This New York Times letter to the editor caught my eye… Second opinions are so very necessary in a case of a difficult diagnosis, or when treatment will be needed for chronic recurrences of a disease, or in particular when a patient needs surgery. Patients are way too often intimidated at the thought of telling […]
Three Cheers – Cardiology and Second Opinions Read More »
The subtitle reads, “Good physicians know the bad ones in their midst. Why don’t they point fingers?” Good question, don’t you think? The article, entitled Doctors Who Do Harm, tells about doctors who maim and kill — as their colleagues stand by, watch, and don’t tell a soul. Why? According to Arthur Levin, of the
Reader’s Digest “Outrageous” Tells Michael Skolnik’s Story Read More »
Sherri Silesky has been blogging for over a year on topics pertaining to her chronic illnesses and her ability to advocate for herself. She is the first guest to post on this blog. Take a look at what Sherri has to say about learning to step up to the plate when you least feel like
Guest Post — Learning from the Constant Patient Read More »
If you have one of those quick drop-in clinics down the street from you, ready for you to arrive with your sore throat, aching head, feverish child or whatever your malady-du-jour is, then you’ll want to take note of this quite excellent description of their pros and cons, brought to you by Bottom Line Health.
Quick Medical Clinics — Pros, Cons, Food for Thought Read More »
I’ve told you before about one of my patient advocacy colleagues, Kim Witzcak. Kim’s husband, Woody, a vibrant, successful, energetic young man, committed suicide after being prescribed a drug to help him sleep. Since figuring out the basis for Woody’s complete change of personality — Zoloft — Kim has since campaigned to make the world
Disapprove of Drug Ads? Suffered Adverse Events? Do Something About Them! Read More »
The FDA came out with a report on the negatives of botox injections… It’s like deja vu, isn’t it? Where is common sense? Read this post at About.com, Patient Empowerment.
Smoking and Botox — Wishful Thinking and Common Sense Read More »
Perhaps the most basic of patient empowerment skills is the ability of patients to ask questions of their doctors. The AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) recognizes that an informed patient will be a healthier patient — and has put together a video they plan to run (and already have in some places) on
Do You Ask Your Doctor Questions? Read More »
Regular readers of this blog know that I encourage patients to step up when they notice that a healthcare worker is getting ready to touch them and has not washed his/her hands. Why? To protect oneself from MRSA and other possible deadly superbug infections, that’s why! It could mean the difference between life and death,
Making Handwashing Part of the Routine Read More »
