FHC #50: Diving deep into physician intuition and hospital prices

woman patient shows arm after receiving vaccine

Welcome back to the Fixing Healthcare series, “Diving Deep,” which features a robust and probing discussion about some of healthcare’s most deep-seated problems.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Pearl Jeremy Corr dive deep into the unwritten rules of healthcare, which have long dictated for doctors “the right way to act.” Two examples featured in this show include the doctor’s use of intuition when making medical recommendations and the current rules surrounding hospital care, which lead to high prices but not necessarily better care.

For more information on these topics, check out Dr. Pearl’s latest healthcare columns on Forbes and LinkedIn. For listeners interested in show notes, here’s a discussion guide:

  • When it comes to medical decision-making, where should the science end and gut-feelings take over?
  • What is evidence-based medicine and why does it matter?
  • Why do doctors (and people in other industries) distrust science-based guidelines?
  • What can go wrong with intuitive medical decision-making?
  • When (if ever) is intuition is better than science?
  • Why don’t doctors have time to talk with patient about their hopes, fears and values?
  • How can patients know whether or not a hospital offers good care?

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.