Limited Health Literacy: "And I think it is ironic that health providers of all kinds, and health educators -- I'm afraid to say -- as well, have used the complexity of their language as a marker of their own sophistication and education. In fact, it is the exact opposite. It is far harder to explain something in simple terms than it is to use textbook phrases, and I think that's the objective that we have to move toward, to turn back the responsibility and the definition of doing a good job to one that includes plain speak and ordinary conversations in the delivery of medical care."
Thursday, January 31, 2008
ePatients: Engaging Patients in Their Own Care
ePatients: Engaging Patients in Their Own Care: "Every day, more people get healthcare online than those who see a physician. About two thirds of Americans have sought health information online -- although this fraction is relentlessly rising -- and half changed their behavior as a result of their online activities.[1,2] Many don't discuss this activity with their physicians, and most physicians don't welcome it.
These eEmpowered healthcare consumers are simply behaving rationally. Patients are, after all, the biggest stakeholders in their own health. They know the traditional office setting is not user-friendly: It's hard to get a doctor on the phone for advice, difficult to get a timely appointment, and coming in for the appointment obligates up to a half-day away from home or work. So naturally, they look for alternatives. And why shouldn't they? The doctor's office should be reserved for people who really require the special skills offered by physicians."
Improving the Health of Patients and of the Whole Population
Improving the Health of Patients and of the Whole Population: "To summarize, the more physicians practice good health habits ourselves, the more likely we are to counsel patients to do likewise. And if we disclose our healthy habits to our patients, we are even more effective in helping patients make lifestyle changes. Physicians should therefore be especially encouraged to have more healthy personal habits -- this could not only improve the health of physicians, but also be an extraordinarily efficient way to improve the health of all their patients.
Such improvement in health habits may be accomplished by incorporating more emphasis on personal health habits in medical school curricula, in residency training, in practice environments, and in continuing medical education. Furthermore, this personal-clinical link should also be explored in other health professionals. For now, physicians at all stages of training and practice should be particularly encouraged to have healthy behaviors, since this helps our patients and even the whole population to make healthier decisions in their own lives."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
When Medicine Meets Literature: Scientific American
When Medicine Meets Literature: Scientific American: "Charon is trying to change that. Besides being a general internist and a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, she holds a Ph.D. in English. She and others are seeking to improve the relationship between physicians and patients using literature and writing. The goal is to make doctors more empathetic by getting them to articulate and deal with what they feel and to develop sophisticated listening skills, ears for the revelations hidden in imagery and subtext. The field--alternatively called narrative medicine, literature and medicine, or medical humanities, depending on the approach--began by most accounts about 30 years ago and is now widely reflected in medical school curricula around the country. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, 88 of 125 surveyed U.S. medical schools offered humanities courses in 2004; at least 28 required literature or narrative study in some form."
Monday, January 28, 2008
Knowing What Works in Health Care: A Roadmap for the Nation
Knowing What Works in Health Care: A Roadmap for the Nation: "There is currently heightened interest in optimizing health care through the generation of new knowledge on the effectiveness of health care services. The United States must sustantially strengthen its capacity for assessing evidence on what is known and not known about 'what works' in health care. Even the most sophisticated clinicians and consumers struggle to learn which care is appropriate and under what circumstances. Knowing What Works in Health Care looks at the three fundamental health care issues in the United States--setting priorities for evidence assessment, assessing evidence (systematic review), and developing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines--and how each of these contributes to the end goal of effective, practical health care systems. This book provides an overall vision and roadmap for improving how the nation uses scientific evidence to identify the most effective clinical services. Knowing What Works in Health Care gives private and public sector firms, consumers, health care professionals, benefit administrators, and others the authoritative, independent information required for making essential informed health care decisions."
Friday, January 25, 2008
19 Percent of Office-Based Physicians Refuse to See Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical Device Sales Reps
19 Percent of Office-Based Physicians Refuse to See Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical Device Sales Reps: "Based on a comprehensive telephone survey of 180,000 doctors, 19 percent of U.S. office-based physicians refuse to see sales representatives from the drug and device industry at any time, according to the recent study by SK&A Information Services, Inc. Another 22.7 percent of doctors require the reps to set an appointment. These findings underscore the increasing limitations that physicians are imposing on visits from the medical industry. 'The old days of walking into an office and bumping into the doctor are waning,' said Dave Escalante, President of SK&A."
I see reps only once - when they have a new product they want to tell me about.
Improving your bedside manner - doc.com Learning Management System
Improving your bedside manner - doc.com Learning Management System: "This unique resource provides its users with knowledge, skills review, and opportunities for reflection. It also fosters learning about complex communication and relationship challenges. Each of 40 learning modules presents key principles, evidence-based recommendations, and a skills checklist. Authors demonstrate key skills in video encounters with standardized patients and provide video and text commentary on the interview. The interview challenges help learners develop sensitivity to differing communication styles and difficult situations, and the flexibility to respond respectfully and skillfully."
The great thing about the internet is that every once in a while, you come across a gem. This is one of those websites ! I think every medical student, resident and doctor should go through this carefully. It will help them to improve their EQ ( what used to be called the bedside manner, in the good old days !) All of us need polishing in this department - and helpful reminders can never hurt !
They should translate these videos into many other languages - this is a marvellous teaching resource !
Happy patients make for happy doctors !
We always ask our patients for feedbacks - and both complaints and compliments are welcome.
Here's what a patient just sent us by email...
My husband and I had been married for three years before we decided we were ready to have a baby. We were still in our late 20s and thought we had all the time in the world to start a family. But when 6 months and then a year went by and I was still not pregnant, we grew worried and consulted my
In the meantime, we started researching options in
We returned back to the
We will be happy to discuss our experiences further. Feel free to contact us at vkm_ivf@yahoo.com"
It's feedback like this which makes a doctor's job so worthwhile ! There is lots of stress - but the smile on a happy patient's face and a heartfelt thanks gives pleasure which cannot be matched by anything else. Unfortunately , some doctors are too busy to stop and accept the thanks - or don't take the trouble to savour it !And if a picture is worth a thousand words, this photo says it all !
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Five commonly misdiagnosed diseases - CNN.com
Five commonly misdiagnosed diseases - CNN.com: "Don't assume no news is good news.
Another source of misdiagnosis: Lab results get lost or forgotten. A study by Dr. Tejal Gandhi at Harvard Medical School found that up to 33 percent of physicians did not always notify patients about abnormal test results. 'No news is not good news,' says Dr. Saul Weingart, vice president for patient safety at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 'It might be that the report fell down behind someone's desk.'"
Initiative Tackles Chronic Disease Management
Initiative Tackles Chronic Disease Management : "'Experience has shown that if you do everything in the planned-care model but don't include self management, you're only going to get so far. Patient self-management is the critical piece, and this initiative gives us tools to incorporate true patient self-management -- such as patient goal-setting -- into a typical busy family medicine practice. That's one of the reasons it's so exciting,' said Safford.
'Self-management support is the most important intervention physicians can do to improve patient outcomes,' said FP David Swieskowski, M.D., M.B.A., vice president of Mercy Clinics Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa. 'The New Health Partnerships pilot collaborative provided both the knowledge and the motivation to implement (self-management support) in Mercy Clinics,' he added."
Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes
Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes " Dr. Grout has been working for many years to disseminate information about the use of mistake-proofing devices in health care. This volume represents a compendium of information and ideas to broaden our understanding of mistake-proofing and its emerging role in health care and patient safety. Our hope is that the information and resources presented in this publication will lead to more and better error-prevention in healthcare."
The DUN Factor: How Communication Complicates the Patient Safety Movement
The DUN Factor: How Communication Complicates the Patient Safety Movement: "The patient safety movement is an incredibly important effort yet sits precariously poised at the edge of the same logic-driven chasm as the rest of medicine, obsessed by a nearly exclusive focus on defining processes as the key to enhancing safety. The movement is on the brink of making the same mistakes as the medical malpractice insurance industry, and the medical profession itself, by ignoring incredibly important aspects of the human relationship as related to patient safety and liability. The patient safety movement, in its current state, is in danger of over-promising and under-delivering unless it includes a focus on the relationship between the caregiver and the patient as a core and critical piece of the puzzle.
Enter the DUN Factor. DUN is my mnemonic for 'Dynamic, Unpredictable, and Non-linear,' and it reflects how life really 'is.' In brief, life is DUN. The DUN Factor is responsible for the majority of patient safety breaches and accounts for the terrible medical malpractice environment.
Perhaps nowhere in our daily experience is the DUN Factor more evident than in the communication between two (or more) people. Who would argue that conversation between two or more individuals is not dynamic, often unpredictable and non-linear, especially in emotionally charged situations, as is often the case in healthcare."
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Understanding and Curing the Healthcare Crisis:
Understanding and Curing the Healthcare Crisis: A Wise Way to Better Outcomes and Lower Costs: "
By Stephen E. Beller, Ph.D. and Sabatini J. Monatesti. The Wellness Wiki helps to clarify the complex problems plaguing the U.S. healthcare system and develop sustainable ways to improve the health and well-being of all people. This ever-evolving virtual encyclopedia of the healthcare crisis and potential remedies is updated continually. The various topics include updated links to external blogs and wikis containing relevant discussions."
This is a treasure-trove of updated information ! It takes an exceptionally broad view of the healthcare system; and prescribes clever ways of fixing the many problems which plague it.
The Evolution of Evidence-Based Medicine
The Evolution of Evidence-Based Medicine: "Health information that is incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading can be harmful. If patients act on it, they might harm themselves or delay seeking medical attention until a treatable problem has become life threatening. Of the estimated 21 million people who seek health information on the Internet, 70% said the information influenced their decision about how to treat an illness or condition, and 28% said it influenced their decision about whether or not to see a doctor (Fox & Rainie, 2000)."
MedCommons Home
MedCommons Home: "A Health URL is a patient-centered portfolio of private health information on the Internet. Each Health URL points to an individual person's account that stores and delivers health records assembled from hospitals and other health care providers, important documents such as advance directives and diagnostic imaging such as CT and MRI studies. Health URL accounts are used collaboratively by physicians and other clinical practitioners as well as by interested patients and their authorized caregivers. Access to the Health URL account is via over 30 standard Web services and legacy enterprise interfaces. Strict, HIPAA-compliant privacy and security safeguards are integral to the Appliance. A hospital, practice or service provider hosts Health URL accounts on behalf of their patients by licensing software for installation on-site or in a hosting center. The MedCommons Health URL Appliance is a convenient, integrated and HIPAA-compliant way for a provider to add Internet collaboration for telemedicine, referrals, secure messaging, paperless health information management, night call coverage, home care devices, interaction with retail clinics as well as new consumer-centered Web sites. A RESTful API is ready for Web 2.0 integration in health care."
PHR and the Health URL
PHR and the Health URL : "The Health URL is emerging as the essential concept of a patient-centered health information revolution. Any member of the care team can offer a Health URL to the patient or request access to a patient's existing Health URL. Once the Health URL is established, the patient is, by definition, fundamentally associated with his or her Health URL. As with bank accounts and personal email domains, patients can choose to move their Health URL accounts to a different hosting agent and their private health records will remain intact together with its connections to specified healthcare providers.
Clinicians and other collaborators on a patient's healthcare team can gain access to diagnostic quality and digitally authenticated images and reports in the Health URL with permission of the patient or his or her designated agents. Practice management systems and EHRs interact with the Health URL by coding relevant patient information into CCR format with DICOM and PDF references and implementing Web services and federated identity protocols already deployed in government and corporate networks. A new generation of Internet commerce and collaboration technologies allows healthcare providers to leverage their customers' trust by combining their internal practice management systems with a patient-centered, independent private health record.
Glenn Beck: Put the 'care' back in health care - CNN.com
Glenn Beck: Put the 'care' back in health care - CNN.com: "I've now seen our system at its very best and I've also experienced it at its very worst. But in each case, the difference had nothing to do with whether the hospital had the latest equipment or whether it looked like the Taj Mahal. It had to do with compassion. It had to do with respect. It had to do with treating people the way you'd want to be treated when going through something unfamiliar and frightening.
That's why I don't want to hear anymore about universal health care or HMOs or the evils of insurance companies until each and every hospital in this country can look me in the eye and tell me that they their staff is full of truly compassionate people who treat their visitors like patients, not products. Hire and train the right people, and then and only then come talk to me about everything else you need.
Our politicians are right; we do have a health care crisis in this country. But it's not going to be fixed by them, it's not going to be fixed by some government agency, and it's certainly not going to be fixed by throwing more money around. No, if you really want to fix our healthcare system then look no further than the word 'healthcare' itself because the secret is right there.
The secret is 'care.' "
Yes - putting care into healthcare is simple - but not easy !
Products - MediKiosk™ Software - Check-In
Products - MediKiosk™ Software - Check-In: "Patient Check-in features uniquely enable patients to sign-in for appointments without waiting in long lines, filling out forms on clipboards or giving the same information over and over again.
By swiping a membership card, credit card or driver's license at the kiosk, patients can be automatically checked-in, presented with their appointments, given the opportunity to sign consent forms and even prompted for their co-pay. Once the patient is checked in, the kiosks can display patient education, collect medical history information and provide way-finding directions. Registration or front desk personnel can then view and manage patient checked-in lists, monitor patient flow through the organization and much more."
Medic Alert Tools - Medical Information - Medical Informatics
Medic Alert Tools - Medical Information - Medical Informatics: "Recalling the details of your medication cabinet doesn't come easily during a medical emergency. But that information is vital to the professionals taking care of you. Emergencies happen when we least expect it, so it's important to prepare ahead of time.
Here are some products and services designed to help prepare you for the unexpected. Regardless which one you use, be sure to update medical information regularly. Outdated information may be more dangerous than none at all."
HAVIDOL® - YOU, HAVIDOL & YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
HAVIDOL®: "YOU, HAVIDOL & YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER. Your healthcare provider may not be aware of DSACDAD. You can use our ZING SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL to determine if HAVIDOL may be right for you. Print out your results and take it with you on your next visit. Refer your treating healthcare provider to our website for more information."
This is a hilarious spoof on Big Pharma websites which use DTC ( direct to consumer advertising ) to sell their drugs. After looking at this site, you'll never get fooled by Big Pharma marketing whizkids again ! I didn't know whether to laugh - or to cry !
Mystery Meat Macrophotography
Mystery Meat Macrophotography : "Here's a 2x magnification photo of the Jimmy Dean sausage showing more detail of the fat blobs and the slightly stringy texture of the sausage in general. (You can actually see some stringy elements in this photo if you look closely.)"
If you look at these photos, you'll stop eating processed foods bought at the supermarket ( and improve your health in the bargain) !
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Introducing nine new made-up diseases for drug companies to exploit with mind-altering drugs (satire)
Introducing nine new made-up diseases for drug companies to exploit with mind-altering drugs (satire): "Language Obfuscation Disorder (LOD). Striking mostly doctors, surgeons and oncologists, Language Obfuscation Disorder causes its victims to speak in unintelligible medi-babble while imagining their words make perfect sense. People afflicted with this disease literally speak in Greek, substituting normal-sounding English words (like 'liver' and 'inflamed') with words made of Greek elements ('hepato' and 'itis' or just hepatitis.) Interestingly, two or more victims of LOD seem to be able to understand each other perfectly well, although no one else has any idea what they're saying."
The top ten reasons why the U.S. needs more pharmaceutical companies (satire)
The top ten reasons why the U.S. needs more pharmaceutical companies (satire): "Cures: We need drug companies to keep finding cures for major diseases. Look at all the cures they've found so far like... well... okay, they haven't actually found any cures yet. But maybe they can at least cure all the bogus diseases they made up like 'social anxiety disorder' and 'attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.'"
If the auto industry operated like Big Pharma: fifteen things you might notice
If the auto industry operated like Big Pharma: fifteen things you might notice: "Companies would make up new reasons why you need more automobiles, hoping to convince you to buy a dozen or more. They might say you need one car to make you feel happy, another for basic transportation, a third to match the color of your house, and so on. Explanation: drug companies frequently invent new, fictitious diseases, and then try to sell you drugs to treat those made-up afflictions. Examples include ADHD, FSD (female sexual dysfunction), General Anxiety Disorder, and other made-up diseases that have no purpose other than selling drugs. Essentially, Big Pharma wants to define everyone as diseased in some way, and then convince people they need a lifetime of prescription drugs to 'manage' those diseases. From the moment you're born, the drug companies say, you're already diseased."
Hilarious !
Disease mongering Restless Legs Syndrome: A case study of how the media helps make people sick (PLoS Medicine)
Disease mongering Restless Legs Syndrome: A case study of how the media helps make people sick (PLoS Medicine): "“Disease mongering” is the effort by pharmaceutical companies (or others with similar financial interests) to enlarge the market for a treatment by convincing people that they are sick and need medical intervention . Typically, the disease is vague, with nonspecific symptoms spanning a broad spectrum of severity—from everyday experiences many people would not even call “symptoms,” to profound suffering. The market for treatment gets enlarged in two ways: by narrowing the definition of health so normal experiences get labeled as pathologic, and by expanding the definition of disease to include earlier, milder, and presymptomatic forms (e.g., regarding a risk factor such as high cholesterol as a disease in itself).
Discussions about disease mongering usually focus on the role of pharmaceutical companies—how they promote disease and their products through “disease awareness” campaigns and direct-to-consumer drug advertising, and by funding disease advocacy groups. But diseases also get promoted in another way: through the news media. News reports are a major source of health information for people . Unless journalists approach stories about new diseases skeptically and look out for disease mongering by the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical consultants, and advocacy groups, journalists too, may end up selling sickness."
KitchenMedicineBook.com Complete book on Kitchen Medicine
KitchenMedicineBook.com Complete book on Kitchen Medicine: " Discover the healing power of everyday kitchen foods like honey in this healing foods exploration written by Kelly Joyce Neff. In this free online book, you'll learn the healing secrets of salt, garlic, cayenne and a number of culinary herbs."
Read the entire book free online !
HealthRanger.org - Health Through Education
HealthRanger.org - Health Through Education: "Because our system of modern medicine thrives on sick people. Drug companies, doctors, surgeons and hospitals are all pocketing a fortune by financially exploiting sickness and disease across our population. They gain power, money and control by treating sickness, not by making people healthy. And that's why all the talk you hear about health care reform never mentions making people any healthier. It's only about shifting the responsibility of who pays for disease."
The great direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising con: how patients and doctors alike are easily influenced to demand dangerous drugs
The great direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising con: how patients and doctors alike are easily influenced to demand dangerous drugs: "Doctors are easy to manipulate, drug companies discover
You may be wondering why doctors base their prescriptions on the requests of their patients, who usually have no medical training whatsoever. That's a good question with a simple answer. The pharmaceutical-advertising machine seduces doctors, too.
According to Burton Goldberg's book, Alternative Medicine, paid pharmaceutical advertisements are the main source of the Journal of the American Medical Association's revenues. The American Psychological Association is equally under the pharmaceutical companies' spell, as 15 to 20 percent of the American Psychological Association's (APA) income comes from pharmaceutical advertisements in its journals."
'Politics has absolutely no business in reproductive rights.'
'Politics has absolutely no business in reproductive rights.' : "You write about how legal and political distractions take up a huge amount of time in your work. In an election year, is there a way you'd like to see the discussion on abortion and reproductive rights framed?
In my opinion, a candidate should get up and say, 'Politics has absolutely no business in reproductive rights.' A politician should say, 'This is not even something I'm willing to discuss. It is a woman's right. It's not my decision.' Unfortunately, that's not the way it's happening."
Unfortunately, politicians and bureaucrats want to meddle in our lives and take away our reproductive rights - one by one. Most of us are blissfully unaware that this is happening , and we are powerless to prevent this.
When the Doctor Is in, but You Wish He Weren't - New York Times
When the Doctor Is in, but You Wish He Weren't - New York Times: "Ms. Wong had come across a bane of the medical profession: the difficult doctor. These doctors may be arrogant or rude, highhanded or dismissive. They drive away patients who need help, and some have been magnets for malpractice claims.
And while such doctors have always been part of medicine, medical organizations say they fear that they are increasingly common - doctors, under pressure to see more patients, are spending less and less time with each one and are replacing long discussions with laboratory tests and scans - and that most problem doctors apparently have no idea of their patients' opinions of them.
Patients usually do not confront doctors. Instead, most rant to friends or family members about their experiences or simply change doctors. But in most areas of the country, there is an abundance of patients. If a few patients leave a medical practice, plenty more can take their place, so doctors may never even know what their patients think."
Physicians and bribery: a closer look at this common medical industry practice
Physicians and bribery: a closer look at this common medical industry practice: "How does your doctor decide which medications to prescribe? Is the decision based on the first-hand testimonies of other patients? Is the decision made after a careful and thorough research of medical journals? Usually not. As Michael T. Murray explains in Natural Alternatives to Drugs, your doctor's decision has nothing to do with medicine: 'Most physicians do not make decisions about which drug to use on the basis of scientific research or cost. They base their decision almost entirely on which drug is the most popular choice of their colleagues.
What determines popularity? The effectiveness of the drug company's marketing and advertising efforts. In essence, doctors are often bribed or lied to so that they will prescribe certain medications.' Bribery is a danger in any business sector. In medicine, bribes can prove downright deadly; nevertheless, they are shockingly common.
How would you like a bonus of $100,000 per year on top of your already outrageously high salary? Wow, that sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, for many doctors, obtaining a bonus of that amount is a reality. These days, the majority of doctors have dived right into the 'deep waters of entrepreneurship, where there is always the danger of conflict of interest between patient care and making a buck,' as Martin. L. Gross phrases it ".
Online health sites | Salon Life
Online health sites | Salon Life: "The medical establishment, in fact, has taken way too much time to understand that the Internet is a disruptive innovation that has overturned the status quo. It has leveled the playing field between expert and novice -- in this case, doctor and patient. While some doctors like Haig may find that challenge threatening to their status as an expert, the Web is now providing the kind of information doctors need to be aware of if we want to continue to be good at our job, and the kind of trends that can help patients be smarter and healthier.
According to a 2006 study of online health searches by the Pew Research Center, eight of 10 Internet users, up to 113 million Americans, have gone online looking for health information on behalf of themselves or a loved one. For those with a chronic problem, like Susan, that number rises. People with chronic medical problems are more avid users of the Web and state that their online searches affect treatment decisions, their interactions with doctors, and their ability to cope with their condition. That's not something that any doctor can dismiss."
Why Doctors are Idiots: 150 Years of Disatrous Advice on Children's Health (satire)
Why Doctors are Idiots: 150 Years of Disatrous Advice on Children's Health (satire): I think all doctors should read this ! We think we are wise and know much more than our patients - but this historical perspective will remind us that the medical profession has often been wrong . We meed to remember to keep an open mind - and be willing to listen to our patients.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
BREAST CANCER:
BREAST CANCER:: "Early detection techniques such as breast self exam (BSEs) or mammograms don't necessarily extend a woman's life; they may just lengthen the period of time she knows she's sick, as well as the time during which she receives treatment. As Dr. McDougall puts it: 'The real beneficiaries of early detection are the providers of health care, who now have a longer time in which to treat the victims before they die.'"
Ouch - sometimes the truth can hurt !
I am sure we'll all continue advising breast self-exams and mammography, even though they do not help ( and can actually harm) because
1. It makes sense . After all, if you pick it up early, isn't it common-sense that treatment will help ? Unfortunately, we refuse to let ugly facts slay a beautiful hypothesis !
2. We've been brainwashed into believing it helps . Repeating something ad nauseam will do this very effectively !
3. It's become a billion dollar industry !
4. We want to believe that we can prevent and treat cancer - it's a helpful delusion to have.
5. We don't want to accept the fact that everything we've done for the last 30 years has been wrong and unhelpful !
BMJ BestTreatments :: Decision support :: Shared decisions
BMJ BestTreatments :: Decision support :: Shared decisions: "Many people find it hard to ask their doctor questions. Sometimes their doctor doesn't encourage them. Doctors always seem so busy. You may worry you will look stupid if you use the wrong words. Or you may worry that you will annoy your doctor by asking questions. Sometimes you may feel too ill to take an active role in making decisions. And some people are happy just to do what their doctor tells them.
You may feel more comfortable talking things over with your doctor if you do some of the following things:
* Write down a list of questions to take with you when you go to see your doctor
* Have a family member or friend come with you to the appointment
* Make notes of what your doctor says during your visit"
BMJ BestTreatments :: Decision support index
BMJ BestTreatments :: Decision support index: " It can be hard to know which medical research to believe. One day you may hear that drinking alcohol is good for your heart. The next day you may hear that alcohol makes it more likely that you'll get breast cancer. And your friend may swear that a treatment you've never heard of saved his mother's life.
Not all medical research is good. Some studies are more reliable than others. So we've put together some guides to help you weigh up the evidence and work with your doctor to choose the treatment that is best for you."
RediClinic: Services
RediClinic: Services: "RediClinic’s nurse practitioners provide a broad range of preventive services, including screenings and blood tests, immunizations, and basic physical exams. At RediClinic, you can receive most common blood tests. Our tests include, but are not limited to, screenings for high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, liver and kidney function, thyroid disease, allergies, prostatic specific antigen (PSA), and osteoporosis. Our packages combine our most popular exams at a discounted price to give you an even better value for you