How to Find Reputable Websites
Make sure to look for sites that end in .gov or .edu, it means that the government or an educational institution is standing behind that information. Usually when you see .org, this is provided by a non-profit organization. Websites that display ads and get revenue this way can be “specialists” at developing patient-friendly websites and…
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.
Beware of the “it’s-all-in-your-head” diagnosis
In so many cases of misdiagnosed or undiagnosed illness, the patient is tested and examined by the doctor, and when nothing is found that the doctor can diagnose, he tells the patient “it’s all in your head”. Most of the time, it is NOT all in your head. When you hear this diagnosis from a…
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…
Misdiagnosed
If your doctor has made a wrong diagnosis, then obviously your treatment is going to be incorrect, and you’re not going to get better. “There is now abundant evidence that delayed or missed diagnoses are widespread and that in more than 50% of such cases there are serious adverse outcomes.”1 The most common cause of…
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…