Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Physicians spend their entire careers striving to heal sick patients. But when these care providers become patients themselves, the abrupt reversal of roles can make for difficult adjustments. Host Dr. Shira Johnson sits down with Dr. John Mulligan, VP for Emergency Room Physicians Medical Group and a practicing emergency physician, to share his experience, takeaways, and advice for transitioning from doctor to patient.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Michele Meltzer, MD Rheumatology services are limited or non-existent in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Basic diagnostic tests, biological agents, and treatments are either unavailable or not affordable for the majority of people living in that area. This shortage results in patients not having the benefit of early diagnosis and management of relatively cheap and cost-effective therapies. Instead, they present at advanced stages of disease with otherwise preventable morbidity. Host Michael Greenberg chats with Dr. Michele Meltzer, Associate Professor at Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia and President of the non-profit organization, Rheumatology for All, about providing medical training and care for countries with limited or non-existent rheumatology services.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN While most people with epilepsy are treated with medications, other modalities such as surgery, diet, and neuromodulation are often necessary. Since the FDA approval of the vagus nerve stimulator in 1997, there has been a growing interest in neuromodulation. A second, more sophisticated device, the responsive neurostimulator, received FDA approval in 2013. Host Andrew Wilner talks with Dr. Robert Fisher, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Sandford Epilepsy Center at Stanford University about the role of neuromodulation therapy for treatment of epilepsy.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Medical schools are increasingly adapting improv tools to enhance patient interviewing, simulate difficult conversations and facilitate learning in medical teams. Research has shown that such training can enhance physician-patient communication and improve diagnostic accuracy, patients’ adherence to treatment, and overall patient satisfaction. Host Dr. Michael Greenberg chats with Lillian Frances, owner of Laugh Out Loud Theater in Chicago, about how improv comedy training and the phrase “yes and” can improve your skills as a health care provider.

Host: David Weisman, MD Guest: John Khoury, MD For the first time, the FDA has approved a direct-to-consumer genetic test from 23andme that will inform patients if they are predisposed to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and Celiac Disease among others. Proponents applaud this decision, saying this will allow for people to know their genetic health risks and be more proactive about their health. Others argue that this information doesn’t tell the whole story since predisposition doesn't reflect someone's ultimate risk or likelihood of developing a disease. What are the benefits and liabilities of consumers' access to genetic testing? Host Dr. David Weisman, Director of Clinical Trials at Abington Neurological Associates, sits down with Dr. John Khoury, Associate Director at Abington Memorial Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, to debate the merits and pitfalls of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Matthew Fiedler The future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain. While there has been much talk about repeal and replace, legislative efforts to carry through with this initiative have failed to gain any bipartisan support and have since fallen short of passing. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Matthew Fiedler to discuss the latest issues involved in health care reform. Mr. Fiedler is a Fellow with the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings' Institution’s Economic Studies Program. Prior to joining Brookings, Fiedler served as Chief Economist of the Council of Economic Advisers, where he oversaw the Council's work on health care policy, including the ACA’s health insurance reforms, Medicaid expansion, and provider payment reform efforts.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Michael Weisberg, MD What happens when you are admitted to the hospital as a patient, and the physician assigned to be your doctor has never seen you before and knows absolutely nothing about you? Says Dr. Michael Weisberg, gastroenterologist and author of The Hospitalist, situations like these are increasingly common in modern medicine and can have disastrous consequences for patients. Dr. Weisberg joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about his novel, which underscores how doctors are now at heightened risk of being thwarted by the modern health care system.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Luanne Freer, MD Practicing medicine at 17,000 feet brings a unique set of challenges for doctors, including altitude-related sicknesses, IV fluids freezing, and the need for duct tape to serve as an essential medical tool. Dr. Matt Birnholz chats with Dr. Luanne Freer, Founder and Director of Everest ER, a medical clinic at Mount Everest Base Camp serving Everest climbers, support staff, and the local Nepalese population. To find out more information about Everest ER, please visit http://www.everester.org.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Stanley Burns, MD The Burns Archive is best known for providing photographic evidence of forgotten, unseen, and at times disquieting aspects of medical history through its collection of over one million historic photographs. Stanley B. Burns, MD, founder of the Burns Archive, sits down with Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about the story behind his amazing collection of historic photographs. To see some of the photos from the Burns Archive, check out our Burns Archive video. To see more photos in the Burns Archive, please visit http://www.burnsarchive.com/.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Elizabeth Donner, MD Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) refers to the unexplained death of a seemingly healthy person with epilepsy where no cause of death can be found. What do doctors need to know about this mysterious and devastating phenomenon? Dr. Elizabeth Donner, Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about the risks and investigated causes of SUDEP.