The Thrifty Patient – Book Review / Testimonials

I’m humbled and privileged to review high praise and testimonials for my book –The Thrifty Patient: Vital Insider Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy
from those working hard to make health care more accessible, higher quality, and more affordable.

In an ideal world, our health care system would be incredibly simple to access, extremely convenient, and intensely personal. It would allow patients to focus on staying healthy and healing and getting the right preventive care and treatment the first time and every time. It would not have them worrying about medical errors, wrong site surgeries, unnecessary surgeries / procedures / treatments, their own (patient) safety among other things.

We are not there yet.

Nevertheless, those who have provided the testimonials are also making our future system that much better though their work, actions, and words.

As we all build to fixing our health care system completely, books like The Thrifty Patient are your handbook and guide helping you navigate our confusing and often scary world of health care. Don’t just take it from me. Hear from others who are working to fix health care.

 

“I recommend to all my patients to read The Thrifty Patient. It’s an essential guide to better and more effective health.”

• Leana Wen, MD, Emergency Physician, Patient Advocate and Author When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests
  . Health policy professor and Director of Patient-Centered Care Research at the George Washington University. She can also be reached on Twitter @drleanawen.

 

“One of the best doctor-bloggers out there, Davis Liu, created a book that in very practical terms helps patients understand why it is important they ask questions and that it is ok. It is one of the most important messages we need both health and those with illnesses to hear if we are to get better care.”

• Evan Falchuk, Vice Chairman Best Doctors. 2014 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Candidate – United Independent Party.

 

“As a regular contributor to KevinMD, Davis Liu always has commentary worth reading. The Thrifty Patient is one of those works.”

• Kevin Pho, MD. Founder of KevinMD.com, Social Media’s leading physician voice, USA Today, NY Times commentator, and Author of Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices
  . Follow him on Twitter @KevinMD.

 

“Simple and actionable common sense advice from a committed medical insider. Well worth the read.”

• Neel Shah, MD. Founder and Executive Director of Costs of Care, an independent nonprofit that uses advocacy, education, and technology to help caregivers deflate medical bills. Harvard Medical School faculty member at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Ariadne Labs for Health Systems Innovation.

 

Concise Tips For Staying Healthy on a Budget
“This concise follow-up to Dr. Liu’s critically reviewed first book (Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely) draws on his decade of clinical experience as a family physician at the Permanente Medical Group in California; interactions with leading physicians on social media (Full disclosure: I’m one of them); and a clear-eyed understanding of the evidence on what it takes to prevent chronic illness and keep patients healthy. The most valuable part of this book is the chapter “The Mistakes Healthy Patients Often Make,” which reviews high-quality screening guidelines for adults and punctures myths about commonly used but often harmful screenings such as cardiovascular stress tests and ovarian cancer tests in asymptomatic patients. There are also great chapters devoted to how to “make every doctor visit count” and describing the various physicians and other medical team members that a patient might encounter. Although Dr. Liu’s book is written for patients, it’s also worthwhile reading for health professionals who want to improve the quality of care they provide.”

• Kenny Lin, MD, board-certified Family Physician practicing in the Washington, DC area. Associate Editor of the journal American Family Physician. Dr. Lin teaches family and preventive medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Follow him on Twitter @kennylinafp.

 

A Great Practical Guide For Avoiding Too Much Healthcare

“Dr. Liu offers tips for selecting a doctor, questioning the necessity of tests and procedures, choosing less expensive treatments, getting a second opinion, and learning to get the most out of a short doctor visit. He explains why annual check ups may not be necessary, and lists all the preventive health screening tests you’ll need (according to age) to maximize your chance of avoiding many major diseases or their expensive outcomes.

According to Liu, an excellent primary care physician (PCP) can be the best ally in avoiding unnecessary medical costs. Without a PCP’s guidance, 60% of patients select the wrong specialist for their symptoms or concerns. This can trigger a costly cascade of extra testing and referrals. Liu recommends trustworthy websites that can aid in disease management and patient education – suggesting that “Dr. Google” may not be so bad after all, armed with a correct diagnosis from a healthcare professional and links to credible sources of information.

Being thrifty isn’t necessarily “sexy” – but practical tips for avoiding unnecessary and expensive interactions with the healthcare system could add up to some pretty amazing savings (both financially and emotionally). Anyone who takes Dr. Liu’s advice to heart is likely to live longer and better – I just hope that the people who could benefit most from these tips find their way to this book.”

• Val Jones, MD.  CEO of Better Health, LLC, a medical blogger network and education company. Dr. Jones volunteered as a rehabilitation medicine physician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and is a practice partner at DocTalker Family Medicine in Vienna, Virginia. She is a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Jones has been quoted by various major media outlets, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the LA Times. She has been a guest on over 20 different radio shows, and has been featured on CBS and ABC News.

Don’t delay. Be prepared. The life of you or a loved one could depend on it.

Learn more from The Thrifty Patient – Vital Insider Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy.