Patient voices

1,315 articles · Since 2005

Articles, page 44

Evidence versus experience based medicine for patients

June 20, 2011Jun 20, 20118

by Dennis Grace The Internet’s been rife, lately, with discussions of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and its alternative, experience-based medicine (which, to avoid conclusion, I’ll call XBM). Look up either phrase on Google if you want more details, but be warned,…

by Dennis Grace

The Internet’s been rife, lately, with discussions of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and its alternative, experience-based medicine (which, to avoid conclusion, I’ll call XBM).

Look up either phrase on Google if you want more details, but be warned, it’s like trying to get a sip from Niagara Falls. Ideally, though, EBM is guided by information generated by studies conducted as rigorous, double-blind, randomized, …

The best diagnostic medical device is right in your own home

George Lundberg, MD

June 20, 2011Jun 20, 201111

What is the year 2011's best diagnostic and therapeutic medical device? Is it the PET scan with special bells and whistles to detect early Alzheimer's? Is it the robotic surgery that reams out the worst prostate cancers remotely? Is it…

What is the year 2011’s best diagnostic and therapeutic medical device?

Is it the PET scan with special bells and whistles to detect early Alzheimer’s?

Is it the robotic surgery that reams out the worst prostate cancers remotely?

Is it the Total Genomic Analysis that predicts what your genetic future holds?

Is it the GI endoscope that checks out your innards from stem to stern?

Is it the latest drug-eluting stent that promises to …

Let’s stop the war between breastfeeding and formula feeding

Yolanda Wong, MD

June 17, 2011Jun 17, 201138

I am all for breastfeeding. Without doubt, breast milk is incredible stuff. And it's free. Who complains about free? Nevertheless, somewhere along the way, the campaign for breastfeeding has spun out of control. The topic has morphed into yet another…

I am all for breastfeeding. Without doubt, breast milk is incredible stuff. And it’s free. Who complains about free?

Nevertheless, somewhere along the way, the campaign for breastfeeding has spun out of control. The topic has morphed into yet another competition in the arena of parenthood. Mothers boast about breastfeeding. Mothers compare how long they nurse. Mothers compare how much milk can be pumped in one sitting. Mothers are made …

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Narrative medicine means more effective healthcare

Jennifer Adaeze Anyaegbunam & Jennifer Sotsky

June 16, 2011Jun 16, 20113

As undergraduate premedical students, we learned about narrative medicine by chance in a New York Times article titled "Learning to Listen." After exploring the research of Dr. Rita Charon, we were both drawn to the new field and what it…

As undergraduate premedical students, we learned about narrative medicine by chance in a New York Times article titled “Learning to Listen.”

After exploring the research of Dr. Rita Charon, we were both drawn to the new field and what it had to offer us as future medical professionals. The Times article explains, “Through literature, [Dr. Charon] learned how stories are built and told, and translated that …

Why children are getting fatter

Dr. Joe Kosterich

June 12, 2011Jun 12, 201132

Children are getting fatter because they are not allowed to run around and play. This comes from parents wanting to wrap kids in cotton wool -- also known as helicopter parenting. There is a new push to get children to…

Children are getting fatter because they are not allowed to run around and play. This comes from parents wanting to wrap kids in cotton wool — also known as helicopter parenting.

There is a new push to get children to walk to school. This is something which previous generations just did but has largely disappeared over the last 25 years. There are many reasons for this but one of them …

Read more…

Why children are getting fatter

Thoughts after your family doctor retires

Jackie Fox

June 10, 2011Jun 10, 20116

My family doctor recently announced he’s retiring from medicine after 37 years, and my husband and I were his patients for more than 18 of those years. We had a lot of one-offs before finding him, but he was worth…

He saved my husband’s mobility. A glass coffee pot separated from its handle and a shard went straight into …

Should doctors be blamed for bad decisions by patients?

Jaan Sidorov, MD

June 9, 2011Jun 9, 20119

The Disease Management Care Blog attended a professional hockey game recently and it must say it was quite the spectacle. While the athleticism on the ice was quite remarkable, the real wonderment involved the hometown fans. Questionable referee calls prompted…

The Disease Management Care Blog attended a professional hockey game recently and it must say it was quite the spectacle.

While the athleticism on the ice was quite remarkable, the real wonderment involved the hometown fans. Questionable referee calls prompted thousands of all ages to chant phrases that the DMCB has not recently read in any medical journals, while the willingness of grown men to display, in stereo fashion, obscene gestures …

The nightmare of medical research in the lay press

Doctor Grumpy, MD

June 8, 2011Jun 8, 20118

The World Health Organization recently announced that cell phones "may possibly" cause cancer. Now, I'm neither a researcher or statistician, and personally think the jury is still out on this one. I'm not going to take sides. But here is…

The World Health Organization recently announced that cell phones “may possibly” cause cancer.

Now, I’m neither a researcher or statistician, and personally think the jury is still out on this one. I’m not going to take sides.

But here is what I am pissed off about. Notice that the story said “may possibly” cause cancer. But the way we think, it somehow becomes “does cause cancer,” and so we panic, and hold …

How Susan G. Komen for the Cure affects other cancer non-profits

Gayle A. Sulik, PhD

June 6, 2011Jun 6, 201111

In response to increased publicity surrounding Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s questionable trademark and marketing activities, the organization published an official statement on its website, titled: “Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Sees Trademark Protection as Responsible Stewardship of…

According to the statement, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has never sued other charities or put other non-profits out of business, and the organization does not have …

Nurses who work in the cardiac catheterization lab

Gina, RN

June 3, 2011Jun 3, 2011

Ready to learn more about nurses who work beyond the bedside? Nurses who work in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab (CCL) play an important role in cardiac care. Amy Sellers, RN blogs at Nursing Influence and graciously agreed to give us…

Amy has worked in the Cath Lab for about 6 months now. She previously worked in cardiovascular intensive …

Work should be about optimizing your productivity and health

Jay Parkinson, MD

June 1, 2011Jun 1, 2011

Do you spend 8 hours in front of a screen at work? Do you then spend your free time watching TV or poking around the internet when you get home? How much time are you spending cooking healthy meals to eat with friends and family? How much time are you doing physical activities that make you happy?

A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology entitled, Screen-Based …

When communication is broken, the quality of care is diminished

Alison McKnight

June 1, 2011Jun 1, 20118

I have been in and out of the doctor’s office ever since I was little, and I have had my share of good and bad experiences during this time. These experiences can shape the expectations of both the physician and…

I have been in and out of the doctor’s office ever since I was little, and I have had my share of good and bad experiences during this time.

These experiences can shape the expectations of both the physician and the patient, in both negative and positive ways. While the perfect relationship between physician and …

Guiding patients through fragmented health care

Jessie Gruman, PhD

May 31, 2011May 31, 20114

"The most important thing I learned was that different doctors know different things: I need to ask my internist different questions than I do my oncologist." This was not some sweet ingénue recounting the early lessons she learned from a…

“The most important thing I learned was that different doctors know different things: I need to ask my internist different questions than I do my oncologist.”

This was not some sweet ingénue recounting the early lessons she learned from a recent encounter with health care. Nope. It was a 62-year-old woman whose husband has been struggling with multiple myeloma for …

Compliance happens when it’s the patient’s treatment plan

WarmSocks

May 29, 2011May 29, 201123

Compliance. I really hate that word! The general impression given throughout the blogosphere is that patients: don’t take their medicine prevaricate A few typical quotes: Comp-LIE-ance: ”There are only 2 settings where compliance actually takes place; controlled substances and patients…

Compliance. I really hate that word! The general impression given throughout the blogosphere is that patients:

don’t take their medicine
prevaricate

A few typical quotes:

Comp-LIE-ance: ”There are only 2 settings where compliance actually takes place; controlled substances and patients with high copays/no free ride.“
On Your Own With Multiple Meds: “Even though people ‘know’ they should take their pills as directed, for the most part, they don’t.“

It drives me crazy to read accusations such …

Benefits of chance meetings with other cancer patients

Steve Wilkins, MPH

May 28, 2011May 28, 2011

My wife had just finished meeting with her medical oncologist for her bi-annual check-up at MD Anderson’s Thoracic Clinic. We were sitting in an area called "the Park" rehashing what her doctor had said when a mother and her daughter…

My wife had just finished meeting with her medical oncologist for her bi-annual check-up at MD Anderson’s Thoracic Clinic.

We were sitting in an area called “the Park” rehashing what her doctor had said when a mother and her daughter sat down at our table. There were lots of empty seats in area but for some reason they decided to sit with us. Call it serendipity. …

How protocols are taking the decisions away from nurses

Sarah Beth Cowherd, RN

May 27, 2011May 27, 20116

If you have been at your nursing job for a while, you’ve probably almost forgotten. Forgotten what it was like to come in to the healthcare system you now work for and realize there are hundreds of new protocols for…

If you have been at your nursing job for a while, you’ve probably almost forgotten.

Forgotten what it was like to come in to the healthcare system you now work for and realize there are hundreds of new protocols for you to learn and adhere by as a nurse. After years of routine, you now go about your day as if you actually have some choice in the way you give …

The patient is a partner in their illness management and health maintenance

Emily Gibson, MD

May 27, 2011May 27, 20118

Sixty five years ago my maternal grandmother, having experiencing months of fatigue, abdominal discomfort and weight loss, underwent exploratory abdominal surgery, the only truly diagnostic tool available at the time. One brief look by the surgeon told him everything he…

One brief look by the surgeon told him everything he needed to know: her liver and omentum were riddled with tumor, clearly advanced, with the primary source unknown and ultimately unimportant. He quickly closed her up and went to speak with …

Poor health literacy linked with unnecessary health complications

Jeffrey I. Kreisberg, PhD

May 26, 2011May 26, 201115

An elderly woman sent home from the hospital develops a life-threatening infection because she doesn’t understand the warning signs listed in the discharge instructions. A man confused by an intake form in a doctor’s office reflexively writes "no" to every…

An elderly woman sent home from the hospital develops a life-threatening infection because she doesn’t understand the warning signs listed in the discharge instructions.

A man confused by an intake form in a doctor’s office reflexively writes “no” to every question because he doesn’t understand what is being asked.

A young mother pours a drug that is supposed to be taken by mouth into her baby’s ear, perforating the eardrum.

And a man in …

Meaningful offline dialogue creates online inspiration

Erin Breedlove

May 26, 2011May 26, 20112

I’m all for the values of social media, as evidenced by my frequent use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn. Recently, I realized again the value of a telephone conversation. I was on the phone with someone who I consider…

I’m all for the values of social media, as evidenced by my frequent use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn.

Recently, I realized again the value of a telephone conversation. I was on the phone with someone who I consider a mentor, someone who has fiercely guided me through my journey into social media without knowing the power of what was being done. It was the best 20 minutes of …

How denying patient requests may not impact patient satisfaction

Steve Wilkins, MPH

May 24, 2011May 24, 201112

Does physician denial of patient requests result in decreased patient satisfaction? The short answer: No. At least not in the context of a strong physician-patient relationship. Many physicians have legitimate concerns about the prospects of having their salary or level…

Does physician denial of patient requests result in decreased patient satisfaction?

The short answer: No.

At least not in the context of a strong physician-patient relationship.

Many physicians have legitimate concerns about the prospects of having their salary or level reimbursement linked to patient satisfaction. I would too given the way most health …