Decision of the Month

Books





News and Press

Whose Life Would You Save? – 7/12/2011

WHYY in Philadelphia has a report out on a new study I participated in, led by my good friend Scott Halpern. The study revealed the strange lengths to which physicians will go to help their patients, even if it hurts other patients. To see what Scott and I have to say, click on this link.

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Sleepless in the hospital – 6/2011

I don’t think Tom Hanks will be starring in the movie version of my latest blog post, but click on this link to see an essay I wrote in a medical magazine about how to use insights from behavioral economics to improve patients’ sleep in the hospitals.

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Tough decision? Take it piece by piece – 4/21/2011

Brian Zikmund-Fisher took the lead on a study published this week in which we found evidence that when people face tough decisions, it helps for them to break the decision into smaller pieces, and take it one step at a time. Here is a link to some media coverage in India.

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Do patients need the numbers? – 4/14/2011

An interesting article by Peter Schwartz in the latest Hastings Center Report on whether patients, facing difficult medical decisions, ought to get precise numbers on the risks and benefits of their alternatives.  I contributed a commentary, urging researchers to keep developing better ways to help patients make rational use of the numbers.

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What would you do, doc? – 4/11/2011

A bunch of media outlets are beginning to report on a new study of mine (conducted with a coupe great colleagues) in which we found that docs choose different treatments for themselves than they recommend to their patients.  Kinda scary stuff.  The logos below are links to a few of the reports.

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When Less is More – 3/29/2011

Here is a news article discussing a paper I wrote with Michael Volk, in which we try to find ways to keep doctors from harming patients by finding and then getting all worked up over what we in medicine call incidentalomas–unexpected and ultimately benign findings that show up with unnecessary tests. The article is in the Archives of Internal Medicine this week.

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Why people hate health reform – 3/22/2011

Here is a link to an Op-Ed I wrote with two colleagues at Duke, in which we provide a novel explanation for why so many Americans hate Obamacare.

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GovLoop Podcast – 1/27/2011

Check out a podcast I made with GovLoop, a website for government employees, in which I discuss the challenge we face in this country of overcoming partisanship.  Take a listen and let me know what you think.

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People’s Pharmacy Podcast – 1/22/2011

This weekend, I had the pleasure of being a guest on Peoples Pharmacy, a great public radio show that hails out of Durham NC.  We had a far ranging, rapidly shifting conversation about lots of things.  Check it out if you are interested.  The show even gave me a chance to learn a new skill.  I have a nasty little virus, and by the end of the show I had mastered what radio people call the cough button!

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If You Read Arabic:

You might be interested in some coverage my research team got in Qatar, for our study on oncology decision making.  (Link) Maybe one of you can translate it for me?

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The Economist

Age and happiness – 12/18/2010

As we get ready to turn the clocks on a new year, it is good to remember that for most of us, our happiness increases with age.  See this recent news article which talks about some of my old, ahem, research on aging and happiness.

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Life or quality of life — what matters to oncologists? – 12/8/2010

Take a look at a brief summary of a new paper i just published, led by a wonderful medical student at Michigan, Michael Kozminski.  It shows that oncologists seem to place far greater value on quantity of life over quality of life.

“I Need to Understand You Better” – 12/1/2010

I gave a talk as part of an ethics series here at Duke.  Here is one take on my presentation.  See if you can spot the Far Side reference!

12/12/2009

“Women Researchers Less Likely to Receive Major Career Funding Grants, Study Shows”

My colleague, Dr. Reshma Jagsi, and I found in a recent study that women are less likely than men to receive major funding for scientific research.

Click HERE to read the report by Science Daily

Click HERE to read the original article and all of our findings at Annals of Internal Medicine

“High-Risk May Often Avoid Using Tamoxifen”–early December, 2009

Dr. Angela Fagerlin, my colleague at the University of Michigan, and I (along with several other colleagues) recently published a research study, and the findings have caught the media’s attention!  Our study found that many women who have a high risk of developing breast cancer are not interested in taking a drug called tamoxifen to reduce their chances of developing cancer because of the serious side effects.
You can read the original article, as well as the news coverage, by clicking on the following links:
The original article, published by the journal Breast Cancer Research and TreatmentClick HERE

Health.com

Ivanhoe Newswire

POLITICO.com Logo - Click to return to home page 11/23/2009

“GOP: Breast exams show ‘rationing’”

Josh Gerstein delves into the debate that sprang up around the new breast cancer screening recommendations.  I was able to provide some insight as to how and why people react drastically to such health-related information. Read the original article HERE.

U.S.News & World Report 11/10/2009

“Acceptance of Chronic Illness Helps People Move On”

My research colleagues and I (at the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan) published an article in Health Psychology that will be available online November 17th.  Our study found that colostomy patients who felt that their condition was irreversible reported better quality of life than those patients who hoped that they would be cured. To read the article by HealthDay News, click HERE.

University of Michigan Health System Newsroom  11/2/2009

“Research shows chronically ill might be happier if they gave up hope”

My research colleagues and I (at the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan) published an article in Health Psychology that will be available online November 17th.  Our study found that colostomy patients who felt that their condition was irreversible reported better quality of life than those patients who hoped that they would be cured. To read the original new release from UM, click HERE. Don’t forget to watch the video that goes along with the news release!

Michigan Radio Logo

10/18/2009

“U of M Study: Political Beliefs & Medical Research”

Steve Carmody of Michigan Radio talked with me about the research findings that Dr. Gollust and I published (mentioned in the previous post). The study will appear in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health, but you can get a sneak peek of the findings by clicking HERE.

10/15/2009

“Why Americans disagree about healthcare reform”

My colleague, Dr. Sarah Gollust of the University of Pennsylvania, and I conducted an experiment to determine how people’s political beliefs are related to their attitudes towards healthcare reform. Click HERE to read the original article by Reuters.

BusinessWeek Logo 7/24/2009

“Living in an Uncertain World”

Peter Bregman reports on a study that I conducted with my University of Michigan colleague, Dr. Dylan Smith, about the happiness of colostomy patients.  Mr. Bregman takes the findings of our study and applies the concepts to help people manage their stressful and unpredictable lives.

Read the full article HERE.

The Takeaway

“Roundtable: Previewing Obama’s Press Conference” and “The Takeaway’s Health Care Roundtable”

7/22/2009

I was a guest on two different segments of The Takeaway‘s Early Edition.  You can listen to both roundtables on their website by clicking HERE.

The Takeaway

“Analyzing Obama’s Town Hall Meeting”

6/25/2009

John Hockenberry and Chelsea Merz asked me back on the show to assess President Obama’s recent town hall meeting about healthcare reform.

CLICK HERE to read and/or hear the full report.

The Takeaway

“V.A. Hospitals: A Good Model for Health Care?”

6/23/2009

NPR’s John Hockenberry and Chelsea Merz investigate possible healthcare models that the Obama administration are considering and I chip in my two cents regarding the VA system.

CLICK HERE to read the original post and listen to the show.

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Risky Business: Health Risk, Relativity, and Perception” on Patt Morrison

3/31/2009

Patt Morrison of KPCC Radio in Southern California talks to me about how people make various rational and irrational decisions in their lives. CLICK HERE to listen.

The Faith Middleton Show

2/23/2009

WNPR’s Faith MIddleton of Connecticut Public Radio discusses Free Market Madness. (My interview starts 34 minutes into the show). CLICK HERE to listen.

The Engaging Brand

2/20/2009

Listen as Anna Farmery drills me on how my book is applicable in the business world. Click HERE.

“Economic Free-For-All” on SqueezePlay

2/12/2009

Watch my guest appearance on the Business News Network’s show, SqueezePlay, with Amanda Lang and Kevin O’Leary. Click HERE.

The World

2/11/2009

Jason Margolis reports on how global markets are reacting to a possible U.S. stimulus bill.  Listen in HERE as I describe the role of psychology in the current economic crisis.

1/29/2009

Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry reviews my book, Free Market Madness, and puts me on the stand.  You can read or listen to his essay HERE, or you can listen to our discussion HERE.

Harvard Business Press

1/26/2009

Listen to my podcast with Paul Michelman by clicking HERE.

Sound Investing

1/23/2009

This Seattle-based  radio program is hosted by financial educators Tom Cock, Paul Merriman, and Don McDonald.  I was invited as their guest for the week, but you’ll have to fast forward to the last six minutes of the show to hear me! Click HERE to download the show.

The Gabriel Wisdom Show

1/14/2009

Tune in HERE to listen to me on the Business Talk Radio Network.

“eBay and the Brain: What Psychology Teaches Us about the Economic Downturn”

12/18/2009

Check out my interview with Jonah Lehrer, editor of Mind Matters, by clicking HERE.

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“Free Market–Mirror or Distortion?”

10/30/2008

See me on an excellent TV show out of Ontario, called The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Watch me sit in the middle with a Marxist on my, um, right and a free market evangelist on my–you guessed it–left!

Click HERE to watch.

Concentrate Media

MASTERMIND: Dr. Peter Ubel–10/1/2008

Jeff Meyers of Concentrate Media picks my brain!

Click HERE to read the article.

The Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine