EconTalk Anupam Bapu Jena on Random Acts of Medicine
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Sep 11, 2023 Anupam Bapu Jena, a physician and economist at Harvard Medical School, dives into intriguing health topics. He questions whether marathons actually harm those not racing due to emergency response delays. Jena also explores the complexities of determining what makes a good doctor, emphasizing the balance of training and real-world challenges. He discusses how a doctor's experience can affect patient outcomes and reflects on the importance of learning from medical failures. This episode highlights essential insights into healthcare policy and medical practice.
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Marathon Mortality
- Anupam Bapu Jena's wife wondered about hospital access during marathons after her race.
- This led to a study on marathon mortality, revealing increased death rates due to road closures.
Natural Experiments in Healthcare
- Natural experiments, like marathons, offer insights into healthcare.
- Confounding factors must be considered, requiring careful comparison of control and experimental groups.
Causal Effects vs. Mechanisms
- Natural experiments reveal causal effects, not underlying mechanisms.
- Marathons increase mortality, but the exact cause (road closures, staffing, etc.) needs further investigation.
