches us about leadership in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week's episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl examine a sweeping set of developments shaping American healthcare. From the first state-approved use of generative AI to prescribe medications without human oversight to rising healthcare costs, from worsening vaccine misinformation to the stubborn persistence of preventable disease, this show focuses on biggest stories in medicine today. The episode opens with a groundbreaking and controversial pilot program in Utah that allows a generative AI system to renew prescriptions for chronic disease without physician involvement. From there, the conversation turns to the relentless rise in healthcare spending. New federal data show Americans now spend more than $15,700 per person annually on medical care, with costs growing twice as fast as the economy. While insurance coverage remains high for now, Pearl warns that expiring subsidies, Medicaid restrictions and rising premiums are already pushing millions out of coverage. For many families, healthcare affordability has become a top issue and, increasingly, a political fault line heading into the midterm election cycle. Here are more major storylines from MTT episode 103: Exercise as medicine for depression: A large meta-analysis finds that regular exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication for many patients. Trump's healthcare plan fades quickly: Pearl explains why the president's proposal disappeared from the headlines. Measles returns in force: Cases are nearing 1,000 and outbreaks concentrated in under-vaccinated communities. Vaccine battles intensify under RFK Jr.: New appointments to federal advisory committees raise alarm among scientists, as anti-vaccine voices gain influence. Chronic disease remains America's top killer: Cardiovascular disease continues to claim nearly one million lives annually. Generative AI's biggest promise: Pearl makes the case that AI-driven, at-home monitoring could finally transform chronic disease management. Cancer trends turn ominous: Colorectal cancer deaths among Americans under 50 are rising sharply, becoming the leading cancer killer in this age group. Genetics vs. lifestyle revisited: New research suggests genetics may account for half of lifespan variation but lifestyle still determines how many of those years are lived in good health. High-deductible health plans: New data show cancer patients with high-deductible insurance have significantly higher mortality. GLP-1 weight-loss pills arrive: The first oral GLP-1 drug launches to record demand. A devastating flu season for children: Despite the availability of safe vaccines, pediatric flu deaths reach alarming levels among unvaccinated kids. As the episode closes, Dr. Pearl delivers a stark warning about the resurgence of pseudoscience in medicine. Tune in for more fact-based coverage and analysis of healthcare's biggest stories.   * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn The post MTT #103: Can generative AI safely prescribe medicine on its own? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Diving Deep episode with Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr looks at U.S. healthcare across three time horizons: past, present and future. The hosts use 2025 as a case study in disruption without reform, 2026 as a year of mounting pressure and near-term transition, and the coming decade as a period when generative AI will fundamentally reshape how medicine is practiced. Looking back at 2025 Dr. Pearl argues that despite political upheaval, executive orders, agency shakeups and constant headlines, American healthcare ended the year largely unchanged. Just more expensive and less trusted. He walks through five domains where chaos dominated but improvement failed to materialize. The throughline? Intense disruption produced little structural change in care delivery, affordability or outcomes. Turning to 2026 The conversation shifts from stagnation to pressure. Pearl identifies two forces that make inaction increasingly risky: the midterm elections and accelerating healthcare costs. He outlines how that pressure is likely to shape behavior across the system — not through sweeping reform, but through targeted, politically visible moves. Looking further ahead Pearl describes how generative AI could alter medicine at a profound level, especially through the convergence of AI and surgical robotics. He argues that autonomous surgery, once the realm of science fiction, is now technologically plausible and could upend long-standing hierarchies between cognitive and procedural specialties. Helpful links Healthcare In 2025: A Year Of Chaos, Confusion — But Little Improvement (Forbes) Healthcare In 2026: How Much Change Should We Expect? (Forbes) Will Your Next Surgeon Be A Robot? (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #204: Why healthcare chaos didn’t lead to change & what comes next appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

As part of Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare, which spotlights influential voices with large followings and direct insight into how real people experience medicine, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome back medical historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris for her third appearance on the show, this time joined by her husband and creative partner, illustrator Adrian Teal. Together, Lindsey and Adrian bring a rare combination of scholarly depth, storytelling and massive digital reach. Lindsey's work on medical history has captivated millions across books, television and social platforms, while Adrian's instantly recognizable art has built a massive following online. Their latest collaboration is the children's book Dead Ends: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels, which sits at the center of this wide-ranging and unexpectedly personal conversation. The episode begins with a deceptively simple premise: medicine advances not in straight lines but through failure. Lindsey explains her long-standing fascination with scientific dead ends and why medicine often hides them from public view. Dead Ends, she says, was written to show children (and adults) that changing guidance is not a sign of incompetence, but evidence of learning in real time. Adrian adds that humor, exaggeration and even “gross-out” visuals aren't just entertainment. They're how curiosity is sparked and how complex medical ideas become memorable. The discussion unfolds across centuries of medical missteps and breakthroughs. Lindsey and Adrian share favorite stories from the book, including early experiments with galvanism, the guillotine's unexpected medical legacy and how inventions routinely escape the intentions of their creators. One standout example is Martin Couney, an outsider who used a Coney Island sideshow to fund incubator care for premature infants. His invention would go on to save thousands of lives even though the medical establishment initially dismissed the technology. Shifting from history to the present, Lindsey and Adrian reflect on what past failures teach us about regulation, ethics and risk today. While modern safeguards exist for good reason (many historical experiments exploited vulnerable populations) the group wrestles with how to encourage responsible innovation without freezing progress. They also explore how public trust erodes when scientific uncertainty is poorly communicated, especially in a media environment where misinformation travels faster than nuance. The most personal segment arrives when Lindsey discusses her own breast cancer diagnosis, alongside Adrian's experience with prostate cancer. Their stories ground the episode firmly in Season 11's focus on lived experience. For listeners interested in how history, art and personal experience illuminate today's healthcare debates, this episode offers a vivid reminder that progress is rarely tidy and never inevitable. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these helpful links. Helpful links Children's book: Dead Ends: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels Book: The Butchering Art Book: The Facemaker ChatGPT, MD (Pearl's newest book) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #203: Dead ends, failures & the unlikely path to medical progress appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.