I recently heard Dr Dr Alicia Arbaje from the John Hopkins School of Medicine discuss 10 new years resolutions for older adults. These resolutions are appropriate and timely regardless of the New Year and may include some things you can help an aging parent with. I think of them as “prevention resolutions” because most of… Read more »
Posts Tagged: physician communication
Resolutions for Sharp Patients
With 2014 just getting started it’s not too late for a few resolutions to start the year right. Resolution #1: Develop partnerships with your providers No matter what medical problems confront you, you’ll have a better chance of weathering them if you work in partnership with your doctors and other providers. Good physician communication involves… Read more »
Do As You’re Told! Listen to your doctor!
You’ve broken an arm, or you’re running a fever, or you’ve developed a rash. A visit to your doctor results in an order for a drug, a bandage or cast, surgery, or another treatment plan to help you heal or become healthy again. Or maybe you have a chronic condition or disease, and you’re consistently… Read more »
Three Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Last week I attended a conference focused on patient literacy, empowerment, and education. Among the conference attendees were doctors, researchers, educators, and advocates. The overriding theme was that most doctors aren’t doing enough to help us patients understand our medical conditions, nor are they helping us make the right decisions for ourselves. The results are… Read more »
Can You Risk Not Getting a Second Opinion?
My friend Rachael has a large lump behind her knee. Her orthopedist diagnosed it as a benign tumor, but told her they need to keep an eye on it. She should return in three months, then six months, then nine months and so forth. They will image it each time to see if it… Read more »
A Dose of Reality—Today’s Doctor’s Appointment
In the “old” days, we could phone for a primary care doctor’s appointment in the morning, be seen right away, spend enough time with the doctor, leave with a treatment plan, and usually feel better within a day or two. But no longer! Today it’s difficult to get an appointment, even within a few… Read more »
Don’t Let Medical Test Results Fall Through the Cracks
A few years ago, I changed primary care doctors. The one I left had good credentials. Over the span of a few years and several visits, she had seemed competent and was friendly. But on my final visit, there had been a change that caused me to leave her practice. It came in the form… Read more »