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871 Minimizing Medical Mistakes

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about:
Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN talks with us about his recent article in The New York Times. He reminds us that every medical treatment carries risks and suggests that the current tendency to overtreat may contribute to patient harm. How can patients reduce their vulnerability to such problems? The old adage, “Trust but verify” may have an important role to play in health care.
Getting really high blood pressure under control saves lives, but a careful meta-analysis has found that there is no good evidence for treating mildly elevated blood pressure. What sorts of side effects do patients suffer unnecessarily as a consequence of being treated for this condition?
We explore the stories behind the health headlines and welcome listeners’ stories and questions about problems with medical mistakes.
Guests: Sanjay Gupta, MD, is the associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital and chief medical correspondent for CNN. His blog is http://sanjayguptamd.blogs.cnn.com/. His article on More Treatment, More Mistakes was published in The New York Times on July 31, 2012.
David Cundiff, MD, is a retired internist who practiced palliative medicine at USC Medical Center. The Cochrane Collaboration review of drug treatment for mild hypertension was published online on August 15, 2012.
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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