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

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

You’d think that something like screening for prostate cancer would be free of controversy, but that just isn’t the case. The benefits and risks of screening have been hotly debated by different medical organizations over the years. Today, 2 Docs Talk about how prostate screening and the various issues surrounding it. This is a topic every man should discuss with his physicians, and we hope this hepls you know what questions to ask when you do. Resources: Weiner AB, Matulewicz RS, Eggener...

If you’ve ever tried to figure out the price of a medical procedure, you know it’s not that easy. In fact, research shows that complete pricing for medical procedures is unavailable when requested over one-third of the time. As healthcare deductibles rise and indidviduals are affected more and directly by these costs, the issue of pricing transparency is growing. In this episode we talk about the problem posed by opaque medical pricing practices. We also dig into two innovative practice...

Vaccines are both one of the most widely used and most widely misunderstood preventive medical treatments available. People have concerns about autism, efficacy, the promotion of unhealthy behaviors. We dig into the evidence on some of those topics, as well as take a look at the effectiveness of vaccines against some of the scariest disease of our time – including cancer.   NEJM study on vaccines and autism Lancet study on vaccines and autism Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and...

All you have to do is take a quick drive around town to see that low testosterone clinics are all the rage. A little math will tell you why. Males make up around 50 percent of the population, and their testosterone declines, naturally, at a rate of 1 percent per year after age 30. If that decline merits treatment, it’s no wonder those clinics are everywhere. But, does it merit treatment? Is testosterone replacement safe? Is it even effective? We dig into those questions on this episode of...

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

One of the latest technological advances in food production is the introduction of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, to the food supply. They have the potential to offer many benefits including increased productivity, pest and herbicide resistance, longer shelf life, and the list goes on. But many are concerned that this relatively new technology isn’t safe – for health, the environment or the economy. We dig into the evidence surrounding GMOs in this episode. We might even share an...

Back pain is second only to cancer as a cause of long term disability. This health problem is damaging to individuals and costly to society. And we don’t have much in our arsenal that is effective at treating it. This week, we discuss the difference between acute and chronic back pain with regard to treatment and outcomes. We also discuss the role of surgery, medications, alternative therapies, and some interesting new research on what helps resolve chronic back pain. Resources: Research...

Screening mammography is widely used throughout the U.S. and is thought of as a great success in the prevention of breast cancer deaths. But what does the evidence say? Are we getting what we are paying for with mammography, or simply shouldering the extra cost of false positives and overdiagnosis? We examine these issues and more on this episode of 2 Docs Talk. References: What does the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) do? USPSTF current (2009) breast cancer screening recs  ...

Physician burnout is a big issue in the medical community. According the the Medscape Lifestyle Report 2017, over half of physicians report burnout. But physician burnout isn’t just a problem for physicians. It is a problem for patients, for other medical staff, and for the health care economy. Today we dig into the causes of physician burnout and how it can be addressed. Here’s a hint: It doesn’t involve meditation or counseling. Resources: Medscape Lifestyle Report 2017 2 Docs Talk...

If you watch any tv at all, it’s likely you’ve seen a drug ad. These ads generally show seemingly healthy people living normal lives, the message being the drug did this for them. But are the drug ads telling the whole story? And should they even be advertising directly to consumers to begin with? We discuss this issue on today’s episode.   Resources: Nivolumab Research from New England Journal of Medicine What the FDA has to say about drug ads Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or...

With the recent release of the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, depression and suicide have been getting a lot of press time. In this episode, we talk about depression, what it is, how it is treated and what’s on the horizon for this far too common disorder. We also talk a bit about the Netflix series and the problem of suicide. Take a listen and see what you think. If you think you may be depressed please seek help from a trusted healthcare provider. And if you are contemplating suicide,...

Historically, cervical cancer has been one of the major killers of young women. But since the advent of the pap smear, death from the disease has dropped dramatically. However, treatment of lesions identified on pap smear can lead to significant issues including infertility. And in other parts of the world where screenign is not easily accessed, cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death for women in the prime of life. As with any disease, prevention is better than treatment, and...

A BMJ report earlier this year declared that 1 in 3 hospital deaths were the result of medical errors. A flurry of headlines about the dangers of hospitals soon followed. Just what is a medical error? What are the dangers of being in a hospital? And what can we do about it? We talk about these questions in today's episode.  Resources: BMJ on medical error KATZ scale To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System Hospital at Home Be sure and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher if you...

Thousands of people die each year from influenza. The CDC recommends that almost all people (with a few rare exceptions) receive the flu vaccine every year. But the disease and the vaccine are poorly understood. In this episode, we discuss the flu, its treatment and its prevention. Resources: Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing outpatient, inpatient, and severe cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza Oseltamivir treatment for influenza in adults: a meta-analysis of randomised...

Kendall and Amy are in agreement that hospice care is an important, compassionate aspect of healthcare that humanizes what can be a very clinical, impersonal process. We've both experience with hospice - personally and professionally.  Sadly, like most aspects of healthcare, the potential for profit has introduced some ugly practices into what should be focused solely on the needs of dying patients and their families. Today, Kendall and Amy talk about the good and the bad of hospice as it...

Most people probably know someone who has had thyroid disease of some sort, most commonly hypothyroidism - the term low thyroid hormone. But there has been a significant rise in diagnosed thyroid disease in the past couple of decades due to screening. These diagnoses include problems with thyroid hormone as well as thyroid cancers. It's easy to get excited about diagnosing more disease - you catch it earlier and help people prevent the consequences of the disease. Or do you? Today we are...

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

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

If you've had many conversations about healthcare reform, it is likely you've heard some variation on this theme:  "Hospitals have to provide care for people who show up. So everyone can get healthcare when they need it. So when people say that can't get healthcare, that isn't true." Is there any merit to that argument? Spoiler: NO. But if you want to hear more about where that idea comes from, take a listen.  Resources: ...

The pap smear has been one of the greatest public health wins of the past century. But the pap test may end up being pushed aside by HPV screening. Today, 2 Docs Talk about Pap smears, HPV screening, the current recommendations for cervical cancer screening, and the research that may push us to shifting away from the pap smear to the HPV test.

The process of drug approval is long and expensive. To complicate matters, pharmaceutical companies, patients, an the FDA are all invested in the process, for different reasons – and they aren’t always the same. Today we discuss the story of how a new drug came to market and the unusual circumstances around its approval.  Resources: FDA grants accelerated approval to first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy CDC on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Right to Try Compassionate Use Be sure...

If there is a hot button issue in politics these days, it's abortion. But abortion is the result of a long line of issues that are being inadequately addressed in this country. Today we take a look at contraception - what it is, how it works, its history and its future.  We also offer a look at an innovative program that has the potential to help both pro-choice and pro-life groups happy.    Resources: Details on various types of birth control The Choice Project Use of LARCs in...