News/Commentary
If you got lost in the maze back there with the “public option” debate, The Economist, in a few crisply-written paragraphs, will help you catch up on health care reform painlessly.
We recommend painless whenever possible. Please read the whole piece.
The Economist
…”Completion of work on the bill is by no means a formality, though it does [...]

Topics: News/Commentary

News/Commentary
In my first grade, readers were divided into red birds and blue birds so the teacher could work with each group to its level. Of course, everyone knew who the good readers were (red) but it worked.
Health care professionals are dividing themselves into red birds and blue birds. Red birds are pro-vaccination. Blue birds are, [...]

Topics: News/Commentary, Top Stories

Patient, know thyself. A British study says it’s time for us to do our homework about ourselves.

Topics: News/Commentary, You, the Patient

News/Commentary
This is a balanced, physician’s account of what he already has discovered about electronic medical records (EMRs) through his hospital experience.
Some of what he describes—-the inability to include personal notes about the patient’s wish to wear her own flannel nightgown in the hospital or the inability to add stick figure drawings to show how a [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor, News/Commentary, You, the Patient

News/Commentary
By Cheree Cleghorn, Editor
We have taken our dogs to one vet for some 20 years, a practice headed by a man who is revered by other doctors and those who bring their pets to him.
His practice includes a mix of bright young vets learning from a master, whom he mentors and sends off to set [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor, News/Commentary, You, the Patient

News/Commentary
This is from Pauline W. Chen, M.D.’s column, Doctor and Patient, in the New York Times.
As a transplant surgeon, she makes a powerful case for how doctors and patients benefit from the kind of processes that are key to successful pre-transplant, in hospital and post-hospital care. It is a picture of what many health policy [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor, News/Commentary, You, the Patient

News/Commentary
By Cheree Cleghorn, Editor
The study below is about women’s biochemically-measured stress levels while awaiting the results of a breast biopsy.
The stress hormone involved, cortisol, also could “compromise” future treatment if the woman does have breast cancer.
Now that there is objective proof of the need for speedy findings, speedy medical action should follow.
This is one of [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor, News, News/Commentary, You, the Patient

News/Commentary
People in their twenties are the largest group of uninsured people in America, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.
Many of them are forced to choose between health insurance and paying for rent and food.
Other twenty-somethings think they don’t need health insurance—-and that’s why this age group is labeled the “invincibles.” They are too young [...]

Topics: Friends & Families, How To Speak Doctor, News, News/Commentary, You, the Patient

Commentary
This editorial offers short-term and long-term solutions for the problems we have had—-too many food scares in recent years.
In addition to that, these are not times when one needs to have any other scares raised, but a link is worth mentioning.
Some advocates of the “buy local” and farmer’s markets have been making the point for [...]

Topics: Friends & Families, News/Commentary

News/Commentary
The writer of this column explains why having a friend, a cardiologist—someone who knew him well—- saved his life with a long-distance telephone diagnosis and swift action.
The “telephone” cardiologist found another cardiologist friend nearby to go to work on the patient right away.
The right cardiologist and a health plan, too, of course—-those are this patient’s [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor, News, News/Commentary, You, the Patient