Healthcare Quality

Who’s Really a Patient? Skewed Opinions Result from Inside Information

That seems like a fairly simple question, don’t you think?  Who really is a patient? But the answer is actually more complex than you might realize. Among the possibilities: 1.  anyone who has ever accessed medical care is a patient – which includes everyone, no matter what their relationship is to the healthcare system (so, […]

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Why Rob a Bank When You Can Make More Money by Counterfeiting Drugs?

Want to make millions of dollars quickly while risking only a few months in prison if (and that’s a big IF) you’re caught?  It’s not difficult at all. Just set yourself up as a distributor of counterfeit drugs in the United States. This week’s announcement by the FDA that a counterfeit version of Avastin, a

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Check Out Those Health Charities Before You Donate

This column first appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard December 6, 2011 It’s that time of year again.  The holidays, of course. But also the end of the tax year, when charities, including groups like cancer societies or hospital foundations, are pleading for donations. Each year in December my husband and I make contributions to

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Healthy Travel Tips for the Holidays

This column first appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard November 22, 2011 ……………………………….. You may be among the millions of Americans who will travel during the upcoming holidays. Travel takes you out of your normal environment and disturbs your routine. If you have health issues, like a chronic disease, an injury, or even a short-term

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A Dose of Reality – Today’s Doctor Appointment

Please note that this column first appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard October 11, 2011 ……………………………….. In the “old” days, we could phone for a primary care doctor’s appointment in the morning, be seen right away, spend enough time with the doctor, leave with a treatment plan, and usually feel better within a day or

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Choosing a Safer Hospital

Please note that this column first appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard on September 27, 2011 ……………………………….. In my last column I shared an open letter to our local hospitals which resulted from my review of their most recent “report cards.”  These report cards score hospitals on their quality of service and safety records. Despite

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An Open Letter to Hospitals

Please note that this column appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard on September 13, 2011.  It addresses the recently issued New York State Hospital Report Card.  You don’t need to be a resident of Central New York, or even New York State to gain benefit from this column.  Resources for you are found below. ………………………….

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Don’t Let Your Medical Test Results Fall Through the Cracks

(as published in the Syracuse Post Standard August 30, 2011) A few years ago, I changed primary care doctors. The one I left had good credentials. Over the span of a few years and several visits, she had seemed competent and was friendly. But on my final visit, there had been a change that caused

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Trisha Torrey
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