Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Andrea J. Singer, MD, FACP, CCD Guest: Stephen M. Cohen, MD, FACOG Over 6 million women in the United States are impacted by infertility. Luckily, there are many treatment options available for couples dealing with infertility, and there are many things physicians can do to help infertile couples in their office. At a recent live event in Pasadena, CA, program moderator, Dr. Andrea Singer, was joined by Dr. Stephen M. Cohen, Faculty at SUNY Upstate Medical School in Syracuse, New York to discuss infertility testing and treatments.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD "Medical improv" is an emerging subset of comedic performance art using improvisational theater principles and training techniques to improve communication, cognition, and teamwork among health care professionals. Joining Host Dr. Michael Greenberg is Valeri Lantz-Gefroh, Improvisation Program Director at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. They talk about how the fundamentals of improv can be applied to medical practices.

Host: Matt Rosenberg, MD Guest: Aiden Harrington, ANP, CNM Current CDC Treatment Guidelines include transgender men and women as special populations. These guidelines recommend risk assessment based on current anatomy and sexual behaviors and screening for asymptomatic STIs based on the patient's history and sexual practices. At a recent live event recorded in Chicago, moderator Dr. Matt T. Rosenberg welcomes Aiden Harrington, ANP, CNM from Howard Brown Health in Chicago, Illinois. Topics covered include health risks in the LGBTQ community, STI screening and treatment, and how to discuss sexuality with your patients.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN There is still a great deal to learn about the long term effects of blast injuries on military personnel. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to a blast can produce both overt and subtle neurological consequences in the brain, but much remains unknown. Host Dr. Andrew Wilner is joined by Dr. Jack Tsao, Director of Traumatic Brain Injury Programs for the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and Professor of Neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is a Captain in the United States Navy, and an expert in detection and prevention of traumatic brain injury in active duty military personnel.

Host: David Weisman, MD It is estimated that approximately 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant, meaning their seizures do not successfully respond to anti-seizure medications. What other treatment options are available to patients who aren’t responding to medication? Host Dr. David Weisman chats with Dr. Lara Marcuse, Co-Director of Mount Sinai Epilepsy Center, about new and emerging treatment options for epilepsy.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Physicians spend their entire careers striving to heal sick patients. But when these care providers become patients themselves, the abrupt reversal of roles can make for difficult adjustments. Host Dr. Shira Johnson sits down with Dr. John Mulligan, VP for Emergency Room Physicians Medical Group and a practicing emergency physician, to share his experience, takeaways, and advice for transitioning from doctor to patient.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Medical schools are increasingly adapting improv tools to enhance patient interviewing, simulate difficult conversations and facilitate learning in medical teams. Research has shown that such training can enhance physician-patient communication and improve diagnostic accuracy, patients’ adherence to treatment, and overall patient satisfaction. Host Dr. Michael Greenberg chats with Lillian Frances, owner of Laugh Out Loud Theater in Chicago, about how improv comedy training and the phrase “yes and” can improve your skills as a health care provider.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN While most people with epilepsy are treated with medications, other modalities such as surgery, diet, and neuromodulation are often necessary. Since the FDA approval of the vagus nerve stimulator in 1997, there has been a growing interest in neuromodulation. A second, more sophisticated device, the responsive neurostimulator, received FDA approval in 2013. Host Andrew Wilner talks with Dr. Robert Fisher, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Sandford Epilepsy Center at Stanford University about the role of neuromodulation therapy for treatment of epilepsy.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Michele Meltzer, MD Rheumatology services are limited or non-existent in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Basic diagnostic tests, biological agents, and treatments are either unavailable or not affordable for the majority of people living in that area. This shortage results in patients not having the benefit of early diagnosis and management of relatively cheap and cost-effective therapies. Instead, they present at advanced stages of disease with otherwise preventable morbidity. Host Michael Greenberg chats with Dr. Michele Meltzer, Associate Professor at Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia and President of the non-profit organization, Rheumatology for All, about providing medical training and care for countries with limited or non-existent rheumatology services.

Host: David Weisman, MD Guest: John Khoury, MD For the first time, the FDA has approved a direct-to-consumer genetic test from 23andme that will inform patients if they are predisposed to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and Celiac Disease among others. Proponents applaud this decision, saying this will allow for people to know their genetic health risks and be more proactive about their health. Others argue that this information doesn’t tell the whole story since predisposition doesn't reflect someone's ultimate risk or likelihood of developing a disease. What are the benefits and liabilities of consumers' access to genetic testing? Host Dr. David Weisman, Director of Clinical Trials at Abington Neurological Associates, sits down with Dr. John Khoury, Associate Director at Abington Memorial Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, to debate the merits and pitfalls of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.