76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?

FromFreakonomics, M.D.

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76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?

FromFreakonomics, M.D.

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Length:

18 minutes

Released:

Mar 17, 2023

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

In hospitals, a softer pillow or a nicer room might be more than just amenities — they could improve outcomes for patients.

Released:

Mar 17, 2023

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (87)

Each week, physician and economist Dr. Bapu Jena will dig into a fascinating study at the intersection of economics and healthcare. He takes on questions like: Why do kids with summer birthdays get the flu more often? Can surviving a hurricane help you live longer? What do heart surgery and grocery-store pricing have in common?

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9. Why Fridays May Be Dangerous for Your Health: When researchers analyzed which day of the week most drug-safety alerts are released — and what it means for public health — they were stunned. So was Bapu Jena. He talks with them and a physician this week about the “Friday Effect,” a common problem with big repercussions for the safety of the medications. by Freakonomics, M.D.
20 min listen
12. Where Do All the Bad Ideas Go?: Ideas are currency. This couldn't be more true in academia, where it's the job of researchers to think of questions and, hopefully, find answers. Bapu talks with economists Steve Levitt and Emily Oster about how they come up with ideas for studies, why most never make it off the ground, and what should be done with scrapped projects. by Freakonomics, M.D.
34 min listen
5. How to Solve a Medical Mystery: A woman comes to the emergency room with back pain. She’ll leave with an unexpected diagnosis. How does her doctor figure out what’s wrong? Listen as host Bapu Jena puts master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal on the spot to solve a real medical mystery. Along the way, you’ll learn how doctors think and the most important questions they ask. by Freakonomics, M.D.
19 min listen
2. Do As Docs Say, Not As They Do: Does having more health information actually change behavior? To test this question, host Bapu Jena explores whether doctors make healthier choices than the rest of us (and he fesses up to an unhealthy habit of his own). From the Freakonomics Radio Network: Exploring the hidden side of everything. by Freakonomics, M.D.
19 min listen
Marathons Can Be Deadly — But Not For the Reasons You May Think: In this pilot episode of a new “Freakonomics of Medicine” podcast, when host Dr. Bapu Jena misses his wife’s 5K run, he sets out to study how road closures and detours on big race days affect people with medical emergencies. by Freakonomics, M.D.
22 min listen
Introducing “Freakonomics, M.D.”: How can a marathon be dangerous even if you don’t run the race? Does your doctor follow medical advice any better than you do? Just how dangerous was it to go to a birthday party at the height of the pandemic? These are the kinds of questions that intrigue Dr. Bapu Jena, a rare double threat — he’s both an M.D. and a Ph.D. economist. Each week on Freakonomics, M.D., Jena digs into fascinating research to discover the hidden side of healthcare. by Freakonomics, M.D.
3 min listen
6. Are Barbershops the Cutting Edge of Healthcare Delivery?: Bapu Jena talks with a barber and a pharmacist whose study brought healthcare to Black men in Los Angeles who were getting haircuts. They discuss its impact on high blood pressure among customers — and how unconventional approaches like this could help build trust. by Freakonomics, M.D.
24 min listen
19. Do Your Doctor’s Political Views Affect Your Care?: Since doctors are human, they bring their own beliefs and preferences into the examination room. But they’ve also taken an oath to act in the best interest of all patients. What happens when politics and medicine collide? by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
8. A Playbook for Beating the Next Pandemic: We dig into why Covid-19 caught us so unprepared and how we can make sure we’re ready for a future public-health crisis with former FDA director Scott Gottlieb. by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
1. Covid and the “Birthday Effect”: Host Bapu Jena is an economist and medical doctor whose latest research measures the link between birthdays and Covid. He explains his team’s findings, explores the role that kids’ parties may have played, reveals whether politics made a difference, and convinces a Zoom magician to reveal the secrets of making virtual parties awesome. From the Freakonomics Radio Network: Exploring the hidden side of everything. by Freakonomics, M.D.
18 min listen
4. What Do Grocery Store Prices and Heart Surgery Have in Common?: Humans are hardwired to focus on the left digit in numbers. It’s why products are priced at $3.99 instead of $4.00. But does this left-digit bias also affect medical decisions? Host Bapu Jena is joined by a fellow researcher and a cardiologist to explain how left-digit bias shows up in one of the most important decisions a doctor can make, what it means for patients, and what we can do about it. by Freakonomics, M.D.
17 min listen
11. Why Do So Many Donated Kidneys End Up in the Trash?: Every year, thousands of people in the U.S. die while they’re waiting for a new kidney, yet thousands of available organs get thrown away. Bapu talks to a kidney doctor and an economics Nobel laureate about why this happens and how the system could improve. by Freakonomics, M.D.
24 min listen
3. Why Are Kids With Summer Birthdays More Likely to Get the Flu?: After struggling to schedule a flu shot for his own toddler, host Bapu Jena went down a research rabbit hole. He discovered that the time of year kids are born has an unexpected and dramatic effect on whether they and their families end up getting the flu. Bapu explains his findings and asks a pediatrician and public health expert what could be done about it. by Freakonomics, M.D.
19 min listen
29. How to Save a Stranger’s Heart: Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death globally. What if it doesn’t have to be that way? Bapu Jena walks us through some solutions that can help save lives — and explores why change in medicine can be hard. by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
32. What is a Good Death — and Why Do So Few of Us Get One?: When it comes to end-of-life medical care, getting it right can be hard — even for doctors. Bapu Jena discusses surprising research on how we can live better - and maybe longer - before we die. by Freakonomics, M.D.
23 min listen
10. The Mystery of the Man with Confusion and Back Pain: Hear diagnostician Gurpreet Dhaliwal try to solve the case of a patient who came to the emergency room with an unusual combination of symptoms. Plus, we discuss how difficult it is to separate the signal from the noise when treating patients, and how cognitive biases factor into doctors’ decision-making. by Freakonomics, M.D.
22 min listen
21. Should We Pay People to Be Healthier?: Each year, millions of people get sick or die from diseases caused by their own unhealthy behavior. Getting people to change their bad habits – to quit smoking, eat better, or exercise – can be extremely hard. But what if we paid them? by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
36. Bad News — It’s Your Surgeon’s Birthday: Distractions are everywhere — including in the operating room. So, what happens if a surgeon loses focus? A tap dancer, a health researcher, and a surgeon help Bapu Jena find out. by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
16. An Exit Interview with N.I.H. Director Dr. Francis Collins: The National Institutes of Health is the backbone of health research in the U.S., and Collins has been in charge for more than a decade. Now that he’s stepping down, he ponders the arc of his history-making career, from his leadership of the Human Genome Project to the fight against Covid-19 (not to mention the absolute happiest moment of his life). by Freakonomics, M.D.
26 min listen
7. What Happens to Patients When Thousands of Cardiologists Leave Town?: This week, Bapu Jena presents some hot-off-the-presses research exploring the relationship between how many patients a doctor sees, and how well those patients do. Plus, the surprising impact of annual cardiology conferences that prompted Bapu’s first conversation with Stephen Dubner on Freakonomics Radio. by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
13. When Bapu Met Levitt: Once upon a time, Bapu Jena was a graduate student at the University of Chicago. His most interesting teacher? The economist Steve Levitt. This week on Freakonomics, M.D., a replay of a conversation between Steve and Bapu from Steve’s podcast, People I (Mostly) Admire, where they cover everything from the ethics of human-challenge trials to why Bapu decided to start his own show. by Freakonomics, M.D.
34 min listen
27. What Can Bin Laden Teach Us About Medicine?: When trust in doctors or the healthcare system is lost, it’s really hard to get back. Bapu Jena explores the ripple effects of a C.I.A. operation to catch Osama bin Laden on medical distrust in Pakistan — and its parallels to distrust in the U.S. by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
28. Is Daylight Saving Time Hazardous to Your Health?: Changing the clocks has been linked to car accidents and heart attacks. This week, Bapu Jena sheds some light on the damage we might be doing by springing forward and falling back. by Freakonomics, M.D.
25 min listen
31. Should You Trust Angelina Jolie or Your Doctor?: Celebrities influence the clothes we wear and the books we read. Do they also affect our health decisions? Bapu Jena looks at what happens when people take medical advice from movie stars. by Freakonomics, M.D.
27 min listen
From Against the Rules with Michael Lewis: Six Levels Down: We’re sharing a special preview of the new season of Against the Rules from Pushkin Industries. In this clip, bestselling author Michael Lewis explores the idea that, in any big company, the person who can actually solve a problem is often buried six levels deep in the organization. You can hear more episodes of Against the Rules at podcasts.pushkin.fm/atrmd. by Freakonomics, M.D.
10 min listen
18. When Is a Natural Disaster Good for Your Health?: A clever study tracking the survivors of Hurricane Katrina came to a bold conclusion: when it comes to your health, place is destiny. So how can the benefits of healthier places be spread to everyone? by Freakonomics, M.D.
28 min listen
How Does Retirement Affect Your Brain? (Ep. 17 Replay): Our cognitive health can change as we get older. So, does leaving the workforce make problems like memory loss and difficulty focusing worse? We investigate the research, and Bapu asks: is it time for his dad to retire? by Freakonomics, M.D.
25 min listen
20. Do Our Politics Need a Doctor?: Bill Frist was a transplant surgeon before serving in the Senate, where he drove controversial legislation on embryonic stem cells and end-of-life care. Did he change politics? Or did politics change him? by Freakonomics, M.D.
33 min listen
25. Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor?: Well, which is better at predicting your risk of having a heart attack? Bapu Jena explores the promise — and perils — of artificial intelligence in medicine. by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
15. The Most “Unique, Excellent, and Promising” Episode: Studies by men published in scientific journals are more likely to include glowing, hyperbolic terms. Bapu talks about this “groundbreaking” research (see what we did there?) in a wide-ranging discussion with physicians and an economist about the gender gap in medicine. by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen

More Episodes from Freakonomics, M.D.

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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.) by Freakonomics, M.D.
13 min listen
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. by Freakonomics, M.D.
38 min listen
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. by Freakonomics, M.D.
19 min listen
77. They Make Minimum Wage. They Could Save Your Life.: Doctors and nurses get most of the attention — but a new study suggests we can improve health care by raising wages for a group of workers who are often overlooked. by Freakonomics, M.D.
19 min listen
75. What Is Sugar Really Doing to You?: Americans eat a lot of sugar — and it’s hard to determine how it affects our health. Bapu explains how a new study uses data from the 1950s to help solve the mystery. by Freakonomics, M.D.
20 min listen
74. How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?: It’s not a new question, but it’s a tricky one to study. Bapu explains why, and talks about how an N.F.L. labor dispute helped him get some answers. by Freakonomics, M.D.
17 min listen
73. Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures?: The most expensive drugs in the world are treatments for genetic diseases. And more of these cures are on the horizon. How will anyone be able to afford them? by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
72. What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?: Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them? by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
71. What Do COVID-19 and Cancer Have in Common?: mRNA vaccines helped bring the pandemic under control. Could they also train the immune system to fight cancer? by Freakonomics, M.D.
27 min listen
70. Why Are There Still So Few Female Surgeons?: Success and failure are hard to measure in medicine. Bapu looks at how surgeons are judged after a bad outcome — and whether men and women are treated the same. by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
69. Home Sweet … Hospital?: We take it for granted that, when people are acutely ill, they should be in the hospital. Is there a better way? by Freakonomics, M.D.
27 min listen
68. The E.R. Doctor’s Dilemma: Figuring out which patients to hospitalize and which to safely send home can be tricky. Is there a way to make this decision easier for doctors — and get better outcomes, too? by Freakonomics, M.D.
30 min listen
What Can We Do About the Hardest Patients? (Ep. 51 Replay): A small number of patients with multiple, chronic conditions use a lot of resources. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner found a way to identify and treat them. Could it reduce health-care spending too? by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
67. Why Did This 60-Year-Old Man Collapse at the Supermarket?: Bapu tries to stump master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal with a medical mystery. by Freakonomics, M.D.
34 min listen
66. Does Health Insurance Make You Healthier?: It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Bapu talks with a health economist about a natural experiment that led to some unexpected findings. by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
65. How Do Pandemics Change Health Care?: At the start of the 20th century, there weren’t many hospitals in the U.S. That changed in 1918, thanks to the Great Influenza pandemic. Its effects on health care are still being felt today. Which makes us wonder: will the impact of Covid-19 also be felt 100 years from now? by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
64. Is Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?: Half the world's population uses social media — and a new study suggests that it causes anxiety and depression. Can anything be done, or is it too late? by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
63. What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race: Some diagnostic tests give distorted results for Black patients. How are doctors trying to change that? by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s? (Ep. 49 Update): Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have been so hard to find — and why one clue may lie in the Andes Mountains. by Freakonomics, M.D.
33 min listen
62. Dr. Ashish Jha Anticipated a Pandemic. He Didn’t Think It Would Look Like This.: Bapu talks to White House Covid Czar Dr. Ashish Jha about becoming a household name, studying pandemics, and the frustrations of politics. Also, when will he be out of a job? by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
61. Should You Bother Getting a Colonoscopy?: Colonoscopy is strongly recommended for Americans over 45. But a new study suggests its benefits have been overstated. Should we change how we screen for colorectal cancer? by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
60. The Doctor Is Out. The Physician Assistant Is In.: Chances are, at some point you’ll be treated by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant instead of a doctor. Will your care suffer? by Freakonomics, M.D.
31 min listen
59. The Most Valuable Resource in Medicine: Time is precious. How can doctors and patients make the best use of it — especially when there isn’t much left? by Freakonomics, M.D.
28 min listen
58. How Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?: Can a clever new study shed light on one of parenting’s most elusive and contentious questions? by Freakonomics, M.D.
30 min listen
57. Doctors Know They Prescribe Too Many Antibiotics. Why Don’t They Stop?: Antibiotics save lives. But what happens when we use them too much? Bapu looks at how changing physician behavior could help prevent a major public health disaster. by Freakonomics, M.D.
28 min listen
56. Could Prison Be Good for Your Health?: Incarceration has been linked to infectious diseases, mental illness, cancer, and violence. But new research suggests it can extend some people’s lifespans. Bapu investigates the paradox of prison time. by Freakonomics, M.D.
29 min listen
55. This Vaccine Lottery Seemed Like a Great Idea. Why Didn’t it Work?: Behavioral economists say “regret lotteries” are powerful motivational tools. When Philadelphia tried one in 2021, the results were disappointing. Bapu looks at how incentives can backfire — and what we can learn from failures. by Freakonomics, M.D.
30 min listen
54. Will You Ever Go Back to Your Doctor’s Office?: When COVID hit, telemedicine use in the U.S. exploded. But how are we using it now? Bapu Jena explores the consequences of this evolving technology. by Freakonomics, M.D.
32 min listen
53. Why Do Doctors Have to Play Defense?: 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. by Freakonomics, M.D.
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52. Who Gets a Heart Disease Test?: Medical tests can save lives. So how do doctors decide who gets tested, and when? by Freakonomics, M.D.
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76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?

76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?

Description

Titles in the series (87)

More Episodes from Freakonomics, M.D.