Why Do Doctors Fail?
Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility and suggests that preventing avoidable mistakes is a key challenge for the future of medicine.
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.
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Read Atul Gawande's first Reith Lecture entitled Why Do Doctors Fail?
Clips
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Dr Atul Gawande: Why do doctors fail?
Duration: 01:31
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Atul Gawande: The body is scarily intricate, hard to read
Duration: 00:46
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Atul Gawande: 'There鈥檚 a misconception about global health'
Duration: 00:27
Broadcasts
- Tue 25 Nov 2014 09:00麻豆社 Radio 4
- Sat 29 Nov 2014 22:15麻豆社 Radio 4
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The Reith Lectures
Significant international thinkers deliver the 麻豆社's flagship annual lecture series.