logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
28m 44s

53. Why Do Doctors Have to Play Defense?

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
After the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, doctors in some states are concerned that delivering treatment could put them in legal jeopardy. Bapu Jena looks at how the practice of “defensive medicine” can compromise patient care. 
Up next
Jul 2023
The Economics of Everyday Things: Animal Urine
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.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com ... Show More
12m 57s
Jul 2023
Tom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache (Bonus)
A sneak peek at Bapu's new book, Random Acts of Medicine, available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
37m 40s
Mar 2023
78. Do Kids Cause Divorce?
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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz ... Show More
18m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
The Sunday Read: ‘Risking Everything to Offer Abortion Access Across State Lines’
<p>In states where abortion is severely limited or illegal, clinicians face imminent prosecution if they continue to provide abortions. What is much less clear is what happens if providers in blue states offer telemedicine abortions to women in states where that’s against the law ... Show More
55m 39s
May 2022
How Changes in Abortion Law Could Impact Community Health
Depending how the Supreme Court votes on a pending case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, many pregnant people may lose the right to seek an abortion in their state. Host Emily Kwong talks to research scientist Liza Fuentes about the shifting reality of abortion as h ... Show More
12m 21s
Apr 2024
The Doctor | Chapter 3
<p>When I track down the doctor who treated my mother in the 1970s, I'm left with the uneasy sense that a minor medical procedure done four decades earlier has life-altering ramifications.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com" ... Show More
48m 28s
Aug 2022
What’s It Like to Be a Red-State Abortion Doctor Post-Roe?
The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the precedents set by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which established the right to abortion in the U.S., has created a chaotic legal situation as conservative states rush to ban the procedure. On this week’s show, Vanessa ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2022
The New Texas Abortion Law Is Putting Some Patients In Danger
Doctors in Texas have been warning that the state's abortion law known as SB 8 would make it harder for them to treat medical crises and would endanger their patients. Six months in, those predictions appear to be coming true. NPR correspondent Sarah McCammon reports from central ... Show More
10m 41s
Dec 2022
Pediatricians Caught in a Political Crossfire
After Roe v. Wade legalized abortion 50 years ago, abortion clinics and providers saw waves of violence, protests and lawsuits. Recently, a new group of healthcare providers has come under attack— the doctors providing gender affirming care for transgender kids. With politicians ... Show More
33m 41s
Oct 2020
Avoiding the Virus and the Doctor
Earlier this spring, doctors around the country began to worry that fear of Covid-19 was keeping their patients away. Now, we’re starting to see the consequences of that. Today, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Dr. Michelle Kittleson, a cardiologist in ... Show More
14m 37s
May 2022
Q & A: What An Abortion Ban Would Mean For Patients Who Need One
What happens if a medical condition threatens the life of a pregnant patient? What about a fetus with a lethal anomaly? Will treatment for miscarriage change? This episode we're answering those questions and others from listeners about what would happen if the Supreme Court overt ... Show More
11m 50s
Jun 2021
The doctors are not all right
Doctors have suffered psychologically throughout the pandemic, but as Vox’s Julia Belluz reports, those who seek mental health treatment in the US put their careers at risk. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained. Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox!  ... Show More
35 m