FRESH AIR
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. Bloche says that doctors are increasingly expected to decide which expensive tests and treatments they can and cannot provide for their patients. Their duel role as examiner and cost-cutter can then potentially compromise patients’ care, he says, particularly when insurers and hospital administrators urge physicians to only perform “medically necessary” treatment. MORE
RADIO TIMES
In his new book, The Social Animal, New York Times columnist David Brooks takes on the topic of human nature by exploring the motivations behind the conscious and unconscious decisions people make about the their lives. Combining the story of two fictional characters — husband and wife Harold and Erica – with research-based findings about human behavior, Brooks explores the emotions and influences like genetics, biases, character traits and social norms, that shape our relationships, the way we raise our children, our political views, our work, and the way we see ourselves. Brooks joins Marty in the studio in Hour 2 of Radio Times.