The Pulse
NPR
Go on an adventure into unexpected corners of the health and science world each week with award-winning host Maiken Scott. The Pulse takes you behind the doors of operating rooms, into the lab with some of the world's foremost scientists, and back in time to explore life-changing innovations. The Pulse delivers stories in ways that matter to you, and answers questions you never knew you had.
Categories: Science & Medicine
Listen to the last episode:
When medical mistakes happen, patients and their families often find themselves at a loss trying to figure out exactly what went wrong. Something bad happened. And then, communication drops; there's no real explanation, and no apology. Suddenly, everybody seems on guard. Health care providers can often feel bound by an imposed cone of silence that's designed to protect them and their institution, but makes it impossible to fully face up to their mistake, or have open conversations about preventing future ones.
On this episode, we explore the breaking of that silence, along with new solutions to avoid medical errors. We hear stories about what prompted one surgeon to go public after performing the wrong procedure, how the death of a young woman prompted her parents to try and change the system, and an investigation into an OB-GYN and the trail of injured women left in his wake.
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Previous episodes
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696 - Breaking the Silence on Medical Mistakes Fri, 26 Apr 2024
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695 - Living Greener — One Decision at a Time Fri, 19 Apr 2024
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694 - Bridging the Gaps for Latino Health Fri, 12 Apr 2024
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693 - Boredom in the Age of Information Overload Fri, 05 Apr 2024
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692 - Chasing the Eclipse Fri, 29 Mar 2024
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691 - Discovering your True Identity Fri, 22 Mar 2024
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690 - The Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 Fri, 15 Mar 2024
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688 - The New Mental Health Landscape Fri, 08 Mar 2024
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687 - Atomic Angst and the Teenage Spy Fri, 01 Mar 2024
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686 - Bodies for Science Fri, 23 Feb 2024
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685 - All the Rage Fri, 16 Feb 2024
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684 - The Mysteries of Attraction Fri, 09 Feb 2024
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683 - Setting the Medical Record Straight Fri, 02 Feb 2024
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682 - Inside Facebook: A Conversation with Jeff Horwitz Wed, 31 Jan 2024
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681 - Facebook at 20 Fri, 26 Jan 2024
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679 - When Healing Happens But We Don't Know Why Fri, 19 Jan 2024
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678 - How to Live with Uncertainty Fri, 12 Jan 2024
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677 - Virtual Worlds, Virtual Lives Fri, 05 Jan 2024
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676 - The Transformative Power of Awe Fri, 22 Dec 2023
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675 - Why We Love and Hate Exercising — And How to Do It Either Way Fri, 29 Dec 2023
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674 - The Blurred Line Between Life and Death Fri, 15 Dec 2023
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673 - Lowering Barriers to Care Fri, 08 Dec 2023
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672 - Uncovering the Inner Workings of the Oceans Fri, 01 Dec 2023
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670 - How Gene Therapy is Offering Hope — Once Again Fri, 24 Nov 2023
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669 - Changing Tastes Fri, 17 Nov 2023
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668 - Salty, Crunchy, and Addictive: A Physician's Fight Against Ultra-Processed Foods Wed, 15 Nov 2023
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667 - Getting Better at Resolving Conflicts Fri, 10 Nov 2023
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666 - Why Rejection Hurts So Much — And How to Cope Fri, 03 Nov 2023
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665 - How We Talk About Death Fri, 27 Oct 2023
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664 - How UFOs Went from Fringe to Mainstream Fri, 20 Oct 2023
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663 - Shame and Blame: How Stigma Impacts Health Fri, 13 Oct 2023
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662 - How Science is Transforming Weight Loss Fri, 06 Oct 2023
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661 - Space Pioneers Fri, 29 Sep 2023
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660 - Boredom in the Age of Information Overload Fri, 22 Sep 2023
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659 - Face Recognition and What it Means for our Privacy Wed, 20 Sep 2023
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658 - How Art and Science Intersect Fri, 15 Sep 2023
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657 - Finding Happiness Fri, 08 Sep 2023
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656 - Helping Teens Navigate Mental Health Challenges Fri, 01 Sep 2023
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655 - Remote Working vs. the Office — Which is Better? Fri, 25 Aug 2023
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654 - Bringing Physics from Theory to Practice Fri, 18 Aug 2023
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653 - Will A.I. Take Your Job — or Make It Better? Fri, 11 Aug 2023
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652 - Skin Care and the Quest for Eternal Youth Fri, 04 Aug 2023
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651 - What's Behind Health Care Shortages? Fri, 28 Jul 2023
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650 - Searching for Utopia Fri, 21 Jul 2023
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649 - Behind the Scenes — Challenges in Medicine Fri, 14 Jul 2023
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648 - Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers Fri, 07 Jul 2023
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647 - Degrees of Freedom Fri, 30 Jun 2023
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646 - Buried Secrets, Buried Waste Fri, 23 Jun 2023
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645 - Black Health: Finding Solutions to End Disparities Fri, 16 Jun 2023
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644 - The Social Self Fri, 09 Jun 2023