When Transparency is Abused

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ProPublica's "Prescriber Checkup" was designed as a watchdog tool of sorts. It's a database that details the prescribing habits of hundreds of thousands of doctors across the country.

ProPublica hoped that journalists could turn to it as a comprehensive source, and in the midst of the opiod epidemic, the news outlet hoped that Americans could operate with care before choosing a doctor who might otherwise dole out painkillers with abandon.

But upon closer inspection of their data, ProPublica has found that the some readers are abusing the tool by searching for doctors who would more willingly prescribe abused drugs.

Stephen Engelberg, the editor-in-chief of ProPublica, made this issue public in a post titled, "An Unintended Side Effect of Transparency." He joins The Takeaway to discuss how his organization found out about this issue, and what's being done now.