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 'health clinics'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:23:48 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540601&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhat-is-minimum-number-of-follicles-you.html We deal with a number of difficult patients who have failed multiple IVF cycles elsewhere. Many of these are poor ovarian responders and a common question is - How many follicles do you need to go ahead with the treatment ? Is there a number in your clinic below which you will cancel the cycle ?These patients suffer from a lot of anxiety and apprehension during the superovulation, because they know they are not likely to grow many eggs. They have already had many of their cycles cancelled in the past - and this can be quite a cruel thing to do , because these are eggs which they have produced with a lot of effort ! Their eggs are precious - and represent their best chance of their having a baby with their own genes. This is why when the doctor cancels the cycle because they have not produc... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540601 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:26:00 +0100 4540601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314072&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhat-are-my-chances-of-getting-pregnant.html The commonest question patients will ask before starting an IVF cycle is - what are my chances of getting pregnant ?While it's true that the chances of success do depend upon how good your IVF clinic is, it's also true that the chances do depend upon biological factors which are outside your control - the most important one of which is your age !You can now use the Free IVF Predictor to estimate how good your chances of success are ! While you cannot do much about your age, you can improve your chances of success by choosing a world class IVF clinic ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314072 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:12:00 +0100 4314072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077354&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Ftaking-infertile-patients-for-ride.html I got an email from a patient whose fallopian tubes were blocked at the fimbrial end. I explained to her that her best option would be IVF.She was very concerned about how expensive IVF was; and wanted to explore alternative options. She sent me a link to this website - Blocked Fallopian Tube Kit (USA & Canada)http://biotanicalhealth.com/products/blocked-fallopian-tube-kit-usa-canada and asked me my opinion as to whether this would be useful.Visiting this site made my blood boil - and also taught me a lot about how people will prey on an infertile patient's desperation and ignorance and take them for a ride. It's also a great example of clever marketing ! The manufacturer has cleverly packaged a few herbs, tampons, books and DVDs ( costing about US $ 50) - and is selling them as a Kit ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077354 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 07:23:00 +0100 4077354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065427&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fare-ivf-injections-painful.html One of the major reasons patients do not want to do IVF is their fear of injections. They know that during IVF they need to take injections for many days - and many patients are understandably reluctant to take these shots because they have been told that these injections are painful !While it's no fun to take injections , the good news is that the injections used for IVF treatment are not painful !Lupron and Anatgon ( which are used for downregulation) and given subcutaneously, just like a diabetic takes insulin injections. these are easy to self-administer and are not painful.The injections which are used for superovulation ( the urinary gonadotropins such as Menogon) used to be given intramuscularly. IM injections are more painful than subcutaneous injections, because a larger volume ne... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065427 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:44:00 +0100 4065427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031324&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fbut-i-am-not-doctor-doctor.html I will often ask my patients for their inputs during their IVF treatment cycle. I feel patients should be well-informed and I see my role as a technical facilitator . My goal is to empower my patients so that they can make the right decisions for themselves and not have to depend upon me.When I ask my patients to decide, many of them look at me as as I was crazy. Most Indian patients are used to dealing with doctors who have a much more paternalistic style, and most are used to being told what to do by their doctor.A common response to my question , What would you like to do ? is - But I am not a doctor ! This has 2 sub-texts - You are the doctor, which means you are the expert, so you should decide. Secondly, because I am not a doctor, I do not understand much about IVF, so do not feel I ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031324 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:46:00 +0100 4031324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920924&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Finfertile-man-comic-book-on-male.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920924 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0100 3920924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920925&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fmaking-use-of-tradtional-remedies-for.html Infertile couples in India will often resort to using traditional medicines . Many will go to temples and take a prasad or tie a holy thread to help them to have a baby. Not only does traditional medicine have a long history in India, it has also helped many couples with unexplained infertility to have a baby, which means it has an established track record of success !However, many modern IVF doctors make fun of these "remedies". They believe these are useless, and will often discourage a patient from adopting these.It's not smart to do this. A good doctor respects a patient's beliefs, and understands that different people have different world views - and there is no one right way of looking at things ! After all, IVF specialists and Western medicine do not have a monopoly on the truth !Th... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920925 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:55:00 +0100 3920925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865325&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fexpert-patient.html When patients have a medical problem, they come to doctors asking for help . They expect the doctor to provide solutions ; and the traditional model is that the doctor reviews the problems and offers the right treatment. The patient complies with this and gets better, so that everyone is happy.In real life, things are far more complex.What happens when the doctor and patient do not see eye to eye ? What if the patient is not happy with the solution which the doctor offers ? Usually, patients are scared of doctors and are reluctant to express their disagreement openly. Most will nod their heads, pretend to agree - and then walk out and find another doctor ( if they can afford to do so) who provides an alternative solution they are happier with. However, this is not a happy solution, either ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865325 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:35:00 +0100 3865325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816481&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fwhy-is-care-provided-in-most-ivf.html Most patients will vouch for the fact that the care provided in many IVF clinics leaves a lot to be desired. The clinic does not seem to have a treatment plan or protocol - and even if it does, this is not shared with the patient, who is often clueless about what is going to happen next ! There is very little communication amongst the staff, and often it seems that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. It seems that all the treatment is done on a daily, ad-hoc basis, and this lack of transparency create a lot of unease and distress. Also, because the senior" doctor is never available , it seems that all the decisions are made by assistants or nurses !There is often poor communication between the clinic's staff members , who may end up providing contradictory information... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816481 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:46:00 +0100 3816481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790771&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fworlds-first-ivf-and-infertility-sms.html Malpani Infertility Clinic, in partnership with MyToday, is pleased to announce that we have now started publishing the world's first patient education channels on IVF and infertility.The mobile is a great tool for educating patients - and using SMS we hope to be able to remove a lot of the myths and misconceptions which surround this emotionally sensitive topic !You can see all our SMS Infertility Channels here.You can also subscribe free to our IVF channel here !At present, this service is available in India only. (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790771 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:41:00 +0100 3790771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746829&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fhow-to-fool-ivf-patients.html Infertile patients are very vulnerable, and it's quite easy to fool them. Sadly, many IVF clinics will do so ruthlessly.Here are some of the ways IVF clinics provide a sub-standard service to their patients.1. They do not have the required training or expertise. It's shocking, but one of India's "leading" IVF clinics is run by a doctor who is a skin specialist ! ( Check out the resume and biodata of the doctor carefully - and ask to see his medical degree, if you do not want to be taken for a ride !)2. They do not have the required staff members . Many IVF clinics do not have a full-time embryologist, which means the IVF lab is often poorly run and the equipment not quality controlled or tested on a regular basis.3. They quote success rates which are inaccurate and inflated.4. They do not ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746829 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:05:00 +0100 3746829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740683&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fplace-to-bond-for-infertile-couples.html Mumbai: Infertility, to those faced by it, can be as emotionallydebilitating as the loss of a loved one. Most people find it extremely hard to accept that they are infertile andthe stress of denial can even lead to serious psychological problems. After dealing with scores of couples who approached them with such issues, Dr Aniruddha Malpani and wife Anjali formed a support group called Infertility Friends where men and women who have overcome their circumstances help counsel those still coming to terms with it. The group has been around for 15 years and is still going strong. Infertility Friends is the first such support group in the country for infertility. It is a registered charitable trust run by infertile couples and provides a forum for infertile couples where they can get together... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740683 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:27:00 +0100 3740683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3737105&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fovercoming-fear-of-ivf-failure.html The fear of failure is perhaps the commonest reason why most women do not have the courage to try a second IVF treatment cycle when the first one fails.But playing it safe has risk as well. If you never dare to fail , you will never succeed !Here's a great post on how to overcome the fear of failure ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3737105 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0100 3737105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706751&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fivf-making-sense-of-treatment-cycle.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706751 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:04:00 +0100 3706751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701731&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fafter-4-failed-ivf-cycles-what-should-i.html Mrs Desai was in tears. She was very depressed and agitated. " Doctor, I have done 4 IVF cycles in 3 different clinics and they have all failed ! What should I do next ? Is there any hope for me at all ?"I see patients like Mrs Desai every day. I try to help them analyse their problem , so they can find the right solution.Step No 1 is to use the McKinsey MECE model of exploring all their options - making a list which is mutually exclusive and completely exhaustive. In most cases, this list would include the following options:- childfree living- adoption- medical treatment ( IVF)- third party reproduction ( IVF with donor eggs or donor embryos or surrogacy)Typically, most patients who come to me are willing to consider only the last 2 options.As I explain to them , for their next IVF cycle,... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701731 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:11:00 +0100 3701731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687187&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fone-thing-every-patient-needs-to-know.html IVF can be a complex process and selecting a doctor can be quite a challenge ! Infertile couples are often frustrated and depressed and most will choose an IVF clinic based on a recommendation by a friend or a referral by a doctor. This is not always the best method and you can end up getting stuck in a poor quality clinic, thus reducing your chances of success. Even worse, many clinics do precious little do educate or inform their patients and patients don't know what questions to ask their doctor.Also, IVF cycles can fail for many reasons. Sometimes the problem is poor quality eggs - but often it is a poor quality clinic !Here's the single most important thing you should check, to be sure you are getting good quality treatment.Insist that your clinic provide you with photos of your embry... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687187 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:53:00 +0100 3687187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3679819&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fhindustan-times-special-surrogacy-not.html This is great news ! This will allow good IVF clinics to offer surrogacy ethically within a legal framework - and hopefully will help to protect infertile couples ( the intended parents) and the surrogate as well ! read more... (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3679819 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:58:00 +0100 3679819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655653&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmagic-of-in-vitro-maturation-of-oocytes.html This is a guest post from Dr. Sai, Senior Embryologist, Malpani Infertility Clinic Pvt. Ltd.Mrs. Bhatt had very poor ovarian reserve. Her AMH level was 0.3 ng/ml and she had reached the oopause . We advised her to use donor eggs but she was quite certain she wanted to have a baby with her own eggs. We explained to her that her prognosis was bleak, but she was determined, and requested us to do our best to help her to have a baby with her own eggs. We superovulated her aggressively using a letrozole – antagon protocol, with 750 IU of HMG daily. She had a very poor ovarian response as expected, and grew only one follicle. We advised her to cancel the cycle, but she was very keen on getting pregnant and requested us to proceed with the treatment. Dr. Anjali did the egg collection and retrie... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655653 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:31:00 +0100 3655653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519528&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fif-you-are-ivf-specialist-why-are-you.html When I see new patients, even though I am an IVF specialist ( and the vast majority of my patients come to me for IVF treatment), I always explain to them that IVF is not their only choice; and that they have multiple options available in order to build their family. These include: childfree living and adoption.Many patients get quite upset when I talk about adoption. They feel that the very fact I am discussing adoption means that I think they will not be able to have their own baby with medical treatment. They feel that this means I have a "loser mentality"; am not confident about our IVF success rates; and am very pessimistic !Actually, none of this is true ! I am very optimistic, but I am also non-judgmental. I provide a very neutral list, which is not ranked or ordered in terms of pre... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519528 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:31:00 +0100 3519528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499141&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdonor-eggs-and-donor-embryos-how-much.html We have a very active donor egg and donor embryo IVF program. Many couples want to know more information about our donors - their physical traits; educational background; special interests; religion , and so on.This is perfectly understandable - after all, this is an anonymous and confidential donation, and it's quite natural to be curious and learn as much as possible about the person who is making such an important contribution to your future family !Also, I think patients' expectations have been set by US clinics and donor agencies, which provide extensive and detailed online catalogs and lists of donors. However, I sometimes wonder what the value of all this is. In my opinion, these resemble a shopping list too much for my liking ( but given the consumer culture in the USA, where every... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499141 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:26:00 +0100 3499141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269745&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fcommon-mistakes-ivf-doctors-make.html I often see patients who have done IVF treatment at other clinics and sometimes I cringe when I see how poor the quality of the care provided was.Here's a list of the common mistakes IVF doctors make.1. Inadequate counselling. This is a very common problem. Because doctors seem to be so anxious to "grab" the patient and start an IVF treatment cycle ( before she runs off to some other clinic), many will advise a series of tests and commence treatment straight away. Most IVF clinics take pride in how many IVF treatment cycles they perform - irrespective of whether the couple needs it or not - and they want to maximise this number to maximise their income. This seems to give them bragging rights - see how many cycles I do and how much money I earn ! From a patient's point of view as well , th... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269745 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:09:00 +0100 3269745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2758131&cid=t_174025_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FAh_LZwH5Fok%2Fminnesota-helps-citizens-online.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2758131 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:46:00 +0100 2758131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621741&cid=t_174025_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.slidesharecdn.com%2Fswf%2Fssplayer2.swf%3Fdoc%3Dtheadvanceofmhealthslideshare-090416113113-phpapp01%26amp%3Bstripped_title%3Dthe-advance-of-mhealth-1300600 This article will aim to look at a specific area of the ‘citizen empowerment’ – the application of SMS (Short Messaging Service – or texting) and mobile phones in public health. With the onset of social tools such as social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace, etc.) and real time information hubs such as Twitter, we are exposed to numerous ways to stay connected to each other. Our mobile devices are equipped with applications that allow us to do a myriad of things – many of which focus on entertainment and productivity. Another very important part of our lives is maintaining good health and the mobile phone is making strides in that area. mHealth is the term that has been coined to describe the interaction of mobile technology with the improvement of health. mHealth is exploding ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621741 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:02:37 +0100 2621741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572979&cid=t_174025_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fs16Tfl54Uo8%2F Wellness is definitely the buzz word for the next few years, especially as more and more companies are encouraging their employees to get healthy. To capitalize on that trend, Walgreens plans to open several thousand work-site clinics. Walgreens already has several in-store health clinics, and they are taking that concept to the workplace. Currently the chain has “373 employer-sponsored workplace clinics” and will even slow down their retail expansions in order to focus on building more employer clinics. Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post from: Blisstree Walgreens To Open Work-Site Health Clinics (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572979 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:57:07 +0100 2572979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2169834&cid=t_174025_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Freview-of-how-to-have-baby-comic-book.html Infertility Comic Book has a positive review athttp://graphicmedicine.org/#/howtohaveababy/4532804857 !When I talk to medics about "comics and medicine", they often talk enthusiastically about ideas of using comic books to communicate with poorly educated or semi literate people, to convey basic ideas about health, hygeine or sexual awareness etc. Whilst comics certainly can be used in that laudable way, this conception of the medium probably says as much about the historic cultural stigma attached to it, as about the potential of the form.This free, web based, flash animated comic book has rather higher ambitions: mixing the accessibility of the graphic medium with in-depth information on reproductive physiology and technological help available to couples. The Doctors run the Malpani infe... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2169834 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:57:00 +0100 2169834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160076&cid=t_174025_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F04%2Fgood-grief-free-clinics-having-to-charge%2F Out of Bristol, TN: ” A pink note taped to the front door of Healing Hands Health Center advises patients the formerly free clinic will try to make up some red ink with modest charges for health care.” The director further explains: “We have seen decreases in donations and, at the same time, are being asked to pay some large bills that have always been in-kind donations,” Scott said. “We had a shortfall of $41,000 at the end of 2008.” For the past 11 years, Healing Hands has provided free medical and dental care, plus free medications, to the Twin City region’s uninsured, working poor. The charges are modest, and I think it’s better that they’re there and affordable than not there at all. I’m concerned, though, about whether this will be a widespread... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2160076 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:55:00 +0100 2160076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1305875&cid=t_174025_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F252194117%2F A few very interesting New York Times articles over the last couple of days, plus a great opportunity for clinicians and researchers in Latin America. - Well: When a Brain Scientist Suffers a Stroke "Dr. Taylor recounts the details of her stroke and the amazing insights she gained from it in a riveting 18-minute video of her speech at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference in Monterey, Calif., last month." - Cases Without Borders: Psychotherapy for All: An Experiment "The clinic is at the forefront of a program that has the potential to transform mental health treatment in the developing world. Instead of doctors, the program trains laypeople to identify and treat depression and anxiety and sends them to six community health clinics in Goa, in western India."... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1305875 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:03:11 +0100 1305875