Patient voices

1,315 articles · Since 2005

Articles, page 61

End-of-life decisions and making advance directive choices

February 22, 2010Feb 22, 20102

Originally published in MedPage Today by Crystal Phend "I do not want my life to be prolonged if, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, my situation is hopeless." "I want my life to be prolonged as long as possible…

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Crystal Phend

“I do not want my life to be prolonged if, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, my situation is hopeless.”

“I want my life to be prolonged as long as possible within the limits of generally accepted medical standards, even if this means that I might be kept alive on machines for years.”

Check …

How to better notify patients of their abnormal test results

Shantanu Nundy, MD

February 16, 2010Feb 16, 201010

I just returned from vacation to find email messages from three patients inquiring about their recent test results. The first email was from a young man who had fainted and underwent Holter monitoring, a test that checks for abnormal heart…

I just returned from vacation to find email messages from three patients inquiring about their recent test results.

The first email was from a young man who had fainted and underwent Holter monitoring, a test that checks for abnormal heart rhythms. The second was from a woman I recently started on cholesterol-modifying therapy who wanted to know whether her recent blood work showed a satisfactory improvement in her cholesterol. The third …

Thoughts from a doctor attending a patient funeral

Dr. Charles

February 12, 2010Feb 12, 2010

On the way to the funeral you wonder how you’ll be received by the grieving. Although you are confident that your care for the deceased was sincere, professional, and adept, you still question if others will so assume. There is…

You manage a bitter smile as you recall stories the patient shared in unguarded moments, behind the door of a …

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How patients can bring information and new ideas to their doctors

Wendy S. Harpham, MD

February 7, 2010Feb 7, 201011

A patient learns about a treatment for his condition. So he goes to his physician to suggest the treatment as an option. Is there anything wrong with that? It depends on how his "suggestion" is presented. In today's age of…

A patient learns about a treatment for his condition. So he goes to his physician to suggest the treatment as an option. Is there anything wrong with that?

It depends on how his “suggestion” is presented.

In today’s age of patient advocacy and direct-to-patient marketing of pharmaceuticals, a new phenomenon is flourishing in doctors’ offices: patients asking for specific diagnostic tests or therapies.

I think it’s terrific if you bring information and ideas …

How physician burnout worsens patient care

Kevin

February 3, 2010Feb 3, 201011

It's no secret that primary care doctors are getting burnt out. Last July, I pointed to a study observing that "large numbers of physicians claimed a lack of control of their work, a chaotic work pace and time constraints during…

It’s no secret that primary care doctors are getting burnt out.

Last July, I pointed to a study observing that “large numbers of physicians claimed a lack of control of their work, a chaotic work pace and time constraints during patient visits,” and, “more than a quarter complained of burnout. More than 30 percent indicated they would leave the field within five years.”

Now there’s data showing that unhappy physicians provide …

Why are doctors so reluctant to discuss end of life care?

Kevin

January 29, 2010Jan 29, 201016

A recent study suggests that doctors may put off holding end of life care discussions that involve subjects like advance directives, hospice or site of death. Recommendations suggest that physicians hold these conversations when patients have about a year to…

A recent study suggests that doctors may put off holding end of life care discussions that involve subjects like advance directives, hospice or site of death.

Recommendations suggest that physicians hold these conversations when patients have about a year to live, but the data shows those guidelines aren’t being followed.

Why?

According to the study’s authors, they suggest that doctors “may not be comfortable discussing it,” and, “these conversations are time-consuming and …

The balancing act between science and art is what makes medicine so challenging

Kevin

January 27, 2010Jan 27, 20107

Medicine is at risk from a technology takeover. Consider hospital rounds, for instance. Records are electronic, and doctors have to sort through data from an increasing number of diagnostic tests, like laboratory values and imaging results. Even before stepping into…

Medicine is at risk from a technology takeover.

Consider hospital rounds, for instance. Records are electronic, and doctors have to sort through data from an increasing number of diagnostic tests, like laboratory values and imaging results. Even before stepping into a patient’s room.

Stanford’s Abraham Verghese continually reminds doctors about what’s most important: the patient before us. In fact, his essay published a few years back in the New …

Talking to a patient, without a translator, in mutual non-native languages

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD

January 22, 2010Jan 22, 2010

“Je m’a…,” I stuttered to Aristede Mezondes, the serious young man in a grey wool overcoat, standing before me with ramrod posture. “Je m’appelle Dr. Ofri.” There. I’d gotten it out. The language of Descartes, Voltaire, and Balzac had clearly…

“Je m’a…,” I stuttered to Aristede Mezondes, the serious young man in a grey wool overcoat, standing before me with ramrod posture. “Je m’appelle Dr. Ofri.”

There. I’d gotten it out.

The language of Descartes, Voltaire, and Balzac had clearly vacated my cortex. Despite those years of French classes and one brief visit to Paris, “Je m’appelle” was the best I could come up with. And even that was a struggle. Pushed …

Obese college students are reading health related spam e-mails

Kevin

January 22, 2010Jan 22, 2010

Most people automatically filter out spam e-mails, or delete them without ever opening them up. But a surprising number of people actually take the time to read them, which is probably why annoying spam will continue unabated. From the New…

Most people automatically filter out spam e-mails, or delete them without ever opening them up.

But a surprising number of people actually take the time to read them, which is probably why annoying spam will continue unabated. From the New York Times’ Well, Tara Parker-Pope writes points an interesting study looking at who actually read health-related spam e-mails.

Looking at college students who were overweight, a study showed that an …

How a doctor’s office can affect patient trust

MedPage Today

January 17, 2010Jan 17, 20108

Originally published in MedPage Today by Marianne Mattera Trust is an essential element in the doctor-patient relationship. You’re well aware of how important it is that you can trust the history the patient gives you. You know the problems that…

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Marianne Mattera

Trust is an essential element in the doctor-patient relationship.

You’re well aware of how important it is that you can trust the history the patient gives you. You know the problems that can arise in planning and managing care if you’re working with only part of the story. And you probably even feel a twinge …

We are becoming a nation of people with multiple chronic diseases

Monte Ladner, MD

January 15, 2010Jan 15, 20102

Many Americans are resolving that this will be the year they finally lose weight. Sadly, most of them will reach the end of 2010 heavier than when they started. We continue losing the weight loss game because our efforts are…

Dr. Dana King of the Medical University of South Carolina recently published two papers on the erosion of American lifestyle habits between 1988 …

When should patients call doctors by their first name?

Kevin

January 6, 2010Jan 6, 201022

According to a recent study from the BMJ, more than half of patients preferred that doctors call them by their first name. But what about doctors? Do they mind if patients didn't address them with a proper title? In a…

According to a recent study from the BMJ, more than half of patients preferred that doctors call them by their first name.

But what about doctors? Do they mind if patients didn’t address them with a proper title?

In a piece from the New York Times, physician Anne Marie Valinoti notes some discomfort when patients addressed her as “Anne Marie”:

How does one address one’s physician? It is almost always an

…

Why patients should be careful of celebrity medical advice

Kevin

December 31, 2009Dec 31, 20094

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…

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

Their messages have led some doctors and patients to make inappropriate health decisions, at times increasing

…

How to tell a family that their loved one has died

Tim Noonan

December 30, 2009Dec 30, 20096

When a team misses out on an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four, or something similarly trivial, these words may be appropriate. When the person, who has been the center of your life dies, what…

What kind of language is that to use when providing some of the worst news we could imagine? True, we could try …

10 ways patients can save on health care costs

Richard Reece, MD

December 22, 2009Dec 22, 20092

It’s beginning to look like health care consumers are going to have to take lowering health care into their own hands since no answers are coming down from above. Here are ten tips for lowering your costs. One, encourage your…

It’s beginning to look like health care consumers are going to have to take lowering health care into their own hands since no answers are coming down from above.

Here are ten tips for lowering your costs.

One, encourage your employer to offer a health savings account with a high deductible. Encourage the employer to pay half the deductible. Your premiums will be much lower, and your employer will save up to …

How doctors can show respect to patients

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD

December 18, 2009Dec 18, 200917

"Angelina Gomez," the medical assistant hollers out to the crowded waiting room. As always, I cringe when I hear this. It sounds so harsh, so cattle-like. I know that the assistant is actually a gentle and caring person, and I…

“Angelina Gomez,” the medical assistant hollers out to the crowded waiting room. As always, I cringe when I hear this. It sounds so harsh, so cattle-like. I know that the assistant is actually a gentle and caring person, and I understand that he uses a loud voice so that he can be heard over the general din of a large waiting room.

Nevertheless it feels horrible to me, so demeaning, like …

Patients using internet health information without physician guidance

Kevin

December 16, 2009Dec 16, 20096

The advent of the internet, combined with social media, has made everyone experts and has increased the disdain for authority. No where is that more apparent than the firestorm that surrounds vaccines and its detractors. The Los Angeles Times' James…

The advent of the internet, combined with social media, has made everyone experts and has increased the disdain for authority.

No where is that more apparent than the firestorm that surrounds vaccines and its detractors.

The Los Angeles Times’ James Rainey writes a column on the phenomenon, observing the backlash against a well-written, nuanced piece debunking the link between vaccines and autism.

But as we know, those who already believe there is a …

How doctors can stay up to date with current medical information

MedPage Today

December 14, 2009Dec 14, 20095

Originally published in MedPage Today by Todd Neale, MedPage Today Staff Writer With the amount of research being published in medical journals and presented at meetings, it should not be surprising when a new finding slips by a busy physician.…

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Todd Neale, MedPage Today Staff Writer

With the amount of research being published in medical journals and presented at meetings, it should not be surprising when a new finding slips by a busy physician.

Nor should it be surprising, then, that some decisions about patient care might be made without benefit of the most recent evidence.

Although experts …

Poll: How to control costs in end of life, or terminal, care

Kevin

December 14, 2009Dec 14, 20095

It's estimated that up to 30 percent of the 50 billion dollars Medicare spends on end of life care has no meaningful impact on patients. Is there a rational way to control costs when it comes to terminal care? Most…

It’s estimated that up to 30 percent of the 50 billion dollars Medicare spends on end of life care has no meaningful impact on patients.

Is there a rational way to control costs when it comes to terminal care?

Most patients want to spend their last days at home, but 75 percent die in either a hospital or nursing home. Almost 20 percent of terminal patients end up in intensive care settings.

Worse, …

Doctors need to take care of themselves, for their patients’ sake

Nancy Rappaport, MD

December 11, 2009Dec 11, 2009

In order to be truly effective in our work, we physicians need to conduct our own personal exploration, take time for introspection, and replenish our personal reserves. Part of our job is to balance the demands of our work (be they finding a cure for cancer, caring for terminally ill patients, solving the problems of healthcare or delivering twins—whatever our calling may be) with caring for ourselves. This involves both …

Patient voices

Articles, page 61

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