Information and Critical Thinking for Your Health
(Snippets from the frontline) Medicare open enrollment Every year we are inundated with advertisements touting “Medicare open enrollment” where eligible seniors opt into a healthcare plan. Factors involved in this … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Evidence-based medicine Ignaz Semmelweis, an Austrian physician, observed in the mid-1800s hand washing prevented complications following childbirth saving thousands of women. Later in the century, research … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Caregiver burnout Your in-need elder senior may be a spouse, family member, or friend. They might be physically or mentally challenged, yet still require trips to … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The second Civil War Twelve score and two years ago, our fathers and mothers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty and … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Lesson learned As medical professionals, we are expected to care for all patients no matter their gender, race, religion, or economic status. Sometimes there are lessons … Continue Reading →
(Snippet from the frontline) The tortuous healthcare highway Horror stories in healthcare persist: Loss of medical coverage during treatment for cancer; denial of a surgical procedure after a mass is … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Futile Care? He smoked his entire life, developed lung cancer and was demented with paralysis. Hospitalized, his discomfort was controlled, “futile care” discussed with family, and … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Start the clock The timer starts as the doctor walks through the exam room door. Do they greet you, or even sit down? How many questions … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Seniors aging in place Everyday, elders are jettisoned into nursing homes because our profiteering healthcare system dictates seniors have become expendable. Technology though can allow them … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Muzzling the best and brightest Some of the best and brightest have become doctors. In the realm of medical advancement, physicians have voiced opinions continually raising … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Bedpan attitude Much of my early training was reliant on good nurses providing expert knowledge in patient care tasks. This was on surgical floors in large … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The corporate practice of medicine California law explicitly does not allow hospitals to employ doctors. Understandably, if hospital administrators control physician salaries, then medical decision-making could … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Abe It was a panicked phone call to the office: “My father has an appointment this morning, and he is going to ask for….viagra!” Abe was … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) On being a housecall doctor For over 30 years I have visited patients in their home, mostly elder seniors. None of them drive, while 40% are … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Know your Medicare rights Hospitals generally treat Medicare patients like herding cattle: “get ‘em in, get ‘em out.” A patient is admitted, diagnosis made, treatment started, … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Loss of the TCU The most detrimental loss to elder seniors in our community was the hospital closing the Transitional Care Unit (TCU). It served … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) “Patient-centered” healthcare Several years ago, our hospital celebrated it’s 40th anniversary. On Medical Staff were 10 founding physicians, but none were invited. About the same time, … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Intentional confusion As a senior on Medicare, I received my first EOB (Explanation of Benefits) for a doctor visit. It was like attempting to make sense … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Shortage? We have a shortage of doctors and nurses in our country, but some of these professionals are siphoned off by hospitals, insurance, and pharmaceutical companies … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Defining your doctor Doctors reach their level of education through intellectual mastery, raising to the top of the class with superior grades. They score well on … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) What happens in the hospital, stays in the hospital A medical record is a legal document, but who owns it? The doctor or hospital claims the … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Coconut custard pie A yearly challenge for some medical students is paying for tuition, books, and housing. This worsened midway through my second year with dwindling … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The suicidal elder senior It is devastating and sad: -intentional drug overdose; -using firearms; -stopping prescribed medication; -hanging; -jumping off a bridge, or in front of … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Scrutinizing a new hospital doctor Hospitals are a buffer between life and death. In the past, you chose your doctor based on trust and confidence in … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Escaping profiteers In almost four decades of practicing medicine, I’ve never had a patient say “Please doctor, send me to a nursing home!” Is it the … Continue Reading →