Random Acts of Medicine

Random Acts of Medicine, authored by Bapu Jena and Chris Worsham, delves into the unexpected and often overlooked forces impacting health through a data-driven lens. It examines phenomena like the opioid crisis, AI in healthcare, minority representation in medicine, and the effects of societal and environmental factors on health outcomes.

Healthcare Policy Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Diversity in Healthcare Medical Research Methods Impact of Celebrities on Health Judiciary and Healthcare Decisions Humorous Research in Medicine Sleep and Health Environmental Health Conflict of Interest in Research Pedestrian Safety Sibling Rivalry and Health Doctor-Patient Dynamics AI Ethics in Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Urban Planning and Health Caregiving Challenges Natural Experiments in Health Historical Public Health Interventions Nutrition and Health UFO Sightings and Health

The hottest Substack posts of Random Acts of Medicine

And their main takeaways

Does watching gun sports increase gun sales?

99 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gun Control Legislation Public Policy Social Issues Cultural Trends
  1. Watching gun sports at events like the Olympics might lead some people to try shooting sports, but it doesn't seem to cause a big overall increase in gun sales.
  2. Gun sales usually go up during certain seasons, like hunting seasons or holidays, and they've also spiked after events that cause fear, like elections or mass shootings.
  3. Even if there were an increase in sales due to the Olympics, it would be hard to tell if it was because of the games or other events happening at the same time, like presidential elections.

The unintended consequences of drug busts

753 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
  1. Watch out for unintended consequences when enacting policies to tackle problems like the opioid crisis.
  2. Patients may seek opioids from other sources when abruptly taken off prescribed opioids, leading to potential risks.
  3. Some doctors may be circumventing opioid tracking programs by prescribing opioids to patients' spouses instead of the patients, which can complicate monitoring and safe prescribing.

Are hungry judges and tardy doctors ruining people's lives?

218 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
  1. Hungry judges tend to make more favorable rulings right after food breaks, impacting justice outcomes.
  2. Doctors running behind schedule may be more likely to prescribe opioids, potentially putting patients at risk.
  3. Both studies have evidence supporting assumptions, but it is still uncertain if hungry judges and tardy doctors are the sole causes of the observed effects.

Does AI change the way doctors think?

396 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
  1. AI in medicine can influence doctors' decisions, sometimes for the worse.
  2. Anchoring bias can impact how doctors interpret medical information.
  3. Radiologists' decisions can be influenced by AI interpretations, especially when the AI insights are saved in records.

Advantage, Osaka? Sports, health, and the realities of being the little sister

158 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
  1. Being the younger sibling in sports can have advantages like increased competitiveness and drive.
  2. Research shows that birth order might impact health outcomes, with younger siblings showing higher mortality rates in some cases.
  3. Studies suggest that birth order can influence risk-taking behaviors, career lengths, and specific health disparities across siblings.
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How can treating one patient help another?

277 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
  1. New treatments for Hepatitis C have led to significant benefits for patients and have reduced the need for liver transplants
  2. Treating one patient for a specific condition can have ripple effects and benefit other patients in need of the same treatment
  3. Improving treatment for one disease can free up medical resources and improve outcomes for patients with other health conditions

Let's brainstorm: Why are pedestrian fatalities on the rise?

158 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
  1. Pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. have been increasing since 2009, mainly at night.
  2. Factors contributing to this rise include darkness, age group differences, and location patterns.
  3. Possible explanations for the trend include distractions like smartphones, changes in vehicle design, and substance use.

Is there more to conflict of interest than money?

178 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23
  1. Conflict of interest is not just about money; ideological incentives can also create conflicts of interest in research.
  2. Researchers may be influenced by their ideologies when conducting studies, potentially affecting the questions they ask and the answers they find.
  3. Institutional conflicts of interest may exist in research, but they do not always lead to biased reporting; researchers at the VA were found to be less likely to publish positive studies about VA care.

The value of studying silly stuff

218 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
  1. Light hearted research can uncover answers to unexpected questions.
  2. There is a case against frivolous research due to opportunity costs.
  3. Studying silly things can enhance research creativity and lead to valuable insights.

Who will be tomorrow's doctors?

317 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
  1. Diversity and minority representation in the physician workforce are important for patients and the field of medicine.
  2. Bans on race-based affirmative action programs in public medical schools have led to a decrease in underrepresented minority enrollment.
  3. Efforts to address barriers faced by underrepresented minority students can help ensure diversity in the future physician workforce.

Is religion for more than just the soul?

238 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
  1. Surveys may not always accurately represent religious attendance, but mobile phone data can provide more reliable insights.
  2. Religion can impact health through organizational influence and individual beliefs, but studying these effects is challenging.
  3. Randomized experiments looking at occasions like changes in chaplain availability or Pope events can help understand the real impact of religion on health.

Do celebrities influence our health?

218 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
  1. Celebrities have the power to influence our health behaviors.
  2. Examples like Angelina Jolie, Katie Couric, and Charlie Sheen show how celebrities can impact decisions like genetic testing, colonoscopies, and HIV testing.
  3. Research indicates that celebrity endorsements can lead to real changes in health behaviors and actions.

Random Acts of Medicine

297 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
  1. Random Acts of Medicine is a new newsletter exploring hidden influences on health.
  2. The authors use data creatively to answer questions in medicine and economics.
  3. Their goal is to share intriguing ideas and spark discussions in an approachable way.

Can cleaning the air make it harder to breathe?

178 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
  1. Efforts to fix the ozone layer have been successful, but they have increased costs for asthma patients.
  2. Phasing out harmful chemicals led to more expensive asthma inhalers, affecting accessibility for some patients.
  3. Despite higher inhaler costs, studies show no major increase in asthma-related adverse outcomes, but some patients may have reduced usage due to the price increase.

How do we know a medicine works?

238 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
  1. Randomized trials are the 'gold standard' for testing if a treatment works but are not always possible.
  2. Accidental randomization can provide valuable insights into treatment effectiveness without the need for a formal trial.
  3. Various ways exist to analyze the effects of treatments in the real world beyond traditional randomized trials.

Doctor, your boss is in the exam room

158 implied HN points • 14 Oct 23
  1. Power dynamics in the exam room between doctors and patients can influence the care received
  2. Doctors tend to provide more effort and resources to high-power patients, impacting patient outcomes
  3. Treating all patients with the same level of care as high-power patients may lead to better outcomes and cost savings

Operation "Pop Drop"

119 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
  1. Caregivers often struggle to find substitutes and take breaks while caring for patients at home.
  2. The 'pop drop' phenomenon involves caregivers bringing patients to the hospital for unofficial respite care, raising questions about the reasons behind such actions.
  3. Data analysis on hospital admissions suggests that the impact of 'pop drops' on holiday weekends may not be as significant, but the phenomenon's prevalence and implications require further investigation.

Can cicadas help us measure the effect of lost sleep?

198 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
  1. Real-world events, like daylight savings time, can provide insights into the effects of sleep deprivation outside of a lab setting.
  2. Cicadas emerging in huge numbers every 13 or 17 years can act as a natural experiment to study the impact of sleep disturbances on health.
  3. Studying the correlation between cicada emergences and health issues like transportation accidents, insomnia, and headaches can reveal interesting insights.

England's tea craze: an unexpected boon for public health?

99 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
  1. Tea consumption in England increased over time and played a role in improving public health by providing access to safer water.
  2. The act of boiling water for tea helped kill disease-causing organisms, making it a safer choice than other beverages.
  3. Research suggests that the increased popularity of tea in England correlated with reduced mortality rates, particularly in areas with lower-quality water sources.

How do urban forests impact our health?

138 implied HN points • 29 Sep 23
  1. Urban forestry projects provide various benefits like controlling drainage, improving air quality, and combating extreme heat.
  2. Despite the benefits, planting trees in cities can lead to challenges like needing space, maintenance, and potential allergies from pollen.
  3. Studies show that urban forestry programs can have positive impacts on health, like reducing pollution-related health issues, but there may be tradeoffs like increased exposure to pollen.

Is the "July effect" real?

198 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
  1. Every July, new doctors start at hospitals; they may have some inexperience, but they are closely supervised.
  2. Studies suggest there may be a small 'July effect' on patient care quality, but it's not uniform across all conditions.
  3. Patients should not fear hospitals in July and should communicate openly with doctors about any concerns.

Carbon monoxide poisoning: the deadly indirect effect of severe storms

158 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
  1. Severe storms causing power outages can lead to deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
  2. Carbon monoxide from generators can be deadly as it binds to hemoglobin and prevents oxygen from reaching the body.
  3. Longer power outages increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially for children, highlighting the importance of safe generator use.

Just how stressful is "getting caught"?

178 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
  1. Ashley Madison data breach revealed the identities of users, causing potential stress of getting caught
  2. Psychological stress can be connected to negative health outcomes like heart attacks
  3. Natural experiments can help evaluate if stress causes heart attacks

What Makes A Good AI Doctor?

158 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
  1. AI in medicine should focus on empathy and human connection to gain patient trust.
  2. AI doctors should learn to exhibit human interactions like empathy to be successful.
  3. Good doctors, including AI doctors, listen well, show empathy, and put patients at ease.

Can natural experiments unlock causes of disease?

119 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
  1. Natural experiments can help us understand the underlying mechanisms of disease.
  2. Looking at health data through the right lens can reveal important insights.
  3. Natural experiments remain a powerful tool when randomized trials aren't feasible.

Halloween, peanut allergies, and more

99 implied HN points • 29 Oct 23
  1. Halloween can increase the risk of allergic reactions in kids with nut allergies
  2. Eating too much candy on Halloween can be particularly dangerous for kids with diabetes
  3. Beyond health risks, Halloween can lead to pedestrian injuries and long-term associations with candy

Are UFO sightings impacting our health? 👽

79 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
  1. Recent U.S. government reports and initiatives bring UFO sightings into serious public focus.
  2. A study found no significant health impacts like heart attacks or psychosis linked to UFO sightings.
  3. Emergency department visits for breathing problems were slightly lower on days with UFO sightings.

Release day for Random Acts of Medicine!

99 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
  1. The book 'Random Acts of Medicine' is officially on sale today!
  2. Authors have described the book as entertaining, thought-provoking, and full of surprises.
  3. Readers can engage in discussions and share new ideas about the book on the Substack platform.

Random Acts of Medicine with Emily Oster

19 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
  1. Event held at Harvard Book Store with Emily Oster to discuss book Random Acts of Medicine
  2. Book TV recorded the event for television airing
  3. Available for streaming on C-SPAN website

Even more Random Acts of Medicine

0 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
  1. The importance of better studies in nutrition research
  2. Applying the concept of 'successful failures' to public health during crises
  3. The impact of improved data on gun violence for public health benefits

Our Book: RANDOM ACTS OF MEDICINE

0 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
  1. The book 'Random Acts of Medicine' explores natural experiments in healthcare research.
  2. The book is praised for being smart, entertaining, and thought-provoking by notable authors.
  3. Authors of the book emphasize the profound lessons about learning, life, and health it offers.