Sitting in a doctor’s office trying to understand medicalese is super frustrating. Especially when you have a very clear and urgent concern that that cloudy language doesn’t seem to address. Suzanne Makarem (Virginia Commonwealth University) found forty women who switched to nontraditional medical professionals after years of feeling unheard by traditional doctors. Many of these women now only see their traditional doctors for blood tests, vaccines and annual check ups. Plus: The United States and New Zealand are the only countries that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to consumers on TV. Staci Defibaugh (Old Dominion University) says these ads are not just promoting drugs to patients. They’re showing people how to be an “activated patient.”
Later in the show: It’s deeply troubling that African American men have a shorter life expectancy than most other groups of people in America. There are many factors, but Alton Coleman (James Madison University) says being perceived as a threat in public spaces plays a huge role. And: There are many barriers to accessing good healthcare in Appalachia. Troy Makal (University of Virginia at Wise) was shocked to find that the greatest barrier is a distrust in medical providers.
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