GeriPal Podcast
@geripal
UCSF doctors, Eric Widera & Alex Smith, invite the brightest minds in geriatrics, hospice, & palliative care to talk about topics that you care most about, ranging from recently published research in the field to controversies that keep us up at night.
As Palliative Care evolves beyond end-of-life care, who should see a specialist? We talk with 3 palliative care leaders to discuss broad eligibility, workforce capacity, & the future of serious illness care. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp414 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Over 75% of older adults with dementia actually have a MIX of different brain pathologies. We talk with Nate Chin & Sterling Johnson about LATE (mimics Alzheimer’s), biomarkers, mixed dementia's, and more! #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp413 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Can videos and communication training improve Advance Care Planning? We break down recent trials combining patient video aids with clinician training to drive goal-concordant care. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp412 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Snake Oil or Breakthrough? Longevity experts Dr. Mahtab Jafari & Dr. John Newman break down what actually works to extend healthspan & lifespan, from lifestyle habits to drugs in the pipeline. #medsky 👉 bit.ly/GeriPalEp411 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Can hepatologists deliver palliative care effectively? We dive into a new JAMA study showing both models significantly improve quality of life for end-stage liver disease patients. #medsky 👉 bit.ly/GeriPalEp410 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
NIH Shakeup! We dive into a proposed OMB rule change that could allow political appointees to overrule scientific peer review, ban critical health disparity research, and censor funded scientists. #medsky 👉 bit.ly/GeriPalEp409 😀 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
When should doctors say "no" to treatments that won't help? We talk to Jason Batten, Liz Dzeng & Teva Brender about the real-world, unwritten "workarounds" clinicians use when standard ICU guidelines fail. #medsky 👉 bit.ly/GeriPalEp408 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
How do we move from recognizing #ElderMistreatment to building actual solutions? We dive into #caregiver strain, clinical "spidey senses," hospital protection teams, and collaborating with APS. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp407 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
What happens when healthcare experts become the patients? Today we dive into elder care transitions, structural flaws in assisted living, and the rising impact of private equity on vulnerable populations. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp406 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
What even is a #geriatrician? Today we bring together four geriatrics legends to wrestle with geriatric identity, what they'd change, and why the field must stop lamenting shortages to dream big. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp405 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
What is it like to prescribe Medical Aid in Dying? Drs. Carly Zapata & Dani Chammas open up about moral ambivalence, clinician grief, and the ethical "gray zones" of MAID. No easy answers — just honest ones. #medsky Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp404 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Today we break down the Organ Donation Conversation — what clinicians often get wrong, why it's governed by gift law (not healthcare law), and why donor families often say "donation saved us." #medsky #OrganDonor Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp403 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Basal Cell is the No. 1 cancer in the US. But for Older Adults, watchful waiting may be the right call. We dive into Geriatric Dermatology (GeriDerm) + itching, moisturizers, and more. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp402 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Live from São Paulo: Brazilian geriatricians join GeriPal to discuss intrinsic capacity, loneliness as a medical syndrome, and advance care planning. Guests Eduardo Ferriolli, Marlon Aliberti, & Edison Vidal. 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp401 😀 Hosts: Drs. Alex Smith and Eric Widera
GeriPal celebrates 400 episodes! Hosts @ewidera.bsky.social & @alexsmithmd.bsky.social do a Hot Ones–style AMA 🌶️: AI in medicine, changing clinical practice, joy in geriatrics, Advance Care Planning, and what they'd do differently after 10 years, + more. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp400
Rural Palliative Care isn't urban care in a smaller town. It's "MacGyver medicine" — champions cobbling care together with what exists. We dig into equity, telehealth, AI, and dying close to home. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp399 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Researchers from UCLA and UCSF join GeriPal to discuss a Pragmatic Trial using EHR nudges and navigators to increase #AdvanceCarePlanning. Guest Anne Walling, Neil Wenger, & Rebecca Sudore. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp398 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
CMS is rolling out a new Age-Friendly Hospital Measure to improve care for older adults. We discuss the 4Ms and how this aims to move hospitals from disease-centric care to person-centered care. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp397 😀 Hosts @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
We discuss guest Athanase Benetos's study that found no difference in mortality between deprescribing antihypertensives and usual care in frail nursing home residents. We also interview Mike Steinman. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp396 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Is Alzheimer's a clinical symptom or just a biomarker? We’re diving into the "A-words"— #amyloid, antibodies, and #Alzheimers — with three top experts - Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, & Heather Whitson. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp395 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
We dive deep into Leadership, Quality, & the Future of Hospice & Palliative Care with TCNtalks' Chris Comeaux & Cordt Kassner. - leadership challenges, mission vs money, fraud, research funding + more! #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp394 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
We discuss the challenges of Deprescribing at the End of Life, from the "easy" calls (statins) to the hard ones (anticoagulants), and how to align meds with a patient's true goals. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp393 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Should hospitals allow Unilateral DNR orders? We dive into this and the silent practice of assent DNRs, ethics, the legal "wild west" of state statutes, and bias in end-of-life care. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp392 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
We discuss how Embedding Care (PTs, pharmacists, & social services) directly in the ED can reduce repeat fall-related visits by 66% and connect vulnerable seniors with life-saving community resources. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp391 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Great discussion with Dr. Bob Wachter about his new book on AI and Healthcare, "A Giant Leap." We discuss using AI for diagnosis, job loss concerns, risks of direct-to-patient chatbots, ethics + more! #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp390 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Surprise: Routine perioperative #PalliativeCare may NOT improve outcomes for curative-intent cancer surgery. Lead authors of the SCOPE & PERIOP-PC trials join us to discuss these null results. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp389 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Is the future of #PalliativeCare moving into the community? 🏡 We dive into #ValueBasedCare, the risks of "Palliative Lite," and how innovation is expanding access for patients with #SeriousIllness. 🩺 #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp388 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social l
Today we explore Uncertainty in Medicine, and the need to rethink & embrace uncertainty to better manage complexities of medicine & build confidence in the face of the unknown. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp387 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
Why we need quality improvement (QI) collaboratives, registries, and benchmarking, and the immense potential this has to enhance #PalliativeCare. Guests Steve Pantilat, David Currow, and Arif Kamal. #medsky 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp386 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social
To what extent is it our job as consultants to manage or attend to clinician distress? What happens when that clinician distress leads to conflict? #medsky Guests Sara Johnson, Yael Schenker, & Anne Kelly. 👉 Post: bit.ly/GeriPalEp385 😀 Hosts: @alexsmithmd.bsky.social | @ewidera.bsky.social