A Look at the Rising Field of Genetic Counseling
Our experts explain how to know if you need to see a genetic counselor.
Medical Notes: December 18, 2022
In the age of technology, we may finally have ‘smart eyes.' Then, a new way to track cancerous tumors. And finally…an expert reveals how you can stay healthy this holiday season.
Offshoring Medication: Where Are Your Generic Drugs Being Made?
According to Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, 66% of all U.S. adults use prescription drugs – and a majority of those are generic. So why don’t we know where these products are made?
Stranger Than Fiction: Using Electronic Tattoos to Monitor Health
Scientists are bringing temporary tattoos into the medical realm using nanotechnology. Electronic tattoos are patches placed on a patient’s skin that will be able to both monitor and treat their specific condition.
Keeping Generic Drugs Safe (2021)
Since the 1980’s, almost all production of generic drugs has moved overseas, where FDA inspectors have a much tougher time making sure they’re following rules for safety. An investigative journalist describes the ways she’s found that many drugmakers cut corners, putting safety at risk, and details what consumers can do to protect themselves.
Bottled Water and Trust in Our Institutions
Bottled water sales have skyrocketed, in part because many people believe it is safer than tap water. Actually, bottled water faces few of the safety regulations that tap water does. The disconnect, according to a new study, comes from society’s pervasive distrust in all governmental institutions. The lead researcher discusses how restoring faith in water …
The Pandemic in Historical Perspective
Plagues such as Covid-19 are nothing new, and this pandemic is far from the worst the world has ever faced. A physician and historian examines Covid in comparison to other pandemics and discusses the lessons that will serve us well in the future.
Medical Crowdfunding: The good and the bad
Medical campaigns account for a third of monies raised on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, and many people who’ve fallen through the holes of the safety net have been helped this way. But studies show that fraud is rampant with fake patients and medical providers. Experts discuss.
Overworked Pharmacists: Mistakes Waiting To Happen?
Pharmacists are often asked to do more work in less time than they need, and some experts worry it’s causing medication mistakes. A pharmacist specializing in medication safety discusses pressures on pharmacists and what consumers can do to protect themselves.
Face Masks and Breathing
Some people insist that wearing a face mask smothers them and makes them feel like they’re not getting enough air. An expert discusses what might be going wrong and lays out the basics on how to wear a mask without needing to come up for air.
Medical Errors, 20 Years After “To Err Is Human”
The Institute of Medicine report “To Err Is Human” in 1999 shook health care with the finding that as many as 120,000 Americans die each year due to medical mistakes. A noted researcher re-examines how far we’ve come since then and the difficult cooperation it will take to make patient safety more certain.
Food Deserts, Eating Habits, and Health
Public policy is built on the food desert theory: the lack of neighborhood supermarkets drives people to eat less fresh food and more junk food. New research is challenging that theory, but finding values of grocery stores in other, unexpected places. Experts discuss how nearby supermarkets change people and the neighborhoods where they live.
