Your Ability to Stop Medical Errors Before They Can Affect You
If you want to avoid being a victim of a medical error, you have to participate. “Some people appear to have these characteristics such that, in the presence of an error, there is a persistent sense that something is not right and it must be pursued until a satisfactory level of assurance is reached. These…
Preventing Illness
Do your family a favor and get the preventative medicine tests that you need. For children, this usually means immunizations and checks for proper growth and recommended intervals. For women, it usually means pap smears and mammograms at certain ages and recommended intervals. For all adults, it means having your blood pressure and cholesterol checked…
Some Doctors are “Bad Apples”
If you find your doctor doing something “just a bit dishonest”, it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. Go elsewhere. Just follow a general policy of keeping your eyes wide open, following your instincts, and not trusting in doctors as if they were gods or infallible.
Procedures and Operations: Studies Show A Lot of Inappropriate Use
If a doctor is pressuring you into a procedure, scaring you into a procedure or discouraging you from getting a second opinion, that is our cue to get out of there. A reputable doctor will always respect your intelligent decision to get another opinion, or to look at the literature or do some Internet searching…
Asthma Treatment
If you or your child is an asthma patient who makes frequent trips to the doctor’s office or emergency room for out-of-control symptoms, then do some Internet researching so that you can understand what classification of asthma you have, and you can know what medications you should be on to keep your asthma in control….
Your Healthcare Plan Can Affect Your Health
Healthcare plans come in about three general types: (1) those where you can see any doctor you want (often called fee-for-service); (2) those where you can see any doctor you want, but the insurance company will pay less if the doctor you pick is “out-of-network” (not in their plan, often called a PPO); and (3)…
You May Not Be Getting The Tests or the Specialty Referral You Need for Your Medical Condition
If you take a look at guidelines for your chronic medical condition like diabetes or heart disease. Some of you may find that you’re not getting all of the lab tests that you need. And some of you may be going to your doctor repeatedly for a condition. And even though you’re not getting any…
Breast Lump Evaluation: the Triple Assessment Protocol
Be aware that breast lumps are treated in a different fashion from doctor to doctor. This inconsistency is very conducive to a patient becoming a victim of a late diagnosis of breast cancer, when there is a much higher rate of dying. Failure to diagnose breast cancer has been the leading or second most common…
Phone Calls to the Doctor When He is in the Office
When you call a doctor’s office to get a question answered by your doctor, make sure that the answer comes from your doctor and is not just the opinion of the nurse. Much of the time, if the nurse just answers the question on the spot, then the answer is suspect. Many doctors allow their…
The Problem with After-Hours Phone Calls to Your Doctor
Although it is very comforting to be able to call your doctor when the office is closed, know that yo uprobably don’t have his full attention. He may be slepeing, drinking or driving and his full attention is not on you like it is when you in the office. You should be very cautious when…