April 20, 2013

Over-diagnosed

Has modern medical technology taken things too far, allowing doctors to over-diagnose? We talk to an MD for an eye-opening interview. Then, there are more companies owned by women these days. Yet they’re making less money than other businesses. We’ll have the story. Plus – do America’s schools have a literal math problem?

Episode Segments:

InfoTrak: Over-diagnosed Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, author of Over-diagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health said the increasing ability of medical tests to detect minuscule abnormalities, along with changing guidelines, have resulted in the over diganosis and overtreatment of many patients. He said many diagnoses and treatments are for abnormalities that would never threaten the patient’s health.
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InfoTrak: Revenue issues in Women’s Business Julie Weeks research advisor at American Express OPEN recently authored a report that analyzed the state of women-owned businesses in the U.S. She found that while women-owned business are rapidly growing and diversifying in all industries, their overall revenue continues to lag behind other businesses. Ms. Weeks talked about the reasons behind these trends.
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InfoTrak: America’s Math Problem America’s math proficiency is rated 24th out of 29 math-tested countries. Alan Cook, author of A Trip to the Number Yard talked about the problem of mathematic illiteracy for both do-it-yourselfers and trade professionals, and the mishaps that sometimes occur as a result. He explained which math skills are crucial to these blue-collar endeavors, and why he believes the main problem is that that our nation’s schools have failed to teach math in an engaging manner.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

H. Gilbert Welch H. Gilbert Welch MD, MPH is professor of Medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice. His research has focused on the problems created by medicine's efforts to detect disease early: physicians test too often, treat too aggressively and tell too many people that they are sick. Much of his work has focused on overdiagnosis in cancer screening: in particular, screening for melanoma, thyroid, lung, breast and prostate cancer. His first book, SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CANCER? Maybe not and here's why (UC Press 2004) was written while he was a Visiting Scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer and was one of the six "best books" listed by Malcolm Gladwell in The Week. Read an Excerpt from Over-Diagnosed

Julie Weeks Julie Weeks is the President and CEO of Womenable, a forprofit social enterprise that works to enable women’s entrepreneurship worldwide by improving the systems – laws, policies, programs and research-based knowledge – that support women’s enterprise creation and growth. Weeks is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of women’s enterprise development, with experience in both the private and public sectors in the areas of research, public policy and program management. She is an accomplished oral and written communicator, with proven ability to translate data and complex information into clear, concise, and actionable knowledge. Weeks has over 30 years experience in research, public policy, and communications. For three years, she served as Executive Director of the National Women’s Business Council, a federally funded bipartisan policy advisory body created by the U.S. Congress to serve as an independent voice of women’s entrepreneurship and an advisor to the President, U.S. Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration on women’s entrepreneurship issues. Prior to that position, Weeks spent nine years as the Director of Research and Managing Director of the Center for Women’s Business Research, a nonprofit organization that conducts research among women business owners and their enterprises. She has also served as Deputy Chief Counsel for Statistics and Research at the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Vice President for Research and Public Policy at two market research firms. Julie's Website

Alan Cook A Weapon Of Math Instruction is exactly what is needed. Thirty years of construction experience plus teaching at a junior college, Alan Cook sees, firsthand, the enormous difficulties people have with math. Alan Cook has lived a multi-chaptered professional life. In his early adult years, he built houses and cabinets. Given the physical demands of this livelihood, he was introduced to the benefits of chiropractors. Receiving much needed help over years, he decided to attend chiropractic college. However, he retained his interests in the construction world and is currently a co-owner of a solar company. Always participating in a broad pallet of experiences, he was invited to attend a professional speakers’ workshop. This training, coupled with his natural talents, led to his appointment as a post-graduate lecturer for three chiropractic colleges whereby he gave presentations across the country. His speaking abilities were also tapped by Merck Pharmaceuticals. Complimenting his numerous lectures, he has over a dozen articles published in chiropractic and medical journals. His most well-known article being, The Healing Benefits of Laughter. His writing and construction backgrounds are well displayed in his recent book, A Trip To The Number Yard. This paperback is a fun and thorough series of lessons in the math needed for the world of construction. In short, Alan Cook has a wide range of experiences allowing him to connect with audiences. He has give many presentations in public speaking, as well as radio and television interviews. The Numberyard