Pills for ills
We have a diagnosis and a second opinion for medical drama New Amsterdam.
Medical drama series New Amsterdam (2018- current) was inspired by Dr Eric Manheimer’s 2012 book Twelve Patients: Life & Death At Bellevue Hospital. It was the story of his attempt to reform both processes and patient treatment at the oldest hospital in the United States, Bellevue Hospital Center (founded in 1736). In the show, the character of Dr Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold, Tom Keen in The Blacklist, 2013- current) represents Dr Manheimer. “Eric is invaluable to us,” says Ryan. “He is on set from time to time, and he is a producer on the show as well. He’s always giving the writers ideas in terms of things that he went through, experiences he had, thoughts he had, all these things that come from his experiences with different patients from around the world. He’s also just very thoughtful and articulate about healthcare in the US.” We can all cheer the idea of a medical centre director who puts care first and tries to cut through all the bureaucratic red tape and insurance profiteering that sends medical costs soaring and frustrates doctors, nurses and patients alike.
KILL OR CURE?
But while New Amsterdam is founded in reality, it might have shifted somewhat from its foundations. Doctor Brit Trogen (a paediatrics resident at Bellevue Hospital and NY University Langone in New York) warns that “the fatal error of the show is assuming that other doctors don’t [care about their patients]. Skewed medical dramas such as New Amsterdam can poison how the public views the health- care system and physicians. Working with patients, I’ve come face-to-face with the end result of this distrust, which often manifests as a deep reluctance to accept evidence-based treatments such as vaccines, antibiotics, and needed medications and procedures.”
Dr Trogen adds that the “solutions” proposed by the show are “equally disturbing. Goodwin offers a rare glimpse into his ostrich-like mindset, declaring, ‘The fiscal thing is really not my strong suit. I prefer to talk about the patients.’ The absurdity of this statement, coming from the director of a hospital, confirms that Goodwin lives in a world without consequence or repercussion.”
So perhaps take this medical drama in small doses… and with just the slightest a pinch of salt.