Fixing Healthcare Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FHC #183: Will GenAI replace docs? How should medical schools respond? Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle two of the most pressing questions in healthcare today, each focused on the future of medical practice in the era of generative AI.

First, the hosts explore the controversial question: Will AI replace doctors? Dr. Pearl argues that, despite recent advances in AI that now outperform physicians in a growing number of diagnostic tasks, the answer is “no.” He explains why the healthcare system’s worsening physician shortage, its rising costs and patients’ enduring need for human connection all point to a future in which doctors remain essential.

However, he warns that clinicians won’t be immune to the pressures GenAI brings. If the technology is controlled by insurers or private equity firms, it will likely be used to speed up visits and reduce costs, not improve care. To avoid that outcome, Pearl urges physicians to lead AI’s integration into medicine, organizing into high-performing groups and shaping how the tools are used. Otherwise, he cautions, GenAI won’t replace doctors. But it will make their jobs miserable.

Later in the episode, the conversation turns to medical education. Pearl argues that U.S. medical schools are falling dangerously behind in preparing students for the AI revolution. While colleges and universities across the country are rapidly integrating generative AI into undergraduate curricula, most medical schools still rely on outdated teaching methods that emphasize memorization rather than application of information in clinical practice.

Pearl calls for an urgent overhaul of faculty training and curricular design, encouraging hands-on exercises where students use GenAI as a clinical partner. With this foundation, students can engage in diagnostic reasoning, design care plans, and collaborate with AI tools to improve patient outcomes. Without these changes, he warns, tomorrow’s physicians may be ill-equipped to lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Together, these topics speak to some of the greatest fears – and greatest opportunities – in the medical profession today. Listen to the episode to hear the full conversation and decide for yourself.

HELPFUL LINKS

GenAI Won’t Replace Doctors, But It Could Make Them Miserable (Forbes)
In The AI Revolution, Medical Schools Are Falling Behind U.S. Colleges (Forbes)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” 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 or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #183: Will GenAI replace docs? How should medical schools respond? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #96: Cancer confusion, obesity clarity & a $3M drug failure Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine a wide range of healthcare headlines. From the Supreme Court’s ruling on preventive care to heat-related deaths, experimental diabetes treatments and the continued unaffordability of life-saving drugs, this episode focuses on biggest stories in medicine today.

It opens with a breakdown of the Supreme Court’s recent 6–3 decision on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. While the ruling preserves access to services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Pearl warns that it introduces new risks.

“When politics or finances enter the healthcare world, clinical outcomes suffer,” says Pearl. He draws parallels to the ousting of experts on the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and highlights the danger of eroding scientific independence.

Pearl then turns to a longstanding pain point in American healthcare: prior authorization.

While insurer companies claim this process guarantees safe, necessary care, studies show it often delays treatment or leads patients to abandon care altogether. Despite new promises from more than 50 insurers to streamline their processes by 2027, Pearl offers words of caution.

“Although this pledge sounds like a major commitment, clinicians remain doubtful Clinicians remain doubtful … And, of course, 2027 is two years away.”

Other key topics discussed in this episode include:

Statin underuse: Research shows that prescribing statins to all eligible Americans could prevent 39,000 deaths and 165,000 major cardiac events annually, saving up to $25 billion a year.
CT scan overuse: New data show that frequent surveillance scans for cancer recurrence do not improve survival and may lead to physical, psychological and financial harm.
Cancer screening clarity: Only four cancers (breast, lung, cervical and colorectal) have strong evidence supporting screening. For the rest, benefits remain unproven or may be outweighed by risks.
Colon cancer detection: FIT tests are as effective as colonoscopy in low-risk patients, especially those ages 40–49. Yet screening rates remain far too low.
Heat-related health threats: Climate-driven “heat domes” pose rising risks to children, the elderly and patients with chronic disease.
New HIV drug dilemma: The FDA approved an injectable PrEP option with a near-perfect success rate. However, at a staggering $28,000+ annual cost, it may remain out of reach for most.
FDA under scrutiny: Accelerated approvals are allowing high-cost drugs to enter the market despite safety concerns. Pearl discusses the recent deaths of two children treated with a $3.2 million drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Experimental type 1 diabetes cure: A new stem cell therapy enabled 10 out of 12 patients to stop insulin injections. But lifelong immunosuppression and likely high costs may limit uptake.
Autism breakthrough: New genetic analysis identifies four distinct ASD subtypes, helping pave the way for earlier diagnosis and personalized support strategies.
Alarming pediatric trends: Childhood obesity and mental health issues have risen sharply in the last 17 years. Climate change is also driving a spike in tick-related illnesses in children.
Obesity science simplified: A global study confirms it’s not lack of exercise driving obesity—it’s excess calories, particularly from ultra-processed, high-fat foods.

The episode closes with a hard truth: U.S. healthcare spending is expected to exceed 20% of GDP by 2033. “Despite spending more, we’re not seeing improvements in outcomes,” Pearl says. He promises to revisit this issue in a future episode of Diving Deep.

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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. 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 #96: Cancer confusion, obesity clarity & a $3M drug failure appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #182: How GenAI, telemedicine and AI assistants will reshape medicine Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

In a special episode of Fixing Healthcare, Jeremy Corr turns the mic once more to cohost Dr. Robert Pearl, inviting him to reflect on Season 10, marking the duo’s most ambitious deep-dive into the technologies transforming American medicine.

Over the past nine episodes, Corr and Pearl welcomed leading thinkers in health tech, including high-profile executives from Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Nvidia; the CEOs of Zocdoc and Hippocratic AI; pioneers of generative AI like investor Vinod Khosla; and renowned physician-leaders like Drs. Eric Topol and Maria Ansari.

This week, Corr and Pearl offer listeners a wide-angle view of what they learned … and what comes next.

Pearl begins by identifying four major “eras” of healthcare technology. The first was defined by anatomic understanding and miracle drugs. The second brought powerful machines like CT and MRI. The third saw the arrival of EHRs and the internet, technologies that failed to meet expectations. The fourth era, he says, began on “November 30th of 2022, with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.”

Since then, Pearl notes, generative AI has at least doubled in power annually. “By the time the current cohort of medical students complete their training,” he says, “generative AI will be at least 30 times more powerful than today. That’s the equivalent of your car going as fast as an airplane.”

Corr asks Pearl to walk through what stood out most from the season’s interviews. Pearl highlights Dr. Topol’s focus on “precision preventive care,” David Feinberg’s vision of AI as a personal assistant, and Vinod Khosla’s belief that “AI won’t replace 80% of doctors, but it will replace 80% of what doctors do.” Others predicted tech-enabled call centers, hospital-at-home programs, and smarter EHRs that anticipate a clinician’s needs.

Before the episode ends, Corr asks Pearl to summarize his own top three technologies for the next five to 10 years. Pearl’s answer mirrors — but also expands upon — his earlier appearance in episode #170. Here are the three innovations he believes will have the greatest impact:

Large language models (LLMs): Pearl believes tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude will soon be able to monitor patients with chronic illnesses in real time, helping them identify when medication adjustments or clinical interventions are needed (without requiring an in-person visit).
AI-enabled telemedicine: When paired with generative AI, telemedicine will evolve from a one-to-one model to a one-to-many approach. Pearl envisions a future in which doctors can oversee and manage care for dozens — or even hundreds — of discharged patients simultaneously, responding quickly to those who need the most attention.
AI-powered assistants: Tools like DeepSeek will spark a new generation of digital healthcare agents trained on real clinician–patient interactions. These assistants will handle triage, chronic disease management and home monitoring, making expert-level care more accessible, scalable and affordable than ever before.

Pearl ends with a bold forecast: “I’m convinced that over the next five to 10 years, the combination of dedicated clinicians and empowered patients and generative AI technology will achieve clinical outcomes that are exponentially better than what any of the three could achieve alone.”

Click play to hear this wide-ranging wrap-up to Season 10, including predictions for medicine’s future and a call to action for patients, clinicians and tech innovators alike.

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The post FHC #182: How GenAI, telemedicine and AI assistants will reshape medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #181: When the doctor becomes the patient Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

In this introspective episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down once again with cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore the emotional and psychological dimensions of medical treatment — this time from the perspective of a physician as a patient.

Prompted by Dr. Fisher’s own recent orthopedic surgery, the discussion examines the complexities and uncertainties patients face when deciding on medical interventions. Fisher candidly shares his reflections on the importance of setting clear expectations, the role of empathy in patient care, and the profound isolation and vulnerability experienced during his own recovery.

The episode expands into a broader dialogue about hope, optimism and honesty in medical care, particularly in oncology. Pearl and Fisher debate the balance between providing realistic expectations and maintaining patient optimism, highlighting how the right mindset can significantly influence healing and recovery.

Finally, in response to a listener’s thoughtful question, the hosts explore how medical specialties metaphorically influence a physician’s worldview and approach to patient care, underscoring the profound interplay between personal experience and professional practice.

For more candid, 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)

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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 #181: When the doctor becomes the patient appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #180: Diving Deep into healthcare politics & the biases blocking chronic disease care Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Fixing Healthcare’s “Diving Deep,” co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine two pressing healthcare issues through thoughtful Q&A: the impact of Trump’s healthcare promises on policy and the hidden psychological bias that impedes everything from tariff decisions to chronic disease management.

First, the hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s bold healthcare promises, including significantly lowering prescription drug prices, reversing chronic diseases and leveraging generative AI to transform American medicine. With midterm elections looming, Pearl emphasizes the urgency for real policy action rather than rhetoric. On drug pricing, he notes the significant legislative and regulatory hurdles facing Trump’s proposed solutions, such as Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) pricing. Regarding food quality and obesity, Pearl addresses RFK Jr.’s criticism of ultra-processed foods and urges the administration to move beyond symbolic reports to concrete policies, including front-of-package labeling, taxation of unhealthy foods, and stricter food additive regulations. Additionally, Pearl highlights the administration’s enthusiasm for generative AI, advocating for real-world applications to manage chronic conditions and enhance diagnostic accuracy, while cautioning against potential disconnects caused by outdated FDA processes and insufficient investment in innovation.

Later in the episode, the hosts delve into the hidden psychological traps impacting chronic disease management, particularly the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias causing individuals to overestimate their competence. Pearl explains how this bias affects healthcare providers, resulting in clinical inertia, where doctors overestimate their control over patients’ chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. This often leads to inadequate disease management and avoidable complications like heart attacks and strokes. Pearl suggests several strategies for overcoming this bias, including objective self-assessment against national benchmarks, proactive investigation of treatment gaps, and the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to enhance patient engagement and clinical responsiveness.

This episode of “Diving Deep” underscores the importance of transitioning from political and professional promises to tangible healthcare improvements, highlighting both the potential and pitfalls in current healthcare strategies.

HELPFUL LINKS

Talk Is Cheap: Now Trump Must Deliver On His Healthcare Promises (Forbes)
The Hidden Link Between Tariffs, Vaccines, Chronic Disease (Forbes)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

The post FHC #180: Diving Deep into healthcare politics & the biases blocking chronic disease care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #179: An unfiltered look back at independence, authenticity in medicine Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

With Dr. Robert Pearl traveling abroad this week to keynote a major conference on patient data transparency, the Fixing Healthcare team is revisiting one of its most popular episodes: an Unfiltered conversation with Dr. Zubin Damania (aka ZDoggMD), originally recorded three years ago in the lead-up to Independence Day.

At the time of the recording, America was grappling with the aftermath of a deadly mass shooting at the Highland Park parade in Illinois. Cohost Jeremy Corr, near the end of the episode, asks Drs. Pearl and Damania how America — despite its ideals of freedom and democracy — continues to struggle with societal divides, mental illness and isolation. Corr drew on a quote from founding father Thomas Jefferson to set the stage: “Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the surest way to destruction.”

In his response, and throughout the episode, Dr. Damania emphasizes that the key to overcoming these challenges lies in embracing authenticity, promoting community connection, and helping people discover and realize their purpose.

“We have a crisis of meaning. And the question we ought to be really trying to process is how do we bring back a sense of meaning?”

Damania argues passionately for authenticity in medicine, believing that openness, transparency, and emotional honesty are vital for both patient care and physician satisfaction.

As the Fourth of July approaches once again, this replay encourages listeners to reflect on how authentic relationships and a commitment to community can enhance not only medical care but societal cohesion overall. Tune in for a thought-provoking reminder of how fostering authenticity and empathy can strengthen medicine and our broader society.

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The post FHC #179: An unfiltered look back at independence, authenticity in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

MTT #95: Politics vs. science—Who really controls America’s vaccines? Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore significant updates and controversies in healthcare, from battles over vaccine recommendations to skyrocketing healthcare costs and promising cancer research.

The CDC recently clashed with Robert Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, over Covid-19 vaccine recommendations. Kennedy declared no additional Covid booster shots necessary for healthy children and pregnant women, sparking immediate backlash. Pearl clarifies the complexity here, explaining Kennedy’s claims are politically charged rather than scientifically supported.

In economic news, healthcare costs for a family of four reached an alarming average of $35,000 per year, nearly triple the amount 20 years ago. With healthcare expenses rising 6% annually — far outpacing wages and inflation — Pearl highlights the growing financial strain on American families.

On a brighter note, groundbreaking research has demonstrated the powerful impact of exercise on cancer survival. A robust international study revealed structured exercise programs significantly reduced the risk of cancer recurrence and death, underscoring lifestyle medicine’s vital role in patient outcomes.

Other key topics discussed in this episode:

Measles epidemic slowing as vaccinations increase
New RSV vaccine dramatically reduces infant hospitalizations
Soaring economic cost of opioid addiction and the financial benefits of treatment
Promising results from at-home cervical cancer screening
Implications of NIH budget cuts, including termination of crucial HIV/AIDS vaccine research
Concerns around hospital profits amid rising healthcare expenses
The growing threat of a “brain drain” in medical science as U.S. scientists increasingly seek positions abroad
Final annual data confirming soaring new drug costs
Billy Joel’s diagnosis with normal pressure hydrocephalus and what it means
Elon Musk and controversies surrounding ketamine use

Tune in as Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr bring clarity and in-depth analysis to the headlines, scientific breakthroughs and policy decisions shaping American healthcare.

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The post MTT #95: Politics vs. science—Who really controls America’s vaccines? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #178: Dying of a broken heart, literally Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

In this thought-provoking episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and physician well-being advocate Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore the intersection of stress, gender and modern medicine—beginning with the surprising physiology of a literal broken heart.

Timed with Father’s Day, the conversation opens with reflections on masculinity and caregiving before pivoting into a deep dive on stress-induced cardiomyopathy (aka: “broken heart” syndrome). Dr. Fisher explains why this life-threatening condition disproportionately affects women, and why men, when they do suffer it, are twice as likely to die.

From there, the trio tackles mounting clinician stress, rising misinformation in the exam room and the role of AI in spreading fabricated claims. Throughout the episode, they examine the emotional toll carried by women in medicine, the persistence of diagnostic gender bias and the erosion of trust in clinical expertise.

As always, the episode ends with a thoughtful patient-centered question from Jeremy, this time about how clinicians and caregivers cope with emotional trauma and whether it’s healthier to compartmentalize or seek support from loved ones.

For more candid, 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)

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The post FHC #178: Dying of a broken heart, literally appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #177: Inside TPMG’s bold AI strategy with CEO Maria Ansari Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Dr. Maria Ansari, CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, Northwest Permanente and Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group.

In this interview, Dr. Ansari offers a forward-looking perspective shaped by deep experience in value-based care and technological innovation. The conversation is part of Season 10’s focus on how technology—particularly generative AI—can reshape American medicine.

When asked about the three most transformative technologies of the next decade, Dr. Ansari reframes the question around three existential challenges in American healthcare: a shrinking clinical workforce, a rapidly aging population and the growing unaffordability of care. She then connects each challenge to a corresponding technological solution.

Easing workforce strain with ambient and generative AI.
With an expected shortfall of 120,000 physicians by decade’s end, Dr. Ansari emphasizes the urgent need to “get doctors back to doctoring.” Kaiser Permanente has deployed ambient AI tools to more than 22,000 physicians, helping automate documentation and reduce inbox burden. Generative AI now drafts personalized responses to patient messages, allowing doctors to serve as editors rather than authors. And in oncology, AI tools already help match complex cancer cases with the most effective treatment options, accelerating the delivery of cutting-edge care.
Supporting aging populations with predictive analytics and remote care.
As patients grow older and sicker, AI-driven tools like digital care navigators and remote monitoring systems are helping close the gap between provider capacity and patient needs. One standout example: Kaiser’s “Care Plus” program uses AI to predict emergency department visits and triage patients to home-based or ambulatory care, reducing avoidable hospitalizations. Dr. Ansari also highlights emerging tools like wearables and digital “twins” to support self-management of chronic conditions like heart failure and prediabetes.
Making care more affordable through prevention and personalization.
Dr. Ansari argues that real cost savings in medicine come from avoiding diseases in the first place. With AI-powered early detection tools (such as those that analyze subtle breast imaging markers), The Permanente Medical Group identifies cancer risks invisible to the human eye. These technologies, paired with systems like advanced alert monitoring in hospitals, are saving thousands of lives annually by preventing complications before they arise.

Throughout the interview, Dr. Ansari is careful to position AI as “augmented intelligence,” a tool to enhance, not replace, human judgment. Whether improving medical education, empowering patients or reshaping the future of chronic disease, she calls for bold leadership and rapid adoption.

“If you want to have happy patients, you also have to have happy doctors,” she says, making a strong case for technology that supports both.

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The post FHC #177: Inside TPMG’s bold AI strategy with CEO Maria Ansari appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #176: What AGI means for medicine & what Trump means for healthcare May 28, 2025

Show notes

In this month’s Diving Deep episode of the Fixing Healthcare podcast, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle two major questions:

How have the first 100 days of Presidents Obama and Trump shaped American healthcare—and where is Trump’s second term headed?
What happens to medicine when artificial general intelligence (AGI) arrives, making generative AI as capable as human doctors?

The conversation begins with a comparison of the first 100 days of each president’s time in office. Dr. Pearl contrasts Obama’s focus on expanding access through the ACA with Trump’s emphasis on cutting costs by reducing federal spending. With Trump is back in the White House, what can Americans expect going forward? Pearl offers a clear-eyed assessment, drawing on past behavior, current executive orders, outside-the-box health agency appointments and campaign promises to project where healthcare may be headed next.

In the second half of the show, the cohosts shift to what may seem like a more futuristic question: what will it mean when machines match or exceed doctors in clinical reasoning, diagnosis and decision-making? But as Pearl explains, the arrival of AGI isn’t decades away. It’s coming soon and will be understood as a milestone rather than a tool, one that fits into the exponential evolution of GenAI. Here, Pearl examines what systems and cultures need to change to prepare for this fast-approaching change in medicine.

Together, these stories raise urgent questions about what’s driving American healthcare: Is it politics or technological progress? Listen to the full episode to hear both conversations and decide for yourself.

HELPFUL LINKS

What Happens To Medicine When Machines Are As Good As Doctors? (Forbes)
Obama And Trump’s First 100 Days Of Healthcare Policy: A Comparison (Forbes)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

The post FHC #176: What AGI means for medicine & what Trump means for healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

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