54 episodes
Freakonomics, M.D. Freakonomics
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- Science
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4.7 • 759 Ratings
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Each week, physician and economist Dr. Bapu Jena will dig into a fascinating study at the intersection of economics and healthcare. He takes on questions like: Why do kids with summer birthdays get the flu more often? Can surviving a hurricane help you live longer? What do heart surgery and grocery-store pricing have in common?
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50. What Happens When a Hospital Closes?
When a hospital closes in a rural area, it’s a big deal. But are all patients affected equally? We look at new research on the unexpected outcomes of traveling farther for care.
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49. Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s?
Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have been so hard to find — and why one clue may lie in the Andes Mountains.
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48. The Hidden Consequences of School Shootings
Beyond the immediate casualties, school shootings have costs — for survivors, and for the rest of us.
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47. Should We Trust Hospital Rankings?
Hospitals compete for prime spots on the "U.S. News" rankings — but could those lists be doing more harm than good?
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How Does Retirement Affect Your Brain? (Ep. 17 Replay)
Our cognitive health can change as we get older. So, does leaving the workforce make problems like memory loss and difficulty focusing worse? We investigate the research, and Bapu asks: is it time for his dad to retire?
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46. Could Long Covid Help Treat Other Chronic Illnesses?
Chronic fatigue syndrome looks remarkably similar to Long Covid, but has been ignored by the medical community. Could patients finally get some answers to their debilitating illness?
Customer Reviews
Hospital rankings
Just found this podcast and am very impressed. Covered a lot of issues related to rankings-quite informative. Answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks for the podcast.
Mind-Opening—
Thought-provoking topics, excellent guests, and a calm, concise host- couldn’t ask for more in a podcast! Great job.
Great Physician Host
What a pleasure to listen to a medical professional with such fabulous communication skills. The focus on medicine from an economist’s point of view may sound dry and clinical; it is neither. Clever, thoughtful questions, fast pacing and a master communicator make for a great listen!