Alex Smith, Eric Widera
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A geriatrics and palliative medicine podcast for every health care professional. Two UCSF doctors, Eric Widera and Alex Smith, invite the brightest minds in geriatrics, hospice, and palliative care to talk about the topics that you care most about, ranging from recently published research in the field to controversies that keep us up at night. You'll laugh, learn, and maybe sing along. CME and MOC credit available (AMA PRA Category 1 credits) at www.geripal.org
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
GeriPal turns aging, serious illness, and care-system tradeoffs into grounded conversations for clinically curious Health & Fitness listeners.
GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Podcast lives in the clinical corner of Health & Fitness, where aging, serious illness, and bedside decisions are treated as real work.
You want bedside medicine that says the uncertainty part out loud.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical look at how antihypertensive medicines can be stepped down, with room to restart them if needed.
This episode follows a randomized study of antihypertensive deprescribing, with attention to when those medications can be stepped down, how the stopping order was set, and how treatment could be brought back if needed.
A practical look at where AI can help medicine, and where cost still decides how human care is delivered.
Bob Wachter makes a practical case for using AI in healthcare when it can do the work at lower cost, while leaving more complicated judgment to people. The episode keeps coming back to familiar comparisons: financial services, travel agents, TurboTax, and concierge medicine.
A clear-eyed look at how clinicians name doubt in the moment.
GeriPal makes uncertainty in medicine feel less like a slogan and more like a real bedside problem. Eric Widera and Alex Smith keep pressing on the questions that matter: what clinicians notice, how they separate a vague worry from a real red flag, and when saying "I'm worried"…
A grounded look at how rehab, hospice, and SNF transitions can collide for an older patient cycling between settings.
The episode stays with an older patient moving between the hospital and the SNF, where rehab, readmissions, hospice, and the limits of the available benefits keep colliding. It feels most grounded when Mr.
A grounded clinical tour of how inflammation may shape aging and recovery.
Inflammation is treated here as both a biological puzzle and a bedside concern, with three clinician-scientists in rheumatology, neurology, and pulmonary critical care weighing what inflammaging could mean for aging, critical illness, and neurology.
A sharp bedside conversation about bias, care, and the stories clinicians bring into the room.
This episode uses The Chaplain and the Doctor to get at the messier parts of hospital care: bias, trust, identity, and the moments when a clinician thinks they are helping.
A clear look at how palliative care fits sickle cell disease beyond pain alone.
The episode treats sickle cell disease as more than a pain problem. It moves through goals of care, gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, nephropathy, and dialysis decisions, while keeping palliative care in view as support for patients facing major treatment choices and…
Peter Attia evaluates longevity science, from CETP inhibitors to protein debates, through evidence.
Morning medical evidence, compressed for practice.
Medical research, translated through patient experience.
The 400th episode of GeriPal features guest hosts and a Hot Ones-style Ask Me Anything with spicy wings.
This episode discusses a New England Journal study on deprescribing antihypertensives in nursing home patients, featuring researchers Atanas Benetos and Mike Steinman.
Bob Wachter discusses his new book on AI in healthcare, explaining why now is the right time for integration, sharing practical tools he uses, and exploring impacts on jobs, trust, and the future of medicine.
Hosts Eric Widera and Alex Smith interview John Ilgen and Gurpreet Dhaliwal about clinical uncertainty in medicine, exploring how medical education often emphasizes certainty over the reality of uncertainty in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
This episode explores the challenges of rehab and death in skilled nursing facilities, focusing on misaligned Medicare incentives that often lead patients into cycles of hospital readmissions.
Experts Brian Andonian, Sara LaHue, and Joe Hippenstiel discuss inflammaging, exploring how chronic inflammation links to aging diseases, acute conditions like TBI and sepsis, and potential interventions like senolytics and lifestyle changes.
Hosts Eric Widera and Alex Smith interview chaplain Betty Clark and doctor Jessica Zitter about their film 'The Chaplain and the Doctor,' exploring themes of implicit bias, racism in healthcare, and the vital role of chaplains in palliative care teams.
This episode explores the integration of palliative care into sickle cell disease management, featuring three palliative care physicians sharing their personal journeys and clinical insights.
This episode features a live recording from a palliative care retreat, with a panel discussion format inspired by the TV show 'Check, Please!' where guests review and discuss their favorite restaurants.
Hosts introduce a special live episode at a palliative care conference where they invite three leaders to discuss favorite research articles in a 'Check, Please!' style format.
This episode discusses perioperative assessment in older adults with expert geriatricians.
A discussion on the concept of a good death with experts in geriatrics and palliative care.
This episode discusses medical billing and coding with expert guests, emphasizing its importance for healthcare professionals.
A panel of experts discuss wellness and resilience in palliative care, with a song request from Christina Aguilera.
Hosts interview authors of the Vital Talk book about navigating communication with seriously ill patients, balancing honesty with empathy and hope.
This episode discusses optimizing nutrition in aging with expert guests including a geriatrician and a dietitian.
This episode discusses three articles on prognostication in geriatrics and palliative care, featuring expert guests and a song request.