On Wednesday, Fresh Air interviewed Dr. Gregg Bloche about the dangers that rising health care costs pose to patients and to doctor's adherence to the Hippocratic Oath.
From NPR's website:
In most medical schools, students recite the Hippocratic Oath together to mark the start of their professional careers. The soon-to-be physicians swear to uphold the ethical standards of the medical profession and promise to stand for their patients without compromise. Though the oath has been rewritten over the centuries, the essence of it has remained the same: "In each house I go, I go only for the good of my patients." But the principles of the oath, says Dr. Gregg Bloche, are under an "unprecedented threat." In The Hippocratic Myth, Bloche details how doctors are under constant pressure to compromise or ration their care in order to please lawmakers, lawyers and insurance companies.
Also, the Diane Rehm Show has ongoing in-depth analysis of the post-tsunami situation in Japan, including coverage of the immediate issues facing Japan, the economic impact of the earthquake and tsunami, and the effect of the Fukushima nuclear crisis on the global nuclear industry.
Lastly, On the Media covered the recent events at NPR, including the Ron Schiller tape and the resignation of NPR CEO Vivian Schiller.
The broadcast ends with This American Life's Ira Glass challenging OTM's Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone to find out whether NPR's coverage is politically biased, as some have accused.
Tune in to On the Media this weekend to hear what they found.
-Brian Short, Michigan Radio Newsroom
