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Second Opinion

English, Health / Medicine, 1 season, 47 episodes, 3 hours, 1 minute
About
An examination of medical ethics and the practioners who define them.
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The health impact of microplastics

There is a critical need to rethink healthcare delivery to reduce microplastic waste
2/4/20243 minutes, 50 seconds
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Superstitions and well-being

It is hard to avoid superstitions, but they are usually harmless and can provide a boost of confidence
1/28/20243 minutes, 57 seconds
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Diagnosing ADHD

The condition is difficult to diagnose, and errors drive toward overdiagnosis.
1/21/20243 minutes, 48 seconds
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The truth behind spinal cord stimulation

Industry tries to do what it can to keep the secret that these devices just don’t work very well.
1/14/20243 minutes, 44 seconds
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In memory of a medical hero

Sidney Wolfe accomplished far more than most of us mere mortals
1/7/20243 minutes, 56 seconds
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Home Testing for Cervical Cancer

If we can decrease the need for pelvic exams and improve the convenience of cervical cancer screening we can increase detection rates
12/31/20233 minutes, 43 seconds
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Excessive Radiation from CT Scans

Too many CT scans are unnecessary, and the radiation can cause problems
12/24/20234 minutes
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We don’t have the information we need on prescription drugs

If you are prescribed a drug, how do you find out how effective the drug really is?
12/17/20233 minutes, 53 seconds
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Making Hepatitis C treatment available to all

Now that there is a highly effective treatment available, how can we assure access to this life saving drug?
12/10/20233 minutes, 39 seconds
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Prescription Digital Tools

These tools rely on software to monitor, treat, or prevent disease.  They are still in their early stages but we need more data on their effectiveness.
12/3/20233 minutes, 51 seconds
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What is a normal part of aging?

Not all problems should be attributed to normal aging.
11/26/20233 minutes, 40 seconds
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The meaning of gratitude

It turns out that gratitude can benefit physical and mental health.
11/19/20233 minutes, 52 seconds
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When to report child or elderly abuse

The consequences of reporting, and not reporting abuse, can be enormous
11/13/20233 minutes, 45 seconds
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Hospital Culture and End-of-Life Care

We need to do better at matching care provided at the end of life to patient’s preferences.
11/5/20234 minutes
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Is gambling a medical problem?

Decreasing problem gambling will require a toolbox of remedies including health care interventions and new policies.
10/29/20234 minutes
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Hospital Discharge- given only a few hours to decide what’s next

Hospital discharge can be complicated, and too often, patient’s preferences are not considered.
10/22/20234 minutes, 47 seconds
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Do we need black boxes in medicine?

There are many similarities between medicine and aviation, but one change we need to make in medicine is to develop the equivalent of black boxes to improve the quality of care.
10/15/20234 minutes
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Harm Reduction

While not a perfect solution, it has been shown to work.
10/8/20234 minutes, 58 seconds
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Substance Abuse Part 1

What drives substance abuse is complex and treatment requires a dual approach
10/1/20233 minutes, 39 seconds
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Vector Borne Disease and Climate Change

Climate change has created unique opportunities for insects to spread disease.
9/24/20234 minutes
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The Popularity of Total Body MRI Scanning

These expensive tests have very little benefit and some important risks.
9/17/20233 minutes, 39 seconds
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Intergenerational Trauma

Trauma experienced by refugees can have a powerful effect on the biology and behaviors of future generations.
9/10/20233 minutes, 54 seconds
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The meaning of being on the “BEST HOSPITAL” list

We need to agree on outcomes for a “best hospital” and then figure out how to measure those qualities. 
9/3/20233 minutes, 57 seconds
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The impact of positive childhood experiences

It turns out both adverse and positive childhood experiences impact our health as adults.
8/27/20233 minutes, 27 seconds
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Emotional Support Animals

Certain rules assure that people can live with emotional support animals, but they are different rules than protect service animals.
8/20/20233 minutes, 19 seconds
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Medical Research Volunteers are often poorly informed

The FDA has dropped the ball on requiring that studies are properly evaluated for ethical violations
8/13/20233 minutes, 56 seconds
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The White Coat Ceremony – only a partial celebration.

Perhaps the white coat is no longer a fitting symbol for a patient-focused modern medical profession.
8/6/20232 minutes, 57 seconds
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Religion and Medicine often make strange partners

Is our life’s path already written, or can we control behaviors and impact our health?
7/30/20233 minutes, 38 seconds
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Ordering drug tests without permission

Drug testing for elicit substances should require explicit permission from the patient
7/23/20233 minutes, 54 seconds
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The new heavily promoted weight loss drugs

Like with all new drugs, – things are never quite what they first seem.
7/16/20233 minutes, 57 seconds
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The doctor and allocating scarce resources

Should limited resources go to those with the greatest expected benefit?
7/9/20233 minutes, 55 seconds
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De-prescribing medications

Too many people use too many medications, negatively affecting their health.
7/2/20233 minutes, 58 seconds
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One factor in picking the best surgeon

Data over many years suggests that surgeons who do more surgeries have better outcomes.
6/25/20233 minutes, 41 seconds
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What we know about fathers

Being a father isn’t easy, and the expectations have changed remarkably over the years.
6/18/20233 minutes, 59 seconds
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Cannabis for sleep

A good night’s sleep is vital to well-being, but it isn’t always easy
6/11/20234 minutes
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Meat consumption and human health (part 2)

While consuming meat can negatively impact our health, it also affects meat processing workers and those living near these processing plants.
6/4/20233 minutes, 52 seconds
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The impact of meat consumption on human health

The relationship between meat consumption and human health is complicated. 
5/28/20233 minutes, 50 seconds
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Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Artificial intelligence has suddenly burst onto the world stage, but now is the time to ensure that the use of AI is transparent, confidential, and enhances health care and not just institutional profits.
5/21/20234 minutes
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Is there a good time to stop screening for disease?

We spend lots of time figuring out at what age to start screening for cancer. But when do we stop screening?
5/14/20233 minutes, 37 seconds
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Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

You can easily order genetic tests online, but should you?
5/7/20234 minutes, 3 seconds
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Screen for prostate cancer (PSA)

While the death rate for prostate cancer has fallen over the past two decades, little of this is related to routine testing of older men. 
4/30/20233 minutes, 44 seconds
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Reducing added sugar in our diet

Simply providing information such as clear warning labels on restaurant menus can reduce added sugar consumption.  
4/23/20233 minutes, 59 seconds
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Artificial Intelligence in End of Life Decisions

Can artificial intelligence, based on machine learning, predict more accurately the care a loved one would want at the end of life compared to next of kin?
4/16/20233 minutes, 58 seconds
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Unnecessary Pre-operative testing

The thinking goes that testing before elective surgery can reduce risks and complications.  But, it turns out it may do the opposite.
4/9/20233 minutes, 55 seconds
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Implied Consent

Touch during a visit to the doctor has many benefits, but it can also negatively impact the provider-patient relationship.
4/2/20233 minutes, 22 seconds
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Video recordings of surgical procedures

While video offers some advantages to patients and providers, it also has some significant downsides.
3/26/20234 minutes, 2 seconds
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A rising demand for medical imaging tests

There are several reasons for the increasing use of medical imaging tests buy they may not always benefit the patient
3/19/20233 minutes, 48 seconds