SECOND OPINION returns for its fourth season on PBS.
Host Dr. Peter Salgo helps viewers improve their health literacy.
Rochester, N.Y., August 15, 2007—A recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that older adults who cannot read and understand basic health information have higher mortality rates over a five-year period than those with adequate health literacy. The study, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, concluded that widespread improvements in health and health care communication will likely be necessary to reduce mortality.
PBS will provide Americans with their annual booster shot of health literacy when the fourth season of SECOND OPINION launches the week of October 1 on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).
Emmy Award-winning veteran host Dr. Peter Salgo returns to incite some of the most open and honest medical conversations found on television today. In each episode of SECOND OPINION, Dr. Salgo presents an actual medical case to a panel of experts that includes two specialists, a primary care physician, a patient diagnosed with the condition, and an expert in doctor-patient communication. None of the panelists is allowed to review the case file before the cameras roll, keeping the conversation authentic to the countless doctor-patient exchanges occurring across America on a daily basis.
“We present the case a little at a time, just as it would happen in real life. Decisions get made with only the information at hand. Sometimes the panel is right. Occasionally they’re wrong. They’re usually controversial. SECOND OPINION offers viewers the rare opportunity to see how doctors make decisions about patient care, and, it’s great television,” says Dr. Salgo who—in addition to being the show’s host—maintains a full-time practice in Intensive Care Medicine in the Open Heart ICU at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
“Educated patients, the ones who come prepared with questions, the ones who have researched their condition or accessed a support network, are often more engaged with their doctor. As a result, they feel more empowered,” Dr. Salgo continues. “SECOND OPINION is a practical way for patients to improve their overall health literacy. And what we’re seeing now, with this recent study, is proof that there is a link between health literacy and outcomes.”
In this fourth season of SECOND OPINION, Dr. Salgo leads the discussion on a range of topics including tuberculosis, addiction, suicide, migraine, breast cancer recurrence, and more. “Many of these topics have been lead stories in the media this year, “ Dr. Salgo says. “We tackle resistant TB, the politics of breast cancer, the national debate on drug policy, each as it relates to individuals seeking help.” Among of the experts appearing this season include nationally recognized infectious disease specialist Dr. Michael Dee Iseman, Jewish National Medical and Research Center; William Cope Moyers, author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption; Aaron Nelson, Ph.D., Chief of Neuropsychology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Bobbie Gostout, M.D., Gynecologic Oncologist Mayo Clinic; and Gail Rosseau, M.D.,Chief of Surgery, Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuro Research.
In addition to the weekly broadcast,SECOND OPINION engages and entertains viewers online through a comprehensive Web site at pbs.org/secondopinion. New this season will be a series of companion webisodes and video podcasts called SECOND OPINION “STAT!” Viewers can continue the healthcare conversation in an interactive group online at Gather.com (secondopinion.gather.com) where experts appearing on the program will publish
articles and patients with a similar diagnosis or condition can connect with one another.
National underwriting for SECOND OPINION is provided by The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), representing the 39 independent, locally owned and operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for more than 99 million—nearly one-in-three—Americans.
Scott P. Serota, BCBSA’s president and CEO, says SECOND OPINION provides its audience with understandable, useable healthcare information, which fits well with Blue Cross and Blue Shield System’s vision for a better, knowledge-based healthcare system.
“Second Opinion brings real life healthcare scenarios to its viewers, and that is important in helping give people current information on preventive care and various treatment options,” says Serota. “Having more knowledge about their general health or diagnosis helps patients make more informed healthcare decisions – and that will ultimately help them live healthier lives.”
For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.
SECOND OPINION is produced by WXXI Public Broadcasting, West 175 Productions and the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). The series is endorsed by both the American Hospital Association and the Association of Academic Health Centers. Dr. Roger Oskvig, an acknowledged leader in Gerontology and Associate Professor of Medicine at URMC, is the series’ principal medical advisor.
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WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. Log on to http://wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for more than 99 million members – nearly one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.bcbs.com.
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