Fixing Healthcare Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FHC #87: An unfiltered look at death, medicine’s No. 1 villain Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

This Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare features Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being. He joins cohosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl to discuss a pair of difficult topics in medicine: death and love.

To begin, Dr. Pearl asks Dr. Fisher to elaborate on why physicians find it so difficult to accept death as a natural part of life. Later, Pearl describes a patient who suffered greatly as a result of physicians continuing to provide treatments with no hope for cure or a return to normal. He wonders if patients and physicians alike would benefit from a measurement of the pain and discomfort inflicted on patients in their course of dying.

In the second half of the podcast, the two talk about the post-apocalyptic HBO series The Last Of Us. The doctors both found the show powerful and filled with high drama. But they were moved most by the love that characters demonstrated in the face of fear and desperation. They discuss how the themes apply directly to healthcare today and to the Covid-19 pandemic. Warning: minor spoiler alters.

To find out more, press play and check out these helpful links:

Dealing with grief and shame—with Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Life’s most difficult decision: An excerpt from ‘Uncaring’

The best medicine for patients: The truth

Interview: How the culture of medicine kills doctors and patients

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare: Following The Science

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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 #87: An unfiltered look at death, medicine’s No. 1 villain appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #71: Why is this drug 19-times more expensive than it was in 2007? Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode of “Medicine: The Truth” (formerly “Coronavirus: The Truth”), hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle more of healthcare’s hottest issues and biggest problems.

In this show, the hosts discuss the promise (and pitfalls) of generative AI and its future applications in medicine. Are patients ready to get their diagnoses and treatment plans from something (like ChatGPT) rather than someone (their doctor)?

The conversation then shifts to the monopolistic controls of drug makers and price-driving approaches that a longtime healthcare CEO and commentator Dr. Pearl says, “even I could never imagine.” Pearl describes a drug that generates $13 billion in revenue for a company that charges $200,000 per patient per year, 19-times more than it cost in 2007.

As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy eagerly follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand how the world’s biggest healthcare stories affect us all. Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

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 #71: Why is this drug 19-times more expensive than it was in 2007? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #86: Diving deep into GPT-4 (the new ChatGPT) and medicine’s future Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Fixing Healthcare cohost Dr. Robert Pearl has long been a go-to resource on all-things AI in medicine. His recent insights and perspectives on ChatGPT have appeared in USA Today, MedPage Today, Forbes and other outlets.

In this episode of Diving Deep, Jeremy Corr asks Pearl about this new and highly controversial technology. How might it improve hospital care, medical education and patient health – and what are the potential pitfalls? That conversation is immediately followed by a familiar topic, as the hosts dive even deeper in healthcare’s conglomerate of monopolies. This time, they examine private equity-backed doctors and the health insurance industry.

As always, this show probes some of healthcare’s most complex topics and deep-seated problems, delivering thoughtful analysis and solutions. To dive in, press play and peruse the links below.

HELPFUL LINKS

How Will ChatGPT Affect Medical Care? (USA Today)

5 Ways ChatGPT Will Change Healthcare Forever, For Better (Forbes)

GPT-4 Is Here. How Can Doctors Use Generative AI Now? (MedPage Today)

Poll: You down with ChatGPT? (RobertPearlMD.com)

Private Equity And The Monopolization Of Medical Care (Forbes)

Why Health Insurers Can, But Won’t, Break Up Medical Monopolies (Forbes)

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare (LinkedIn Newsletter)

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The post FHC #86: Diving deep into GPT-4 (the new ChatGPT) and medicine’s future appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #85: Dr. Robert Pearl’s leadership vision for American healthcare Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Robert Pearl fields questions from Fixing Healthcare co-host Jeremy Corr about Pearl’s experiences as a healthcare leader, educator, author and columnist.

This season’s focus: How better, bolder leadership can fix American healthcare.

Few know better than Pearl how to turn a struggling healthcare enterprise into a category frontrunner. Under his leadership, Pearl turned Kaiser Permanente into a leader in healthcare technology, quality and patient satisfaction—all while reducing prices. His proven track record and bold vision for the future of medicine represent the gold standard for health systems and primary care organizations across the country.

“Leadership is making things happen that otherwise would not,” says Dr. Pearl. “In broadest terms, leaders create a vision that others can see. Then they align people around that vision. And, finally, they motivate them to move forward.”

Learn more about Pearl’s path from surgeon to healthcare executive and hear his lessons on leadership in this must-hear episode.

Helpful links:

Dr. Robert Pearl and Kaiser Permanente: A Lesson in Strategic Leadership (Stanford)

Healthcare leadership: Making medicine a team sport (LinkedIn)

Brain, Heart, Spine: The Anatomy Of Healthcare Leadership (Forbes)

Becoming a Senior Physician Leader and the Power of Capitation (YouTube)

Permanente CEO shares leadership lessons learned throughout his career (Fierce Healthcare)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a new book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.”

The post FHC #85: Dr. Robert Pearl’s leadership vision for American healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #84: ChenMed brothers feel ‘moral imperative’ to give seniors affordable, VIP care Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

About 15 years ago, Dr. James Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant, was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout his treatment, he experienced the kind of fragmented, low-tech care that too many Americans accept as normal. After his recovery, Chen set out to create a new, better primary care system.

Today, his sons Christopher and Gordon Chen carry forth their father’s mission, providing underserved patients (primarily low-income seniors managing multiple chronic conditions) with a level of concierge-style care typically reserved for the wealthy. Chris, now CEO, and his brother Gordon, Chief Medical Officer, now oversee than 100 medical centers in 15 states.

This is season eight of Fixing Healthcare, which focuses on how leadership can drive transformative improvements in medicine. In this episode, the Chen brothers discuss the future of primary care, the role Medicare Advantage (and capitation) will play, and how their leadership philosophy honors the example set by their father.

HELPFUL LINKS

Humana, ChenMed ink 5-year (Medicare Advantage) deal (Becker’s)
Lessons on disrupting primary care (RobertPearlMD.com)
Managing the most expensive patients (Harvard Business Review)
The ChenMed channel (YouTube)

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The post FHC #84: ChenMed brothers feel ‘moral imperative’ to give seniors affordable, VIP care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #70: Why does U.S. healthcare rank last among wealthy countries (again)? Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode of “Medicine: The Truth” (formerly “Coronavirus: The Truth”), hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle healthcare’s hottest issues and biggest problems.

The show begins with a question: Why, according to the Commonwealth Fund, is American healthcare once again in last place, lagging its global peers? For the answer, Dr. Pearl borrows from the world of sports. Whether it’s “blocking and tackling” in football or “the plays you should make” in baseball, American healthcare falls short when it comes to the fundamentals: preventing disease, managing chronic illness, and keeping patients safe and out of the hospital.

In Covid-19 news, Dr. Pearl addresses the latest data out of China. While it has long been assumed the country uncounted its Covid-19 death toll (attributing less than 100,000 fatalities to the virus), analysis of year over year mortality rates indicates the true mortality total is between 1 and 1.5 million. This, despite nearly three years of lockdowns, resulting in major economic difficulties.

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The post MTT #70: Why does U.S. healthcare rank last among wealthy countries (again)? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #83: Diving deep into the many monopolies of U.S. healthcare Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

In any industry, too much market consolidation limits competition, choice and access to goods and services, all of which drives up prices.

But there’s another—often overlooked—consequence. Market leaders that grow too powerful become complacent. And, when that happens, innovation dies. Healthcare is a prime example.

Welcome to Diving Deep. Each month, this show probes some of healthcare’s most complex topics and deep-seated problems, delivering thoughtful analysis and solutions.

Today, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore the many ways healthcare has become monopolized, from hospitals and health systems to the drug industry and beyond. Whether you provide medical care or receive it, you’ll learn much from this conversation. To dive in, press play and peruse the helpful links below.

HELPFUL LINKS

How Drug Companies Monopolize Medicine (Forbes)

U.S. Healthcare: A Conglomerate Of Monopolies (Forbes)

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare (LinkedIn Newsletter)

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The post FHC #83: Diving deep into the many monopolies of U.S. healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #82: An unfiltered look at love and life expectancy Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Valentine’s Day is here—a time to celebrate the heart. In this episode, Drs. Robert Pearl and Zubin Damania (aka ZDoggMD) discuss a series of studies confirming that interpersonal relationships (with friends, family, etc.) have the biggest impact on life expectancy and overall wellness.

This raises the question: Is there a role for medicine in addressing this most vital component of health?

At Turntable Health, the primary-care venture Dr. Z founded in Las Vegas, the traditional “waiting room” was converted into a community space where patients could hang out, have conversations, participate in mindfulness classes and even form friendships (in a HIPAA-compliant way, he added).

“We are social creatures and we need others,” says ZDoggMD.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Pearl, along with ZDoggMD, discuss the “L” word, the importance of relationships in good health and how clinicians can set aside denial (a cultural tenet of medicine) and let emotion safely enter in to medical practice.

To find out more, press play and check out these helpful links:

Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy

Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions

Healthy Relationships Matter More Than We Think

Do Social Ties Affect Our Health?

ZDoggMD’s YouTube playlist on “Consciousness & Mindfulness”

How One Clinic Disrupted Primary Care, Made Patients Healthier & Failed

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FHC #81: Eric Topol on the future of AI, medical education and leadership Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Eric Topol, now a three-time returning guest on the Fixing Healthcare podcast, discusses 21st-century lessons in leadership.

Topol is the director of the Scripps Research Institute and a professor of molecular medicine. He has published more than 1,200 peer-reviewed articles and serves as the editor-in-chief of Medscape. He has authored three bestselling books including his most recent, “Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again.”

In this episode, Topol talks about the future of medical leadership and the role of AI (including ChatGPT), genomics research and genome editing, medical education and the retail/pharmacy giants in healthcare.

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The post FHC #81: Eric Topol on the future of AI, medical education and leadership appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

CTT #69: Welcome to our new show ‘Medicine: The Truth’ Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

For three years, all eyes (and ears) were turned toward the Covid-19 pandemic. And since early 2020, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr have hosted the popular podcast “Coronavirus: The Truth.”

That show has cut through the fearmongering and misinformation circulated on social media to bring listeners the truth about the coronavirus—with informed commentary, helpful context and reporting from only the most credible sources. Over the past year, as other medical issues have rivaled this viral pandemic in threat and public interest, the duo have added broader healthcare topics to the show.

Today, “Coronavirus: The Truth” becomes “Medicine: The Truth.” Using the same format, the show will tackle healthcare’s hottest issues and biggest problems—including news and information about Covid-19 when relevant.

As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy will follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand what’s holding back our nation’s health. Topics will feature the latest medical issues affecting patients and their physicians. The show will explore major public health problems, medical technologies, drug developments, and much more.

Listener note: If you’re currently subscribed to or following Coronavirus: The Truth on Apple, Spotify or any other podcast platform, you don’t have to change a thing. Just sit back and enjoy our new show Medicine: The Truth. If you’re new to the show, you can also hear it by following/subscribing to the Fixing Healthcare podcast.

Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/

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The post CTT #69: Welcome to our new show ‘Medicine: The Truth’ appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

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