Dr Atul Gawande - The Future Of Medicine [The Reith Lectures]

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Why Do Doctors Fail?

20141104

20141125 (R4)
20141129 (R4)

Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility and suggests that preventing avoidable mistakes is a key challenge for the future of medicine.

Through the story of a life-threatening condition which affected his own baby son, Dr. Gawande suggests that the medical profession needs to understand how best to deploy the enormous arsenal of knowledge which it has acquired. And his challenge for global health is to address the inequalities in access to resources and expertise both within and between countries.

This first of four lectures was recorded before an audience at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dr. Gawande's home town of Boston in Massachusetts. The other lectures are recorded in London, Edinburgh and Delhi.

The series is introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley. The producer is Jim Frank.

Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility in medicine.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

The Century Of The System

20141202

20141206 (R4)

The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande argues that better systems can transform global healthcare by radically reducing the chance of mistakes and increasing the chance of successful outcomes.

He tells the story of how a little-known hospital in Austria managed to develop a complex yet highly effective system for dealing with victims of drowning. He says that the lesson from this dramatic narrative is that effective systems can provide major improvements in success rates for surgery and other medical procedures. Even a simple checklist - of the kind routinely used in the aviation industry - can be remarkably effective. And he argues that these systems have the power to transform care from the richest parts of the world to the poorest.

The programme was recorded at The Wellcome Collection in London before an audience.

The Reith Lectures are chaired and introduced by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank.

Atul Gawande calls for a radical rethink of medical systems to transform healthcare.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

The Problem Of Hubris

20141209

20141213 (R4)

Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the two great unfixable problems in life and healthcare - ageing and death. He tells the story of how his daughter's piano teacher faced up to terminal cancer and the crucial choices she made about how to spend her final days. He says the teacher was only able to do this because of an essential honesty from her physicians and the people around her. Dr. Gawande argues that the common reluctance of society and medical institutions to recognise the limits of what professionals can do can end up increasing the suffering of patients towards the end of life. He proposes that both doctors and individuals ask a series of simple but penetrating questions to decide what kind of treatment is appropriate - or whether treatment is appropriate at all. And he praises the values of the hospice movement, in putting quality of life before prolonging life.

The programme was recorded at The Royal Society in Edinburgh in front of an audience.

The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank.

Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

The programme was recorded at The Royal Society in Edinburgh in front of an audience.

The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank.

Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

The Idea Of Wellbeing

20141216

20141220 (R4)

The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on medical systems to ensure doctors work more effectively, alongside far greater transparency about their performance.

Speaking to an audience at the India International Centre in Delhi, he describes the story of medicine over the last century through the prism of his own family. From a grandmother who died in rural India from malaria - a preventable disease - to the high-tech medicine of today. He argues that despite its scientific advances, medicine has failed to exploit its knowledge successfully. In both the developed and developing world doctors do not carry out basic procedures effectively and often do not act in the best interests of their patients. He calls for wide-ranging research into the systems by which medical care is delivered, alongside far greater transparency about performance.

The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank.

Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on medical systems to ensure doctors work more effectively, alongside far greater transparency about their performance.

The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank.

Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively.

Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Why Do Doctors Fail?	20141104	20141125 (R4) 20141129 (R4)	Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility and suggests that preventing avoidable mistakes is a key challenge for the future of medicine. Through the story of a life-threatening condition which affected his own baby son, Dr. Gawande suggests that the medical profession needs to understand how best to deploy the enormous arsenal of knowledge which it has acquired. And his challenge for global health is to address the inequalities in access to resources and expertise both within and between countries. This first of four lectures was recorded before an audience at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dr. Gawande's home town of Boston in Massachusetts. The other lectures are recorded in London, Edinburgh and Delhi. The series is introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley. The producer is Jim Frank. Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility in medicine. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.
02	The Century Of The System	20141202	20141206 (R4)	The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande argues that better systems can transform global healthcare by radically reducing the chance of mistakes and increasing the chance of successful outcomes. He tells the story of how a little-known hospital in Austria managed to develop a complex yet highly effective system for dealing with victims of drowning. He says that the lesson from this dramatic narrative is that effective systems can provide major improvements in success rates for surgery and other medical procedures. Even a simple checklist - of the kind routinely used in the aviation industry - can be remarkably effective. And he argues that these systems have the power to transform care from the richest parts of the world to the poorest. The programme was recorded at The Wellcome Collection in London before an audience. The Reith Lectures are chaired and introduced by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank. Atul Gawande calls for a radical rethink of medical systems to transform healthcare. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.
03	The Problem Of Hubris	20141209	20141213 (R4)	Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the two great unfixable problems in life and healthcare - ageing and death. He tells the story of how his daughter's piano teacher faced up to terminal cancer and the crucial choices she made about how to spend her final days. He says the teacher was only able to do this because of an essential honesty from her physicians and the people around her. Dr. Gawande argues that the common reluctance of society and medical institutions to recognise the limits of what professionals can do can end up increasing the suffering of patients towards the end of life. He proposes that both doctors and individuals ask a series of simple but penetrating questions to decide what kind of treatment is appropriate - or whether treatment is appropriate at all. And he praises the values of the hospice movement, in putting quality of life before prolonging life. The programme was recorded at The Royal Society in Edinburgh in front of an audience. The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank. Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series. Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the two great unfixable problems in life and healthcare - ageing and death. He tells the story of how his daughter's piano teacher faced up to terminal cancer and the crucial choices she made about how to spend her final days. He says the teacher was only able to do this because of an essential honesty from her physicians and the people around her. Dr. Gawande argues that the common reluctance of society and medical institutions to recognise the limits of what professionals can do can end up increasing the suffering of patients towards the end of life. He proposes that both doctors and individuals ask a series of simple but penetrating questions to decide what kind of treatment is appropriate - or whether treatment is appropriate at all. And he praises the values of the hospice movement, in putting quality of life before prolonging life. The programme was recorded at The Royal Society in Edinburgh in front of an audience. The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank. Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.
04	The Idea Of Wellbeing	20141216	20141220 (R4)	The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on medical systems to ensure doctors work more effectively, alongside far greater transparency about their performance. Speaking to an audience at the India International Centre in Delhi, he describes the story of medicine over the last century through the prism of his own family. From a grandmother who died in rural India from malaria - a preventable disease - to the high-tech medicine of today. He argues that despite its scientific advances, medicine has failed to exploit its knowledge successfully. In both the developed and developing world doctors do not carry out basic procedures effectively and often do not act in the best interests of their patients. He calls for wide-ranging research into the systems by which medical care is delivered, alongside far greater transparency about performance. The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank. Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series. The surgeon and writer Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on medical systems to ensure doctors work more effectively, alongside far greater transparency about their performance. Speaking to an audience at the India International Centre in Delhi, he describes the story of medicine over the last century through the prism of his own family. From a grandmother who died in rural India from malaria - a preventable disease - to the high-tech medicine of today. He argues that despite its scientific advances, medicine has failed to exploit its knowledge successfully. In both the developed and developing world doctors do not carry out basic procedures effectively and often do not act in the best interests of their patients. He calls for wide-ranging research into the systems by which medical care is delivered, alongside far greater transparency about performance. The Reith Lectures are introduced and chaired by Sue Lawley and produced by Jim Frank. Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively. Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.