Patients at Risk
Rebekah Bernard MD and Niran Al-Agba MD
Patients at Risk exposes the political maneuvering and corporate greed that has led to the replacement of physicians by lesser trained practitioners, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants. As corporations seek to save money and government agencies aim to increase constituent access, minimum qualifications for our nation’s healthcare guardians continue to decline—with deadly consequences. This is a story that has not yet been told, and one that has dangerous repercussions for all Americans.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 17, 2020 • 28min
Cochrane's 18 Tall Tales
Drs. Rebekah Bernard, Niran Al-Agba, and Phil Shaffer break down the 2018 Cochrane Review "Nurses as Substitutes for Physicians in Primary Care," pointing out that of 9,000 studies reviewed over the last 50 years, just 18 were of adequate quality to include in a review of the subject. Of these 18 studies, just THREE were published in the United States, most contained high degrees of bias, had small sample sizes, were of short duration, and ALWAYS included physician supervision or nurses following physician-created protocols. Bottom line: there is no evidence that unsupervised nurse practitioners can provide the same quality of care for patients.PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org
Nov 16, 2020 • 25min
Nurse practitioner speaks out against independent practice
Drs. Rebekah Bernard and Niran Al-Agba are joined by Shannon Keaney, a nurse with 11 years of intensive care experience who recently graduated as a nurse practitioner. Shannon explains the differences between "brick and mortar" nurse practitioner training as compared to newer "diploma mills," and discusses why she thinks patients are best served when nurse practitioners practice with physician supervision.PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org
Nov 10, 2020 • 26min
There's Something About Mary
Drs. Rebekah Bernard, Niran Al-Agba, and Phil Schaffer discuss researcher Mary Mundinger's recent Wall Street Journal letter, which argues that the nurse practitioners studied in her 2000 JAMA publication were practicing without physician supervision. The fine print reveals fascinating details left out of the headlines.Referenced in the podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BUGdOs74Q8&t=746s&fbclid=IwAR1hMRBFlgzV3gmgaBIDH744-5nX-RAa5-9xDd9nloDqQ4R0NTqOS5ESuoM PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org
