Today, I am honored to connect with doctors Andy Lazris and Alan Roth, the authors of A Return to Healing. Dr. Lazris, a physician practicing geriatric primary care medicine in Maryland, is a Certified Medical Director who orchestrates medical care and provides education for several long-term care facilities. Dr Roth is a physician, practicing family medicine and palliative care in New York. He is the Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care at MediSys Health Network. 

In our discussion, we explore the impact of the Flexner Report, including how it has reshaped our medical system and clinical guidelines, expanded the definition of disease, and influenced critical thinking. Drs. Lazris and Roth explain how challenging established medical dogma becomes even more problematic within a Flexnerian framework. They examine the prevalence of ineffective and costly procedures, the manipulation of research studies, the role of documentation in medical literature, and the impact of terms like non-compliant and histrionic on the quality of patient care. They also clarify what actually happens with screening measures and how patients can find excellent care. 

Their book, A Return to Healing, is truly a love letter to their communities. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of our current medical system and how it has gotten derailed.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why doctors should question dogma and think critically rather than just following medical guidelines

How medical training encourages standardized testing and discourages nuanced and patient-centered thinking

How our profit-driven system rewards procedures and prescriptions over proper patient care

Why drugs can sometimes cause more harm than good, and how elderly patients often suffer due to overprescribing

How drug companies manipulate statistics to make small benefits seem huge

Why patient noncompliance can often mean informed refusal rather than ignorance or defiance

How biased medical documentation may unfairly target women and minorities

Modern fast-food-type medicine and eroding trust within the doctor–patient relationship

Why shared decision-making is meaningless in a system built on one-size-fits-all dogma

Protecting yourself within a dysfunctional medical system

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

Connect with Dr. Andy Lazris and Dr. Alan Roth