Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: William Parker, MD For many years, bilateral oopherectomy has been a routine part of hysterectomy. After a certain age, we reasoned that the role of the ovaries in helping women achieve hormonal balance was outweighed by the risks for ovarian cancer, thus offering women their best odds of long-term survival. Yet new evidence on the risks of routine bilateral oopherectomy challenges this conventional wisdom. Is it time we change our practice? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill examines the findings with Dr. William Parker, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. The lead author of a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Parker also explores the mechanisms behind the potential risks investigated by his team, ranging from specific cancers to heart disease and all-cause mortality.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Linda Powers, Ms. President Obama expanded federal funding for certain embryonic stem cell research and many are excited about what it means to the entire field of discovery of new drugs and medical treatments. Linda Powers, of the Maryland Stem Cell Commission, tells host Bruce Japsen about the importance of Obama's move to, not only those interested in embryonic stem cells, but the entire field and drug discovery in general.

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Basil Clyman, MD Over the years, many studies have examined the ‘difficult' patient encounter. Consistently, these studies indicate that physicians deem nearly 1 in 6 outpatient appointments to be an arduous visit. These challenging episodes are often time-consuming and may also lead to adverse outcomes. Though it is unfair to look at all difficult visits in the same light, there are trends to suggest certain patients and certain physicians are more likely to be involved. What are these trends, and how might this knowledge allow us to better navigate these situations? Dr. Basil Clyman, clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and staff physician at the VA Healthcare Center in West Los Angeles, visits with host Dr. Jennifer Shu to share his insights on turning a difficult encounter into a positive doctor-patient experience.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Guest: Michael Hildebrand, PhD Researchers have discovered a CATSPER gene mutation that may lead to development of a male infertility treatment, as well as a male contraceptive. Are we really another step closer to developing a male contraceptive, and when might an oral contraceptive be available for men? Join host Dr. Lee Freedman as he talks with Dr. Michael Hildebrand, fellow in the department of otolaryngology at the Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, about this exciting new genetic discovery, and how it might lead to the development of a male contraceptive.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Donna Jarmusz, MA The healthcare village is a new setting for outpatient care that's similar to an upscale shopping mall. These villages may include cardiologists, primary care physicians, and ambulatory surgery centers, alongside pharmacies, restaurants, spas and health clubs. What are the advantages to this type of business model? Is the healthcare village model primarily a repackaging of existing services, or an entirely new way of delivering care? Dr. Donna Jarmusz, senior vice president for the Chicago-based company Alter+care, a real estate development firm promoting this model, discusses aspects of the healthcare village with host Dr. Michael Greenberg.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Brendan Carr, MD Time is critical in a medical crisis, but according to new research, the nearest facility may not always be the best place for the patient. Dr. Brendan Carr, lead author of the study and assistant professor of emergency medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses his research with host Dr. Shira Johnson. They also look at future technology that could tell doctors and paramedics the best place to take a patient using GPS and the same system used for trauma victims.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Shan Liu, MD Patients that come into an emergency room sometimes have to wait hours even days before they are moved to a hospital floor. A new study says more than a quarter of patients who are "boarded" in the ER after being admitted to the hospital often suffer undesirable events like missing necessary treatments or medications. Dr. Shan Liu, an attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, joins Dr. Shira Johnson to discuss her study on this growing worldwide issue.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: David Himmelstein, MD The single payer form of health insurance for all Americans: could this be the year that the long-debated model for medical care coverage becomes a reality? Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a long-time advocate of single payer coverage, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the best chance in years for this model in the healthcare reform debate.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: William Hersh, MD The stimulus package approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama promises unprecedented money for health IT and electronic medical records. But if the money is enough, are there enough health informatics specialists to pull it off? Dr. Bill Hersh, chair of the Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, tells host Bruce Japsen about the healthcare system's needs from the world of health informatics.

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Kelly Brownell, PhD It has been billed as the biggest boon to public health since tobacco taxes. And a one-cent per ounce tax on sodas could bring in as much as $400 million of annual revenue for the state of New York alone. How would a tax on sugared beverages impact our health and health care budget? Would the general public throw enough support behind this policy shift for politicians to think about putting it on the books? Host Dr. Larry Kaskel wades into the debate over soda taxes with Dr. Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, where he is also a professor of epidemiology, public health and psychology. Dr. Brownell, who recently co-authored a New England Journal of Medicine article with then-New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden in support of a soda tax, shares the scientific evidence that supports his position. He also considers other viewpoints in this debate: if a soda tax won't work, could we find a better way to discourage our insatiable taste for these sugary drinks?