The Dangers of Specialty Care: How misplaced incentives lead to high cost and poor outcomes episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 8, 2025 · 19 MIN

The Dangers of Specialty Care: How misplaced incentives lead to high cost and poor outcomes

from Straight Talking Doc Unhinged · host Andy

Alan and Andy discuss specialty care and its inherent dangers.  We tell about specific patient examples, why excessive specialization seems appealing but results in over-testing and over-treatment, and how we can instantly change policy to mitigate the damage from specialization.  Ultimately specialists are paid more to convince people they are sick and lead them down a road of testing, procedures, and medicines.A few book and article recommendations:-No More Tears, by NYT journalist Gardiner Harris, which explores the history of Johnson and Johnson and the complicity of media, the FDA, and academic medicine in the drug company's deceptive assault on the American public with dangerous drugs and products.-FDA Approved and Ineffective, by Shannon Brownlee and Jean Lenzer, in The Lever magazine, showing that much of what the FDA approves is both dangerous and ineffective as they bow to the wishes of Big Pharma.  Click Here for Article. 

Alan and Andy discuss specialty care and its inherent dangers. We tell about specific patient examples, why excessive specialization seems appealing but results in over-testing and over-treatment, and how we can instantly change policy to mitigate the damage from specialization. Ultimately specialists are paid more to convince people they are sick and lead them down a road of testing, procedures, and medicines. A few book and article recommendations: -No More Tears, by NYT journal...

NOW PLAYING

The Dangers of Specialty Care: How misplaced incentives lead to high cost and poor outcomes

0:00 19:14

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Straight Talking Doc Unhinged?

This episode is 19 minutes long.

When was this Straight Talking Doc Unhinged episode published?

This episode was published on June 8, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Alan and Andy discuss specialty care and its inherent dangers.  We tell about specific patient examples, why excessive specialization seems appealing but results in over-testing and over-treatment, and how we can instantly change policy to mitigate...

Can I download this Straight Talking Doc Unhinged episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!