Some misc pieces for a chilly Tuesday morning in the Northeast (at least we don’t have a hurricane coming through!)…. I heard from Bob, a reader who alerted us all to a scam-of-sorts — meant to increase revenue for the doctor while draining a patient’s pocket for no apparent reason…. it’s unclear from his email […]
More Trust Violations Read More »
Several contacts and occurrences of late have reminded me of how trust without verification can get us into medical trouble. My first BIG reminder — more like a wake-up call — comes from my invitation to those on my email list to join me at the Pharmaceutical Marketing Conference in Philadelphia in September. I asked
Trust Can Get You into Medical Trouble Read More »
. . . Patient: Doctor, after my hand operation, will I be able to play the piano? Doctor: Of course you will! Your hand will be as good as new. Patient: That’s great! Because I’ve never been able to play the piano before! . . . One person I hear from regularly is Tom, who
We (Sorta) Control Our Own Happy Endings Read More »
The sad news keeps coming today… As if in response to my post from earlier this week questioning whether we have the best healthcare in the world… Today’s article from MSNBC about an insured, good credit rating woman who has gone bankrupt because her insurance didn’t cover her costs of treatment for ovarian cancer. Such
Insured Patients Go Bankrupt Read More »
Fabulous article for patients today! From one of my empowered patient gurus, Dr. Jerome Groopman, and CNN. Read it and act if necessary! http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/16/ep.fire.your.doc/index.html ……………… Want more tools and commentary for sharp patients? Sign up for Every Patient’s Advocate once-a-week or so email tips Or link here to empower yourself at EveryPatientsAdvocate.com ………………
Groopman, CNN: Fire Your Doctor Read More »
Two incidents in the past two days will make your hair stand on end. Both regard medical errors, and both involve the fear of making them public because of possible retaliation. A newspaper health reporter contacted me. He’s writing a story about MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections and asked if I knew of anyone he
Medical Retaliation – A Fact of Life Read More »
I’m not sure whether to stand up and applaud — or to begin worrying even more about patients who are hospitalized…. This report just in from Consumers Union, the not-for-profit organization that runs www.stophospitalinfections.org … here is their press release, too…. Beginning in October 2008, Medicare (CMS: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services) will no
Medicare Twists Hospital Safety Arms Read More »
Two pieces of information have caught my eye in the past 24 hours. The AP released a report, based on CDC (Centers for Disease Control) statistics, saying that the US is now ranked 42nd in the world in life expectency. In other words, the citizens of 41 other countries live longer than Americans do. The
The Best Health Care in the World? Read More »
