Thursday, March 11, 2010

"The Doctors" Features JDRF's Artificial Pancreas

As some of you may know, the syndicated television show "The Doctors" features four practitioners with four different specialties. The show aims to share medical knowledge and by utilizing the hosts' collective hands-on experience to help educate TV viewers and also provide some valuable resources.

The daytime television show's primary host is an E.R. physician named Dr. Travis Stork, who is at least partially responsible for the show's ratings success among daytime viewers, who are disproportionately comprised of stay-at-home housewives.


Ladies' Home Journal magazine referred to Dr. Stork as the "hunky host" of the show and he's regularly featured wearing hospital scrubs in spite of the fact that he's in a television studio, nowhere near an emergency room. Dr. Stork's presence on the show no mere accident; TV viewers may remember Travis Stork as the star of the ABC reality show "The Bachelor" back in 2006. Dr. Stork doesn't do the show completely by himself, the show also features obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Lisa Masterson; plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgery expert Dr. Andrew Ordon; and pediatrician Dr. James Sears.

Maybe it's just me, but I cannot help but recall the FX cable television show "Nip/Tuck" when both of the lead characters pack up and move their entire plastic surgery practice from Miami Beach to Los Angeles, as if that happens all the time. Upon settling in L.A., one of the show's lead characters, Dr. Sean McNamara (played by Dylan Walsh) ends up getting his own reality TV series. Whenever I have watched "The Doctors", with hosts that look like soap opera stars, Nip/Tuck always comes to mind, which sort of diminishes its credibility (at least a little) from my perspective. Then again, I'm not exactly the show's target demographic.

In any event, today's (March 11, 2010) episode of "The Doctor's" is entitled "Futuristic Medicine that Can Change Your Life" which, according to the show's website explores "bionic limbs, robots and advanced biotechnology ... the fantastical designs of science fiction are fast becoming a life-saving reality. See a robotic breakthrough for the treatment of autism. Defy gravity with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for pets [using NASA technology]!" The promotional clip (for the moment) can be viewed here:



One particular segment of this episode features the Artificial Pancreas project. JDRF's Aaron Kowalski is featured and interviewed (remotely) and talks about the effort, how it would work and how it could potentially impact the lives of people with type 1 diabetes. Of note: the show does caution viewers that the artificial pancreas is still in development.

I've downloaded the segment clips for future reference (and viewing) and feature that segment below, but you can also visit the show's website here or the actual clip from the show here. At the show's website, you can find links to the episode's summary, order a copy of the show's transcript, as well find links to the episode's summary, visit the message board and more.

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