Mapping Healthcare is a radio show and podcast where a medic with a map explores ways in which people around the globe make the world of healthcare better and what we can learn from them. The host is a pediatrician, educator, and researcher who leads programs to help people access high-quality healthcare and stay healthy. All past episodes are archived below. Find Mapping Healthcare on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast
14. Building Breast Cancer Awareness in JordanFri, 07/11/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhBreast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women globally, with outcomes that are drastically different based purely on where you happen to live. What's fascinating is how much this challenge isn't just a medical one, but is deeply entangled with social factors, cultural norms, and economics. Salma Jaouni Araj shares how the Jordan Breast Cancer Program implements early detection to reduce deaths from breast cancer and address personal beliefs and family situations that are silent, invisible barriers to screening and treatment. |
13. Caring for Home Care Workers in NigeriaFri, 06/27/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhThere’s no place like home when it comes to comfort, health, and healing. Home care lets people with illnesses or disabilities live where they feel most comfortable. And it's a whole world of care delivered by an essential workforce that is vital to our health systems, but one that often operates in the shadows. Reliance on home care is growing, with a move away from nursing homes towards care in the community. Chika Odioemene tells us about her experience in training and supporting home care workers in Nigeria and how this growing workforce alleviates healthcare worker shortages. |
12. Co-designing Telehealth in Remote Communities on the Tiwi IslandsFri, 06/13/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhPrimary care is the foundation of any health system but it faces massive challenges globally, especially in geographically isolated communities. One solution is telehealth or virtual care, a natural fit for remote areas. Bridging geographic distances makes it easier to connect with clinicians and reduce travel time and costs. Tim Shaw shares how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on Australia’s remote Tiwi Islands bridged this gap using technology and co-designed care with clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to help their community access comprehensive and coordinated primary care. |
11. Decoding Patient Safety Data in DenmarkFri, 05/30/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHow do we understand when things don't go as planned in healthcare and how do we learn from the vast majority of times when things work out just fine? The science of patient safety deals with preventing harm in healthcare settings. We explore the core ideas behind three views – Safety I, II, and III – complementary approaches that tell us when we should find and fix patient safety problems, learn from what went right, and identify and reduce hazards. Carsten Engel tells us about Denmark's national patient safety incident reporting systems, one of the oldest such databases in the world. |
10. The Web of Human, Animal, and Ecosystem Health in RwandaFri, 05/16/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhToday we explore something that connects you, me, 8 billion people, and every living thing on our planet. One Health recognizes that human health, animal health, and the ecosystem are deeply linked. And if one part gets sick or damaged, its effects ripple through the whole system. Michael Wilkes tells us about how he combines medicine, his One Health work in Rwanda, and his career as a journalist. From rabies and bird flu, to superbugs and mountain gorillas, we hear about how One Health isn't just about reacting to crises like pandemics. It's about being better prepared for emerging health challenges. |
9. The Power of the Patient Voice in KentFri, 05/02/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhDespite an increasing focus on person-centered care, patients frequently have little influence in matters that affect them the most. Hear how patient advocates amplify the voice of the patient and how these change agents work at the core of healthcare improvement efforts. Integrating the perspective of people ultimately affected by medical decisions identifies gaps in care that are often missed. Anna Edwards tells us about her journey as a person with a chronic condition and her years of experience in making sure that health systems hear the voice of the patient. |
8. Not-So-Random Acts of Kindness in FlandersFri, 04/18/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhKindness in healthcare, like in other settings, is contagious. It spreads through social networks and can trigger a chain reaction where people feel the need to pay it forward, a phenomenon called prosocial contagion. Initiatives to promote kindness in healthcare improve clinical care and patient outcomes, and reduce stress and burnout among healthcare staff. Kris Vanhaecht tells us about the Mangomoments initiative in Belgium that demonstrated the ripple effects of small unexpected acts of kindness in clinical settings on patients and healthcare workers. |
7. Dialing Down the Heat on Healthcare’s Carbon Footprint in SydneyFri, 04/04/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhIt might seem paradoxical. The very industry dedicated to healing and promoting health is also a significant contributor to the climate crisis. If global health care was a country, it would be the world’s fifth largest carbon emitter. Jeffrey Braithwaite tells us about how health systems, hospitals, and clinicians in Australia are working to reduce their carbon footprint. Hear how making informed choices about tests, treatments, and procedures, and considering their environmental impact alongside their clinical effectiveness and cost is a vital part of this effort. |
6. Building Resilient Health Systems in GhanaFri, 03/21/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhFrom epidemics, hurricanes, earthquakes, to cyberattacks, the ability of a health system to withstand and recover from shocks is crucial. Power dynamics, social pressures, religious beliefs, political structures, and global economies all influence how a health system handles strains. Events like the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2013 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how fragile and interdependent health systems can be. Elom Otchi tells us about how his team in Ghana is working to build resilient health systems to maintain quality healthcare during a crisis. |
5. Reporting and Learning from Medical Adverse Events in JapanFri, 03/07/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHealthcare environments can be intense. A lot happens, sometimes very fast, and the stakes are high. Hospitals use incident reporting systems to identify and track adverse events and high-risk situations. These systems give healthcare facilities critical insights to prevent or reduce risks to patients. But adverse events in healthcare are underreported worldwide. Shin Ushiro tells us about Japan’s journey to building a national medical adverse event reporting and learning system and how to consider cultural, organizational, and political contexts in developing incident reporting systems in healthcare. |
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