MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'empowered patient'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:53:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103342&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-should-people-receiving-health-care-be-called-empowered-patient-vs-health-care-consumer%2F2011.08.05 “There is a better way – structural reforms that empower patients with greater choices and increase the role of competition in the health-care marketplace.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) August 3, 2011 The highly charged political debates about reforming American health care have provided tempting opportunities to rename the people who receive health services.  But because the impetus for this change has been prompted by cost and quality concerns of health care payers, researchers and policy experts rather than emanating from us out of our own needs, some odd words have been called into service.  Two phrases commonly used to describe us convey meanings that mischaracterize our experiences and undervalue our needs: “empowered patient” and “health care consumer.” As one who has done ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103342 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:00:35 +0100 5103342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077684&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-empowerment-has-the-potential-to-be-problematic%2F2011.07.29 Let me say first that I am a practicing primary care doctor who is very much focused on patient centered care.  Though I cannot go back to being a patient who is unaware about what a doctor does, the terminology she uses, or what the importance of certain test results are, I can empathize with the overwhelming amounts of information, challenges, and stressors patients and families can have in navigating the healthcare system to get the right care.  This is the reason I wrote my book. However, over the past few months I’ve noticed a particularly disturbing trend.  Patients are not consulting doctors for advice, but rather demanding testing for diagnoses which are not even remote possibilities.  A little knowledge can be dangerous particularly in the context of little to no clinica... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077684 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5077684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984452&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbending-the-cost-curve-in-cancer-care-reduce-excessive-testing-for-reassurance-purposes%2F2011.06.29 This is the second in a series of posts on Bending the Cost Curve in Cancer Care. We should consider the proposal, published in the NEJM, gradually over the course of this summer, starting with “suggested changes in oncologists’ behavior,” #1: 1. Target surveillance testing or imaging to situations in which a benefit has been shown. This point concerns the costs of doctors routinely ordering CTs, MRIs and other imaging exams, besides blood tests, for patients who’ve completed a course of cancer treatment and are thought to be in remission. The NEJM authors consider that after a cancer diagnosis many patients, understandably, seek reassurance that any recurrence will be detected early, if it happens. Doctors, for their part, may not fully appreciate the lack of benefit of detecting ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984452 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:00:37 +0100 4984452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872089&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthree-good-reasons-for-healthcare-professionals-to-use-social-networks%2F2011.05.27 Social networking allows doctors, nurses and other health professionals to deeply connect and engage with the community and their colleagues. “We are standing at the precipice of a new online revolution in health care. As more and more health experts embrace the Internet and increase their social media activity, health information seekers will undoubtedly benefit in profound ways.” [Source: Mashable] Dynamic health and medical professionals engaged in social networking, using Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and YouTube are on the front-line of new modern medicine. Today’s modern medicine is all about the patient.  Participating, partnering and developing a professional relationship is paramount. While many health consumers are searching the web for support, reassurance and specific health ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872089 Fri, 27 May 2011 21:00:03 +0100 4872089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742388&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthings-you-can-learn-from-a-bad-nurse%2F2011.04.21 My husband had a screening colonoscopy last Friday.  His nurse in the recovery is the only one I had issues with.  I, not my husband. All went well, but let me tell you he is not an ePatient Dave.  He did not read his instructions about when to quit eating and the prep.  I did.  I then reminded him along the way:  “Only clear liquids today.”  “You must take the Ducolax at 3 pm.  Do you want me to text you a reminder?” Sometimes the instructions we give patients are clear, but not always read. The staff at the front desk were very kind and organized.  Calls had been made the day before and I had insured the insurance information they had was correct.   I did not tell anyone I was a doctor.  I’m not sure if my husband did later or not. ….. When I was called back by th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742388 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4742388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405774&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-every-pregnant-woman-needs-to-do-a-background-check%2F2011.01.27 The journey to a healthy pregnancy and delivery begins with the selection of a healthcare provider, and the challenge is to find the right one. This is the person who will be in charge of your pregnancy up until the time of the delivery, so it certainly is not a casual date. For the next 280 days your life and the life of your unborn child will be in this person’s hands. A background check is therefore in order. One of the best ways to find the right healthcare provider is by word-of-mouth referral from neighbors, friends, or family members however please don’t stop there. Labor and delivery nurses are also a great source of referral because they have seen physicians and midwives under their most vulnerable and challenging moments. Don’t feel intimidated about checking a provide... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405774 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:00:38 +0100 4405774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399524&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-second-opinion-is-good-but-a-third-or-fourth%2F2011.01.26 A few years ago I started writing a book on what it was like to be a cancer patient and an oncologist. This morning I came upon this section on second opinions: Is It OK To Get A Second Opinion? Definitely. And there’s no need to be secretive about it, or to worry about hurting the doctor’s feelings. Second opinions are routine in fields like oncology, and are often covered by insurance. Be up-front: Any decent oncologist can understand a cancer patient’s need to find a doctor who’s right for them, with whom they’re comfortable making important decisions. And in difficult cases, some specialists appreciate the chance to discuss the situation with another expert. So a second opinion can be beneficial to patients and physicians alike. When things can get out of hand, though, is whe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399524 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:00:50 +0100 4399524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337935&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-if-all-patients-were-this-engaged-in-their-health%2F2011.01.12 This video is an excellent testimony of what a truly engaged and knowledgable patient with diabetes looks and sounds like. Kudos to the Mayo Clinic for sharing this wonderful piece about shared decision making. Pay particular attention to the fact that the patient in the video was treated for diabetes by her primary care physician for eight years before being referred to a clearly “patient-centered” endocrinologist. Also note her belief that a patient-centered approach to chronic disease management probably results in shorter, more productive visits in the long run. *This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337935 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:00:14 +0100 4337935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258867&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-patient%25e2%2580%2599s-contagious-confidence-and-endless-possibilities%2F2010.12.14 In a recent post I wrote why patients are the most important part of the medical team, and my colleagues, Elizabeth Cohen, Kevin Pho, MD, Donna Cryer, JD, and Carl R. Sullivan, MD, shared their insights as well. Today, Ginger Vieira, a patient living with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease, says: “You, as the patient, are the most important part of the medical team because you are the one who makes the daily decisions, who balances your disease around dinners, soccer games, long hours at work without enough time to check your blood sugar and eat lunch. You are the one who takes the knowledge you learn from your doctor and fits it into your everyday life. That’s a huge role, and it’s never easy.” Ginger Vieira shares her story about the challenges and how her positive attitude is al... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258867 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:00:54 +0100 4258867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251108&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvideo-the-too-informed-patient%2F2010.12.11 This video, “The Too-Informed Patient,” came my way lately. It’s featured on NPR’s Mar­ket­place website: The Too Informed Patient from Marketplace on Vimeo. —– The pup­peteer skit fea­tures the inter­ac­tion between a young man with a rash and his older physi­cian. The patient is an informed kind of guy: He’s checked his own med­ical record on the doctor’s web­site, read up on rashes in the Boston Globe, checked pix on WebMD, seen an episode of “Gray’s Anatomy” about a rash and, most inven­tively, checked iDiagnose, a hypo­thet­i­cal app (I hope) that led him to the con­clu­sion that he might have epi­der­mal necro­sis. “Not to worry,” the patient informs Dr. Matthews, who mean­while has been try­ing to ex... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251108 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:00:28 +0100 4251108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230160&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F5-reasons-why-patients-dont-mention-symptoms-to-their-doctors%2F2010.12.04 To com­plain or “be good” is an appar­ent dilemma for some patients with seri­ous illness. Yes­ter­day I received an email from a close friend with advanced breast can­cer. She’s got a lot of symp­toms: Her fatigue is so over­whelm­ing she can’t do more than one activ­ity each day. Yes­ter­day, for exam­ple, she stayed home all day and did noth­ing because she was sup­posed to watch a hockey game in the evening with her teenage son and other fam­ily mem­bers. Her voice is weak, so much it’s hard to talk on the phone. She has dif­fi­culty writ­ing, in the man­ual sense — mean­ing she can’t quite use her right arm and hand properly. “It’s some­thing I would never men­tion to the doc­tor because it is very sub­tle,” she wrote. “But it has no... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230160 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:00:07 +0100 4230160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197316&cid=t_293366_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FCJbwNkT3T28%2Freduce-medical-bills The first step to reducing your medical debt is asking your doc or hospital to reduce your bill. This takes time, chutzpah, and smarts and is worth the work. Asking for a discounted bill can sound impossible but it’s not.  Here’s why:  The cost of medical procedures, doctor’s time, and hospital services are not set in stone. In fact, different patients are even billed different prices for the same services. Walking into a doc’s office or hospital is not like walking into McDonald’s where a Big Mac costs the same for everyone in line.  With medical care, different people get charged different rates and your rates can be negotiated.  After all, negotiating rates is exactly what insurance companies do and you can do it for yourself too! The National Endowment... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197316 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:04:28 +0100 4197316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179474&cid=t_293366_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FCJbwNkT3T28%2Freduce-medical-bills The first step to reducing your medical debt is asking your doc or hospital to reduce your bill. This takes time, chutzpah, and smarts and is worth the work. Asking for a discounted bill can sound impossible, but did you know the cost of medical procedures, doctor’s time, and hospital stays are not set in stone?  In fact, different patients are billed different prices for the same services. It’s not like walking into McDonald’s where a Big Mac costs the same for everyone in line. (For example, hospitals often charge much less to insured patients because there’s a higher guarantee the bill will be paid.) Unfair?  Yes.  But use to your advantage the fact that hospitals can and do charge many different rates: Get them to lower your bill! The National Endowment for F... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179474 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:04:28 +0100 4179474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082088&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-prevention-how-to-sift-through-the-headlines%2F2010.10.19 Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center Most of us can’t keep up with all the new ways to avoid cancer. Thanks to the Internet, we now have an unlimited supply of cancer knowledge at our fingertips. But, how can we filter out the good, the bad and the questionable? Below are steps to help you tease out the facts when reading that next big news story on preventing cancer. Says who? Don’t just take the writer’s word for it. Dig a little deeper to find out the source behind the hype. The American Cancer Society says you should ask yourself these questions when reading an article: Was this a press release from a company announcing a new breakthrough in cancer prevention? Was it a report from a clinical study that was given at a scientific conference? Was it a report from a st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082088 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:57 +0100 4082088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074059&cid=t_293366_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-staff-please-hold-the-snark%2F2010.10.16 Every once in awhile I have the distinct “pleasure” of being a patient. This week I was reminded about how awful it is. I didn’t mind the blood draws, poking and prodding, injections, or interaction with my physician, but it was the rudeness of the ancillary and administrative staff that really got under my skin. I had forgotten how unfriendly people can be, and how especially hard it is to deal with when you’re not feeling well. Context is everything when it comes to rolling your eyes and sighing heavily. Let me explain. (more…) (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074059 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:00:26 +0100 4074059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865867&cid=t_293366_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fcoming-soon-the-diabetesmine-keas-health-account-plan.html What’s that you say? What the heck is a “Health Account Plan?” I am pleased to announce that this week, at the Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, I’ll be part of the launch of a brand new kind of online platform called Keas — featured in the New York Times today (!) As many [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865867 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:00:31 +0100 2865867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839129&cid=t_293366_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fhow-to-be-a-good-endo-from-a-patient%25e2%2580%2599s-pov.html Scott Johnson is one of my favorite fellow diabetes bloggers. Always has been. This post will show you why.   A Guest Post by Scott K. Johnson, of Scott’s Diabetes Journal Amy’s guest post from Dr. Anne Peters last Thursday on “How to be a Good Diabetes Patient” sure ruffled some feathers.  I wanted to take [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839129 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:25 +0100 2839129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2859068&cid=t_293366_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FMXxpwuPVbCg%2Fhave-you-ever-fired-a-doctor I was interviewed in the Chicago Tribune this past Sunday about when you know it is time to ditch your doctor. For me the answer hinges on what kind of doctor it is: primary care physicians (PCP) versus a specialist. I’m actually much more stringent about my PCP, and much more lenient on my specialists. Here is why: My PCP is the gatekeeper of my health. If they don’t ask the right questions, don’t investigate a symptom, don’t remember who I am or if my body has changed over the years it’s a big problem. In the myriad interviews in my book Everything Changes, it was most often the PCP who neglected the signs and symptoms of young adult cancer. Dana’s PCP suggested her back pain was caused by the sexual positions she was using. Mary Ann’s PCP told her she was anorexic and a hy... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2859068 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:19:00 +0100 2859068