January 6th, 2010 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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Have you ever thought you need to find a new doctor? Sometimes patients and doctors need to part their ways. Some doctor-patient relationships are so good that gifts are exchanged. Some are so bad that the doctor dismisses the patient from their clinic.
What about the patient who isn’t happy with the care they are receiving? What about the patient who wants to find a new doctor? Sometimes legitimate reasons exist. Perhaps the patient and doctor do not agree on the recommended therapies. When the patient and doctor do not have the same goals in mind, sometimes it’s best for the patient to find a new doctor that can better work with their needs. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist Blog*
January 6th, 2010 by AlanDappenMD in Primary Care Wednesdays
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About a year ago I made a house call to an elderly widow which has left a lasting impact on me.
Our “trusting relationship” began twelve years earlier while I attended to her dying husband at home. She couldn’t find another doctor to come in to help. Now it was her turn to need help, and like her husband insisted that she stay at home. The woman was being cared for by her middle-aged granddaughter who remained her daily companion.
Both granddaughter and grandmother distrusted the health care industry and had formed many conspiracy theories. They believed in the power of healing through “the Lord” and natural remedies, especially vitamins. I admired their fierce independence while holding my tongue on the magical and, in my opinion, misinformed views of the science of medicine. Both tried, in vain, to convince me that I should use the vitamins and other products they endorsed for my patients. I smiled obligingly, yet made no move to implement these ideas while pondering the paradox and danger of being invited into the “trusting circle” of such divergent world views. Read more »
January 5th, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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More celebrities are giving medical advice these days.
Rahul Parikh explores the phenomenon in a recent piece from Slate, citing Lance Armstrong, Suzanne Somers, and Jenny McCarthy, among others.
But does their celebrity make them an authority in a given medical issue? Unfortunately, too many people think so, as following celebrity medical advice can be dangerous Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
January 5th, 2010 by PhilBaumannRN in Better Health Network, Opinion
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- Image by sirwiseowl via Flickr
Disclosure: I’m fascinated with Technology in general and social software and communities in particular. I’m one of Twitter’s biggest fanboys (here’s proof). I blog and tweet often about these media because I believe it’s important that we understand our relationship with Technology (and for me, Technology is more than just gadgets – for instance: I consider Law, Democracy, Religion and Capitalism technologies – but that’s another post).
I also believe that we need better or more original conversations about the Web and its deepening influences on our lives, our businesses, our sciences and our health care. Social Media pundits (or however they refer to themselves: gurus, evangelists, mavens) for too long have held the dominant voice in these discussions.
One phenomenon which our Web has engendered is the ability for virtually anyone to express their opinions and experiences and perspectives in accordance with their mastery of media. And therein lies a pesky issue: one’s accumulation of social attention for a particular field doesn’t always correlate with their expertise.
Over the last decade, many brilliant contributors have offered important and refreshing perspectives on the promises of the web. But some of these ideas have yet to be vetted and validated by closer scrutiny and scientific inquiry. The truth is not always intuitive. It’s easy, therefore, for appealing ideas to have fundamental flaws. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at phil baumann online*
January 5th, 2010 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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My genius partner, RKM, was lately confronted by a patient seeking pain medication. Due to a very nice system instituted by the state of SC, providers can search for their patients’ prescription histories. Turns out this individual had received multiple narcotic prescriptions from multiple providers all over the state, and had done it using at least three separate addresses.
Ever the resourceful doc, my partner confronted this patient with the following information:
‘Sir, it appears that you have been the victim of identity theft! Fortunately, we were able to discover that someone has used your information to obtain narcotics under false pretense! But rest assured, we have contacted the authorities and we’ll catch the SOB who did this to you!’
He was met, I am told, by wide-eyed, open-mouthed silence.
No prescriptions were dispensed. Though it is entirely possible the patient will be needing a big bottle of Jim Beam for his nerves, and adult diapers for irritable bowel, for the next several weeks.
Bless you, RKM, for the theatrical, perfectly passive-aggressive genius you are!
Edwin
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
