The use of hallucinogens such as 'ecstasy' or mushrooms to address psychological disorders tends to be met with opposition and an automatic association with the drug culture of the 1960s. But scientists from around the world will gather this week in San Jose, Calif., for the largest conference on psychedelic drugs to be held in the U.S. in four decades. They will discuss whether these drugs can help patients suffering from depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and other psychological problems.

More than 4,300 human genes have been patented by private companies or academics. But yesterday, a Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that Myriad, a biopharmaceutical company, could no longer hold the patent on several genes, including two that are closely associated with breast and ovarian cancer. The ruling has reignited an ethical debate over whether a gene - something that exists naturally and in every human - can become intellectual property. 

 

A few decades before doctors understood basic germ theory, a curious process played out in 19th-century Austria. At the time, doctors were trying to find the cause of a deadly fever striking many mothers and newborn infants in the delivery room. Among the possible causes they considered were tight corsets and women upset by the presence of men in the room. The actual cause was eventually uncovered by the relentless and data-driven work of Ignaz Semmelweis, a doctor whose work ulimately saved uncountable lives.

Dr. Semmelweis' line of reasoning is now highlighted by Stephen Dubner, co-author of the "Freakonomics" book and blog. The new book, "SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance," comes out next month.

One of the most expensive health-care markets in the country is Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in McAllen, Texas. Eighty-two percent of the hospital is owned by doctors who also practice there. That same hospital is one of the largest sources of campaign contributions to Senate Democrats. Is this a conflict of interest or just good business practice? The Takeaway talks to Kevin Sack, a National Correspondent for The New York Times who is covering the story.

For more, read Kevin Sack's article Texas Hospital Flexing Muscle in Health Fight, about what the hospital hopes to influence with it's large campaign contributions.

President Obama put healthcare front and center yesterday in a talk to doctors. Last year, the U.S. spent $2.4 trillion on healthcare. Some doctors are trying to shrink costs while boosting the quality of care in a method called "micropractices." Joining The Takeaway to talk about this trend is John Wasson. He is a geriatrician and a Professor of Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. Also joining the discussion is Dr. Moitri Savard, a Family Physician who runs a micropractice in Queens, New York.

With the healthcare reform debate heating up on Capitol Hill, many politicians and doctors are jumping in to have their say. But what if you're both a doctor and a representative? Joining The Takeaway to discuss his vision for better health care is Congressman Steven Kagen, a Democrat representing Wisconsin and a former practicing physician. In an effort to underscore how broken the U.S. health care system is, Kagen has refused to be insured until there is affordable health care for all.

Today President Obama is in Chicago to pitch his healthcare reform agenda to the American Medical Association. But the AMA represents only one-fourth of all physicians. Joining The Takeaway to explain the relationship Obama is hoping to forge with the medical community is Dr. Steffie Woolhandler. She talks about the different constituencies of doctors and how Obama is including or leaving out the voices of those outside the AMA.

Dr. Woolhander is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard and Co-Director of the Harvard Medical School General Internal Medicine Fellowship program. She is also a co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.

In last week's public address, President Obama addressed the need for healthcare reform. Watch that video below.

Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who performed abortions for decades, was murdered on Sunday in Wichita, Kansas, while he attended mass at his local church. Tiller was accused by anti-abortion critics of infanticide and had been shot in both arms in 1993 by an anti-abortion zealot. The Takeaway is joined by New York Times Reporter Monica Davey who has been reporting on the murder, and Eleanor Bader, co-author of the book “Targets of Hatred: Anti-Abortion Terrorism,” for a look at the history of violence at abortion clinics.

For more information on Tiller's death and to see local reactions, watch the video below.

In the U.S. 8,000 African American babies die in their first year of life. Wisconsin tops that list with the highest infant mortality rate for African Americans, particularly in Racine County. State groups are stepping in to try to change that tragic statistic. Joining The Takeaway are Dr. Philip Farrell, Pediatrician and Former Dean of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Dr. Tina Mason, OB/GYN and Program Director at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee.

Yesterday, the Obama administration built momentum for an ambitious plan aimed at reducing the rising cost of health care. The administration announced $2 trillion in voluntary cost reductions over ten years by hospitals, doctors, drug makers, and insurance companies. But will this volunteer plan work? Or will the Obama administration need to regulate the industry with a firmer hand? And where do you, the private citizen, come in when it comes to taking care of yourself and your healthcare? Joining the conversation is Henry J. Aaron, who served as the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare during the Carter administration. He is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Also on The Takeaway is Dean Karlan. He's a behavioral economist at Yale and a co-founder of StickK.com, a site that helps you reach personal goals, like being healthier, by giving yourself an incentive. He's here to help explain how change, especially in health care, can actually trickle up from individuals to the national level.

A new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross reveals the unsavory fact that medical personnel were deeply involved in the abusive interrogations of terror suspects held overseas by the CIA in so-called Black Sites. These medical personnel witnessed waterboarding, slamming of prisoners into walls, hanging shackled prisoners from the ceiling, among other tortures. While unfortunately the reports of torture are not new, this report from the ICRC digs deep into the medical ethics of the workers involved. New York Times reporter Scott Shane has been following this story and he and Gregg Bloche, visiting law professor at the University of Chicago join The Takeaway to discuss these findings.

For more, read Scott Shane's article, Report Outlines Medical Workers’ Role in Torture in today's New York Times.