The premise of the book When Doctors Don’t Listen is that increasingly doctors are adhering to algorithms and protocols, known as “cookbook medicine”. In the process, doctors are not listening to patients. Instead, doctors are hearing what they want to hear, ignoring the patient’s story, which results in medical evaluations and treatments which are erroneous. The consequence can be delay in care, unnecessary tests and worry, and at times the path taken is so far astray that patients need to fend for themselves. In one anecdote, a patient flees the emergency room after being evaluated for a headache after a hangover and discovers that her treatment is on the pathway to be evaluated for a possible life-threatening (and highly improbable) subarachnoid hemorrhage which includes an invasive lumbar puncture. Too far fetched? Do these problems affect a no name hospital? No. What makes the patient stories most interesting is where they […] Read More »
Tag Archive for patient education
Book Review – When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests
Posted on February 5, 2013
How Patients Can Save Money On Medical and Health Care Costs
Posted on December 3, 2012
With the new year looming, it is increasingly becoming the year of the Thrifty Patient. People are paying for more medical care and are more responsible for the costs of getting that care via higher deductibles and co-pays. Patients don’t have a choice but to be involved in their care. Though the recent 2008 recession saw a decrease in overall medical and health care utilization as a sign of better informed patients, I believe that was simply because people deferred needed care in order to keep their jobs. With the economy getting better, more people will begin to seek care again. The question is how can they save money on medical and health care costs? Here are a few tips, of which many are covered in my book – The Thrifty Patient: Vital Insider Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy. Use Dr. Google and the internet thoughtfully. The first […] Read More »
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