The healthcare industry has given rise to many memorable documentaries. Some focus on medical innovation and breakthroughs. Others focus on financial issues surrounding the healthcare industry.
In the case of the following seven documentaries, all released in the last decade and available for streaming online, much of the focus is on the state of healthcare in modern times.
This includes both the incredible stresses some medical professionals operate under, as well as the significant impact illness can have on a person’s life.
Consider the following seven films the next time you are in the mood for a medical documentary.
Code Black
An intense look into C-Booth, the emergency trauma center at Los Angeles County Hospital. The film notes that more people have both died and been saved in the center than any other square footage in the United States. The film follows a group of doctors working in the center and facing the realities of dealing with healthcare treatment in the modern world.
The English Surgeon
Set in a Ukrainian hospital, this compelling documentary follows British doctor Henry Marsh and Ukrainian physician Igor Kurilets. The pair deal with inadequate equipment and various ethical and professional issues. The film contains an emotional wallop, including the saga of a young main suffering from a brain tumor.
Miss Sharon Jones!
A documentary about the performer Jones, diagnosed with stage-three pancreatic cancer in 2013. The movie allows an up close look at dealing with cancer, as well as an unfiltered look at how one person’s illness can impact the lives of so many people. It’s also a life-affirming look at the power of music – and a great opportunity to see Jones’ powerful stage performances.
The Waiting Room
This documentary follows the staff and patients at Highland Hospital, a “safety net” hospital in Oakland, Calif., that serves low-income and often uninsured patients. The documentary focuses on the issues in serving poorer patients, both financial and medical.
Sicko
While now a decade old, filmmaker Michael Moore’s scathing documentary on the difference between the haves and have-nots in healthcare offers an often grim look at certain realities. He also compares healthcare in the United States to other countries.
Forgotten Plague
On one level, Forgotten Plague is an interesting film about the millions of people who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a condition that gets little recognition in many areas of the medical community. On another, it’s about the difficulties in getting that recognition for some medical conditions and the type of research into the condition the filmmakers feel is needed.
These represent some of the best choices for medical documentaries available to stream on Netflix. Give them a watch if you want a deeper understanding of the healthcare industry.
What medical documentaries or TV programs do you like to watch? Let us know in the comments.
