December 09, 2011

The Treatment Trap

You’ve probably heard every angle on our nation’s healthcare system, and then some. But it might surprise you to find out too much medical treatment can be hazardous to your health. Then, speaking a different language can be valuable in the workplace. Now one expert says that includes the ability to translate between men and women.

Episode Segments:

InfoTrak: Unnecessary Medicine Healthcare expert Rosemary Gibson, author of The Treatment Trap: How the Overuse of Medical Care Is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It outlined what she believes is the most neglected issue in American medicine today: the overuse of medical care, including needless surgery and testing. She explained why the problems have become routine among many doctors, and offered ways that healthcare consumers can be sure they are getting appropriate care.
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InfoTrak: How to Talk So Men Will Listen Most people recognize that men and women communicate in very different ways. Audrey Nelson, PhD, author of Code Switching: How to Talk So Men Will Listen explained why it is important to be able to “crack the gender code” in the workplace, particularly for women. She offered tips to help women can understand different ways that men communicate. She also discussed some of the dangerous zones of communication that can stray into inappropriate jokes and sexual harassment.
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InfoTrak: Happiness and your heart Karina Davidson, PhD, researcher and clinical psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York recently led a 10-year study that found that happiness may prevent a heart attack. She explained the science behind this finding and suggested ways that people can improve their outlook to improve their health.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Audrey Nelson Dr. Audrey Nelson is an internationally recognized trainer, key-note speaker, and consultant. She specializes in gender communication, conflict management, dealing with difficult people, communication skills, and sexual harassment/ discrimination. Dr. Nelson’s professional background includes 10 years teaching in the Dept. of Communication at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For 30 years she has trained and consulted for a wide variety of government and Fortune 50 companies in 48 states, Australia, Great Britain, and Canada. Among them are Xcel Energy, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, American Board of Trial Attorneys , AT&T, Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Upjohn Pharmaceuticals, Pentax, Lockheed Martin, Johnson & Johnson, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Dept. of Justice. She holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication. She conducted post-doctoral work at Warnborough College in Oxford, England. Her award-winning research is cited in such books as More Power to You and Communication Between the Sexes. Dr. Nelson won the “Teaching Excellence” award at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She was designated “Woman of the Year” by Business and Professional Women. Thirty years ago she co-founded and served as president for the Organization for the Research on Women and Communication. She was awarded a grant from the State of California “Teaching and Learning Council” for her excellence in teaching. A manager at US Sprint described Audrey this way: “She walks the walk and talks the talk.” She is dynamic, informative and will leave you with challenges you won’t soon forget! Click here to visit her website

Rosemary Gibson Rosemary Gibson is a leader in health care innovation, making cutting-edge improvements in the care of patients and their families for more than twenty years. Gibson's work has included implementing training programs for physicians at 800 hospitals, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Gibson also initiated new standards for the treatment of patients in pain with HIV/AIDS and breast cancer. These standards are now in effect at 18,000 health care facilities nationwide. She also worked with Bill Moyers and Public Affairs Television to develop the PBS documentary, On Our Own Terms, which had more than 20 million viewers. Gibson was formerly the Vice President of the Economic and Social Research Institute and served as Senior Research Associate at the American Enterprise Institute. Gibson has been a consultant to the Medical College of Virginia and the Virginia State Legislature's Commission on Health Care. Gibson holds a Bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and received her Master's degree from the London School of Economics. Her articles have appeared in several publications, including The Wall Street Journal and the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. She resides in Arlington, VA. Click her to read her blog