Beth Waldron is a patient advocate and can be reached on Twitter @bethwaldron.
I still recall the ICU physician holding my hand and preparing me for the possibility I might not survive the blood clots in my lungs, pulmonary embolism. It was eighteen years ago when out of the blue, I found myself unexpectedly holding the hand of that gentle, concerned doctor, whose name I do not even know. My son was three years old at the time, and all I could think …
As the director of a health education program at a public university, my work is predicated upon the belief that greater knowledge is the key to improving health outcomes. If patients and healthcare professionals simply had better access to the latest information on a particular medical topic—if they simply knew more about a diagnosis, treatment, or prevention strategy—then we’d surely see improved health outcomes.
I have come to realize this assumption is wrong. …
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