Test Results: No News is NOT Good News
You’ve done your job– you’ve seen the doctor and had your pap smear done, or your lab work done, or your x-ray done, and now you’re waiting for the call to tell you what the results are. Here’s the problem: Many doctors don’t have their practices organized in a way that makes it certain: But…
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…
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…
Your Responsibility as an Outpatient
There are two separate medical scenarios: being an “out-patient” in which you are being treated by a doctor when not in a hospital; and being an “inpatient” in which you are being treated by a doctor while in a hospital. The amount of time your doctor is able to spend with you has not kept…
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…
Your Number One Most Important Asset for Getting Good Medical Care
You need to make and keep a “personal health record”. Because of time constraints, doctors in our medical system frequently treat you without enough information about you, often with devastating results. Here are the real facts about medical care today: Doctors see twenty or more patients daily. Each patient’s medical chart is a pile of…
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…
First Obstacle to Get Past in the Doctor’s Office
Be cautious in a doctor’s office that has the nurse interview you at the beginning of your office visit, and she writes some things down for the doctor before the doctor comes in. Chances are she will not write down everything you tell her, and she may not use your and it’ s own words–…
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)…