Patient voices

1,315 articles · Since 2005

Articles, page 59

Treating patients in prison for murder

May 26, 2010May 26, 2010

Correctional psychiatrists inevitably treat patients who have been convicted of a broad array of crimes. There is a correlation between the security level of the institutions in which one works and the severity of the crimes of the inmates being…

Since I’ve treated inmates of minimum, medium, and maximum custody levels, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who have been convicted of everything from drug possession to …

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Treating patients in prison for murder

Voluntary simplicity can ease the stress of American life

Aldebra Schroll, MD

May 24, 2010May 24, 201010

Who hasn't heard the story of a friend or acquaintance who retires only to become seriously ill or die soon after? Are we working ourselves to death? For anyone who has ever wondered "is this worth it?" a move is…

Who hasn’t heard the story of a friend or acquaintance who retires only to become seriously ill or die soon after?

Are we working ourselves to death? For anyone who has ever wondered “is this worth it?” a move is afoot to question the concept of the American work ethic. We are currently the most overworked society on the globe. The United States has surpassed Japan as the nation with the …

Chronic migraines changed this patient’s life

Diana E. Lee

May 21, 2010May 21, 2010

by Diana E. Lee When I start to think about all the things I want to do, I end up feeling like my life is on hold, waiting for some miracle to come along and make me better. There was…

by Diana E. Lee

When I start to think about all the things I want to do, I end up feeling like my life is on hold, waiting for some miracle to come along and make me better. There was a time when I believed I would get better. Now I’m not so sure.

I was just getting started in my career in 2003 when my migraines exploded from periodic to chronic. …

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Children with DNR orders and the liability risk for schools

MedPage Today

May 18, 2010May 18, 2010

by Crystal Phend When children with complex chronic diseases have do-not-attempt-resuscitation orders in place, schools should honor them, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged. More children with diseases that may involve sudden and potentially fatal attacks are attending school due…

by Crystal Phend

When children with complex chronic diseases have do-not-attempt-resuscitation orders in place, schools should honor them, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged.

More children with diseases that may involve sudden and potentially fatal attacks are attending school due to legal and societal trends over the past decade, according to a statement in the May issue of Pediatrics.

While these requests are honored in hospitals and nursing homes, schools may find it …

What can patients really expect from their physicians today?

Steve Wilkins, MPH

May 14, 2010May 14, 20107

It may seem odd during these turbulent, cynical times, but a lot of people still trust their personal physician. People that have high trust in their physician tend to believe that their physician; * Is up-to-date with the latest medical…

It may seem odd during these turbulent, cynical times, but a lot of people still trust their personal physician. People that have high trust in their physician tend to believe that their physician;

* Is up-to-date with the latest medical treatments
* Keeps track of all important aspects of their health during and between visits
* Can be depended upon to act in the patient’s best interest

This broad-brushed view of patient trust …

Added sugars worsen cholesterol levels

Shantanu Nundy, MD

May 13, 2010May 13, 20106

Added sugars hit a new low this week. A study published in JAMA found that people who consume higher quantities of added sugars have worse cholesterol profiles than those who consume less. First of, what are added sugars? Added sugars…

Added sugars hit a new low this week. A study published in JAMA found that people who consume higher quantities of added sugars have worse cholesterol profiles than those who consume less.

First of, what are added sugars? Added sugars simply put are sugars that are added into foods (in contrast to naturally-occurring sugars that you find in fruits). The JAMA article writes that added sugars are “defined as caloric sweeteners …

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Added sugars worsen cholesterol levels

Before quitting medicine, consider the children

Kevin

May 13, 2010May 13, 201014

There's little doubt that many doctors are frustrated, with some compelled to leave medicine altogether. And with the myriad of obstacles intruding on the doctor-patient relationship, combined with the factors contributing to burnout, that's certainly an understandable stance. So, why…

There’s little doubt that many doctors are frustrated, with some compelled to leave medicine altogether.

And with the myriad of obstacles intruding on the doctor-patient relationship, combined with the factors contributing to burnout, that’s certainly an understandable stance.

So, why do so many continue the uphill climb to practice the best medicine they can?

Emergency physician Edwin Leap gives his explanation, in a poignant column from Emergency Medicine News:

We may rail against

…

Patient explanation using an analogy can trigger comprehension

Lucy Hornstein, MD

May 11, 2010May 11, 2010

I have a patient in his 60s who is riddled with metastatic lung cancer. He isn't on hospice (oncology refuses to let him out of their clutches just yet; actually, the problem is that around here Hospice won't accept patients…

I have a patient in his 60s who is riddled with metastatic lung cancer. He isn’t on hospice (oncology refuses to let him out of their clutches just yet; actually, the problem is that around here Hospice won’t accept patients still on palliative chemo or radiation) but is aware of what they have to offer. He and his wife have assured me that they will let me know when they …

Adult day centers help older patients and their families

Deborah Stricoff

May 1, 2010May 1, 2010

by Deborah Stricoff Are you caring for an elderly loved one or someone with dementia? As a caregiver, you may need respite and you can get it with the help of an adult day center knowing that your loved one…

by Deborah Stricoff

Are you caring for an elderly loved one or someone with dementia? As a caregiver, you may need respite and you can get it with the help of an adult day center knowing that your loved one is safe and cared for. Many people are not aware of adult day programs and the benefits they provide, and it’s important to get the word out.

Adult …

Dean Kamen invents a brain controlled prosthetic arm

Kevin

April 30, 2010Apr 30, 20102

Dean Kamen discusses one of the first brain-controlled prostheses in the history of robotics. Possessing fine motor skills in addition to strength, Kamen's arm is capable of picking up a raisin without dropping it. Fascinating lecture from TEDMED 2009.

Dean Kamen discusses one of the first brain-controlled prostheses in the history of robotics. Possessing fine motor skills in addition to strength, Kamen’s arm is capable of picking up a raisin without dropping it.

Fascinating lecture from TEDMED 2009.

Dean Kamen invents a brain controlled prosthetic arm

Questions for doctors are powerful patient tools

Toni Bigby

April 27, 2010Apr 27, 201021

by Toni Bigby Our Federal Government is investing in a consumer education campaign called, “Questions are the Answer.” The idea is to encourage people to watch out for themselves a little better and be their own advocate by asking their…

by Toni Bigby

Our Federal Government is investing in a consumer education campaign called, “Questions are the Answer.” The idea is to encourage people to watch out for themselves a little better and be their own advocate by asking their doctors questions like, “Why do I need this surgery?” and “Are there any side effects from this drug?”

Why are we as health care consumers, who collectively spend trillions of dollars each …

Top doctors may not always be the best physicians

Dr. Charles

April 21, 2010Apr 21, 201017

I’m sure you’ve read through top doctor rankings and online physician ratings. It is only human to seek perceived leaders. But as sometimes seen in politics, those who have reached the pinnacles are often motivated by ambition, charisma, and gamesmanship…

Beware the top doctors issues found in magazines and newspapers.

Some of these doctors are excellent, but many are simply “notable.” They may be well-connected, in …

Sick friends could use your help

Duncan Cross

April 20, 2010Apr 20, 20105

Illness might be the most isolating and alienating experience a person can know. Lots of well people simply have no clue how to relate to someone with a chronic and catastrophic illness. That sort of thing is scary even just to witness. They hope (or assume) you’ll get better, and then they won’t have to deal with whatever you’re going through – but when that takes too long, they drift …

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Sick friends could use your help

Technology can impact home based health care

Kevin

April 16, 2010Apr 16, 2010

Eric Dishman, a behavioral scientist who works at Intel, discusses how technology can impact home based health care. From TEDMED 2009.

Technology can impact home based health care

Patient stories on the web may not be real

Lisa Gualtieri, PhD

April 13, 2010Apr 13, 2010

"On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” was the caption of the famous cartoon by Peter Steiner in the July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker. The same is true of patient stories on health Web sites: nobody…

“On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” was the caption of the famous cartoon by Peter Steiner in the July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker. The same is true of patient stories on health Web sites: nobody knows who really wrote them.

In the case of Lifestyle Lift, the company agreed to pay a $300,000 settlement last year to New York State because their patient stories were employee-generated.

Patient …

Price transparency will improve patient care

Leslie Ramirez, MD

April 13, 2010Apr 13, 201012

Debora T. had a blood pressure of 180/110 during her routine visit in my internal medicine clinic. She was already on every blood pressure medication I could think of, save one -- amlodipine. I prescribed the medicine and asked her…

Debora T. had a blood pressure of 180/110 during her routine visit in my internal medicine clinic. She was already on every blood pressure medication I could think of, save one — amlodipine. I prescribed the medicine and asked her to follow up in a week. I feared her blood pressure was going to cause a stroke if it went up any higher.

At our next visit, her blood pressure was …

Health information online won’t make doctors obsolete

Kevin

April 13, 2010Apr 13, 20108

More patients are on the web researching health information, and for the most part, this is a good thing. But are doctors in danger of being "phased out" by Google and other search engines? In an interesting perspective piece by…

More patients are on the web researching health information, and for the most part, this is a good thing.

But are doctors in danger of being “phased out” by Google and other search engines?

In an interesting perspective piece by Pamela Hartzband and Jerome Groopman in the New England Journal of Medicine, the answer appears to be no.

Data without expertise in interpretation is largely meaningless. Consider this patient the authors …

Patient beliefs and their role in non-adherence

Steve Wilkins, MPH

April 9, 2010Apr 9, 20105

Patient non-adherence is a big problem. Non-adherence among chronic disease patients is associated with higher rates of hospital re-admissions, higher costs and poorer outcomes. Research has identified over 200 possible factors thought to influence patient adherence. According to the experts,…

Patient non-adherence is a big problem. Non-adherence among chronic disease patients is associated with higher rates of hospital re-admissions, higher costs and poorer outcomes.

Research has identified over 200 possible factors thought to influence patient adherence. According to the experts, these factors can be categorized into two groups:

1. unintentional non-adherence
2. intentional non-adherence.

Unintentional non-adherence is related to a patient’s ability and resources to take their medication (e.g., problems with manual …

Advance planning helps families cope with loss

MedPage Today

April 8, 2010Apr 8, 2010

by Crystal Phend Advance planning improves end-of-life care for elderly patients and helps families cope with the loss, researchers found. In a randomized trial, hospitalized patients over age 80 who were formally assisted with documenting their end-of-life treatment wishes and…

by Crystal Phend

Advance planning improves end-of-life care for elderly patients and helps families cope with the loss, researchers found.

In a randomized trial, hospitalized patients over age 80 who were formally assisted with documenting their end-of-life treatment wishes and with designating a surrogate were almost three times more likely to have those wishes followed (86% versus 30% in usual care, P<0.001).

Family members of patients in the advance planning intervention reported significantly …

Sex habits of older women and men

MedPage Today

March 31, 2010Mar 31, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer Thirty-somethings can expect to enjoy at least another 30 years of sex, researchers have found. At age 30, men will be sexually active for another 35 years, while…

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer

Thirty-somethings can expect to enjoy at least another 30 years of sex, researchers have found.

At age 30, men will be sexually active for another 35 years, while women will be active for another 30, Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, and Natalia Gavrilova, PhD, of the University of Chicago, reported online …

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Sex habits of older women and men

Patient voices

Articles, page 59

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