FHC #87: An unfiltered look at death, medicine’s No. 1 villain

This Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare features Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being. He joins cohosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl to discuss a pair of difficult topics in medicine: death and love.

To begin, Dr. Pearl asks Dr. Fisher to elaborate on why physicians find it so difficult to accept death as a natural part of life. Later, Pearl describes a patient who suffered greatly as a result of physicians continuing to provide treatments with no hope for cure or a return to normal. He wonders if patients and physicians alike would benefit from a measurement of the pain and discomfort inflicted on patients in their course of dying.

In the second half of the podcast, the two talk about the post-apocalyptic HBO series The Last Of Us. The doctors both found the show powerful and filled with high drama. But they were moved most by the love that characters demonstrated in the face of fear and desperation. They discuss how the themes apply directly to healthcare today and to the Covid-19 pandemic. Warning: minor spoiler alters.

To find out more, press play and check out these helpful links:

Dealing with grief and shame—with Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Life’s most difficult decision: An excerpt from ‘Uncaring’

The best medicine for patients: The truth

Interview: How the culture of medicine kills doctors and patients

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare: Following The Science

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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 #87: An unfiltered look at death, medicine’s No. 1 villain appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.