Clinician's Roundtable

Guest: Jeffrey Kaye, MD Host: Danny Petrasek, MD, PhD Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, professor of neurology and biomedical engineering, and director of the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology at Oregon Health and Science University, provides his perspective on where recent advances in technology will guide health care for the elderly over the next several years. Dr. Danny Petrasek hosts.

Guest: Jeffrey Kaye, MD Host: Danny Petrasek, MD, PhD Our best evidence suggests that nursing homes and other assisted-living facilities will likely not be able to keep up with the demands of our rapidly aging population, which today stands at more than 40 million, a number that is expected to more than double by 2050. As a result, a premium is being placed on new remote monitoring devices that allow medical professionals to track patients for medical data from the comfort of patients' own homes, thereby allowing more elderly patients to live independently for longer. Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, professor of neurology and biomedical engineering, and director of the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology at Oregon Health and Science University, joins host Dr. Danny Petrasek to project where recent advances in these technologies will guide us over the next several years.

Guest: Katrina Hedberg, MD Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Who chooses to participate in Oregon's Death With Dignity Act? What's their education level? What type of diagnosis is required? How does religion come into play? In further exploring Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, epidemiologist, Dr. Katrina Hedberg, from the Oregon Department of Human Services addresses the facts and figures with your host, Dr. Michael Greenberg, including the rights and regulation of those physicians writing the lethal prescription.

Guest: Katrina Hedberg, MD Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Is Oregon's Death with Dignity Act a violation of the Hippocratic Oath or a humane solution? ReachMD's Dr. Michael Greenberg discusses this originally citizen-led initiative, and current law with epidemiologist, Dr. Katrina Hedberg, from the Oregon Department of Human Services. Dr. Hedberg addresses the requirements for patients to opt for this non-euthanasian, yet lethal prescription. The consent, patient motivations, controversy, and the statistics of those who've chosen to take advantage of Oregon's law are discussed.

Guest: Anne Louise Peters, MD Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Athletes with diabetes face particular challenges. Dr. Anne L. Peters, author of the book Conquering Diabetes: A Cutting-Edge Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment, has treated diabetic Olympic and other competitive athletes. Dr. Peters discusses issues and protective measures with host Dr. Susan Dolan.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Guest: William Gahl, MD, PhD Guest: Stephen Groft, PharmD Some patients wait years for a definitive diagnosis. Using a combination of scientific resources and medical expertise at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Undiagnosed Diseases Program now provides a place for physicians to refer patients when a diagnosis eludes them. In this segment, host Dr. Maurice Pickard, speaks with Dr. William Gahl, director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, and Stephen Groft PharmD, director of the Office of Rare Diseases at the NIH, about program logistics and resources, and the referral process for doctors.

Guest: Bert Mandelbaum, MD Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD It's an array of sporting events, many occurring simultaneously, in sites and cities across a nation. The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in China presents an extraordinary challenge, in terms of providing health care to injured athletes and suddenly-ill spectators alike. Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, a practicing orthopedic surgeon and president of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation in Santa Monica, Calif., served as chief medical officer (CMO) for the 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cup of Soccer. He joins host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill to discuss the challenges of providing care in this setting. For instance, how does the CMO coordinate with the various team physicians, many of whom will not possess the necessary license to practice medicine in the country where their team is playing?

Guest: Bert Mandelbaum, MD Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Intense competition and year-round scheduling demands are now common trademarks of adolescent sports. As a result, we see more and more sports-related injuries, including the all-too-frequent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, president of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation in Santa Monica, Calif., and principal investigator of the ACL Prevention Project, shares details of his potentially groundbreaking program, with results published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. When should young athletes begin this prevention regimen? Taking the mechanisms of prevention a step further, can we teach athletes to run, jump and land in ways that will lessen their risk of injury? Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.

Guest: Bert Mandelbaum, MD Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD We're making great progress in the diagnosis and treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries suffered by young athletes. It's no longer the injury that ends a sports career, but an ACL tear can still quickly end a season. Taking our work a step further, how can we equip our athletes with strategies to prevent ACL injuries before they happen? Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, president of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation in Santa Monica, California, is the principal investigator of the ACL Prevention Project, with results published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. He shares details of this potentially groundbreaking program with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.

Guest: John Buse, MD, PhD Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH What went wrong with the glucose-lowering arm of the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) Trials? Intensive therapy was expected to reduce cardiovascular events in Type 2 diabetics at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Instead, it appears to have led to an increase in mortality. Dr. John Buse, president of the American Diabetes Association and vice chair of the ACCORD Trials Steering Committee, details the confounding results of ACCORD and offers a few ideas to explain the unexpected outcomes. Dr. Matthew Sorrentino hosts.