53. Why Do Doctors Have to Play Defense?

In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creature’s trash is another’s cash. (Or, how one man found profit in pee.) 

A sneak peek at Bapu's new book, Random Acts of Medicine, available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show. 

Couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. Is having kids one of them? Bapu talks about research that investigates what happens to parents who unexpectedly have twins. Plus, an announcement about the future of the show. 

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, a 19th century abortion ban took effect in Wisconsin and forced those practicing and seeking reproductive healthcare to travel across state lines. Earlier this week, voters elected Judge Janet Protasiewicz to become a just ... Show More

Dr. Donald Redelmeier, a Professor at the University of Toronto Medical School, is an expert in training doctors how to reduce medical errors. He shares how he thinks doctors should think. 

Much of medicine doesn’t do what it is supposed to do: improve health. That is the view of orthopaedic surgeon, Ian Harris. Ian believes too many drugs are being prescribed, too much surgery is being performed, and there are too many unhelpful tests, scans, and overdiagnosis. The ... Show More

During episode 16 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Dr. Allison Berry, a family physician, mother, and trained abortion provider. Together, they discuss the nuances of the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, explore the inequities th ... Show More

"In the vast majority of circumstances, families and care providers in the intensive care unit are on the same page," says Dr. Brian Goldman on Taquisha McKitty's case. The 27-year old woman has been declared brain dead by five doctors, but is breathing with the assistance of a v ... Show More

The opioid epidemic has been one of the biggest public health disasters in generations. The drug company at the heart of the crisis, Purdue Pharma, maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, agreed to a multibillion-dollar deal to settle thousands of claims against it — but ... Show More

While doctors take an oath to do no harm, there's a good chance their unconscious biases can seep into how seriously they take your pain. Physician Sheetal DeCaria explains how perception impacts the medical care and treatment of chronic pain -- and calls for health care professi ... Show More