PREPARED PATIENT BLOG

Patients and experts explore what it takes to find good health care and make the most of it.

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Don't Miss the Chance to Engage Us in Our Care When Introducing Patient-Centered Innovations

Jessie Gruman | November 30, 2011
I believe that it is unrealistic to expect that we will easily understand and ably engage in team care, shared decision making, care coordination and make use of patient portals of EHRs. Each of these carries the risk of being misunderstood by us in ways that further disenfranchise our efforts and good will unless it is discussed ' and recognized ' as the valuable tool it is.

What is the Scope of Primary Care?

Inside Health Care | November 29, 2011
Even when you know you should see a doctor, it can be hard to know whether to visit your primary care provider or consult a specialist. In this roundup, physician bloggers consider the range of services covered by PCPs.

What's the Price on That MRI? Patients and the Price of Health Care

Jessie Gruman | November 23, 2011
A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to speak as a patient about 'consumers and cost information' while being videotaped for use in the annual meeting of the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Here's what I had to say.

An Under-Recognized Danger for the Elderly: Delirium

Conversation Continues | November 22, 2011
Delirium and dementia are not synonymous, though in elderly hospitalized patients, delirium is often overlooked or dismissed as such. Here, Nora O'Brien-Suric and Susan Seliger discuss their parents' hospital experiences with delirium, which new research shows, has dangerous implications.

A Visa for the Dying: Travels to Another Country

Janice Lynch Schuster | November 21, 2011
People who are dying have much living to do, whether it is measured out in days, weeks or months, and the demarcation lines between the living and the dying might as well be drawn in pencil. But the truth is that it's important to talk about dying and what it means to each of us.

Conflicts of Interest and the FDA

Inside Health Care | November 17, 2011
Patients rely on panels of experts to review and approve new treatments and products. The hope is that these experts are unbiased in their evaluations. Here, health care insiders debate whether there are enough conflict-free panelists to go around.

Who Will Help Cancer Survivors Stay Healthy When Treatment is Over?

Jessie Gruman | November 16, 2011
It is completely understandable if you associate the term 'cancer survivor' with an image of glamorous, defiant Gloria Gaynor claiming that She. Will. Survive. Or maybe with a courageous Lance Armstrong in his quest to reclaim the Tour de France. Or perhaps it is linked for you with heroic rhetoric and pink-related racing, walking and shopping.

1st Person: Are Doctor Ratings Sites Useful?

First Person | November 15, 2011
When it came time for Jennifer Stevens, an Omaha, Nebraska resident and mother of two, to find an obstetrician for her first baby, she was faced with a dilemma.

Prepared Patient: Using Physician Rating Websites

Health Behavior News Service | November 15, 2011
User reviews and ratings on websites can help you locate a reputable handyman, the perfect restaurant for your anniversary dinner or the right TV for your den. So why wouldn't you turn to the Internet to find your next doctor? New health review sites promise to help you make this important decision for yourself or your loved ones. However, patients and physicians alike are finding that these doctor reviews aren't as transparent or useful as they might seem.

The Costs of Long-Term Care

Conversation Continues | November 14, 2011
Does long-term care insurance have a future? In this roundup, Nancy Folbre, Don Taylor, and Trudy Lieberman offer their forecasts and perspectives on its costs.

Guest Blog: On Alcohol and Breast Cancer, Guilt, Correlations, Fun, Moderation, Doctors' Habits, Advice and Herbal Tea

Elaine Schattner | November 11, 2011
Few breast cancer news items irk some women I know more than those linking alcohol con'­sumption to the disease.

Guest Blog: Hard Cold Facts, or Hard Cold Doctors?

Andrew Robinson | November 10, 2011
I was first diagnosed while on vacation in 1994. A doctor entered the room and, without warning, said that I had 'a terminal and incurable form of leukemia' and 'less than five years to live.' Just like that. Turns out he was wrong'

The Rocky Adolescence of Public Reporting on Health Care Quality: It's Not Useful Yet, and We're Not Ready

Jessie Gruman | November 9, 2011
The American people, long protected from the price of health care by insurance, are now forced to act as consumers. This situation is a free marketer's dream.

Take a Number

Inside Health Care | November 8, 2011
Nobody likes to wait. And patients and doctors alike are frustrated by the general waiting that seems to be an inevitable part of delivering and receiving care. Here, Art Markman, Lisa Gualtieri, and anonymous patient blogger WarmSocks share their views.

Patient Engagement: Expert Trudy Lieberman Talks About Challenges

Trudy Lieberman | November 7, 2011
This interview with Trudy Lieberman is the ninth and final of a series of brief chats between CFAH president and founder, Jessie Gruman and experts - our CFAH William Ziff Fellows - who have devoted their careers to understanding and encouraging people's engagement in their health and health care.

Guest Blog: When Patients Demand Treatments That Won't Work

Carolyn Thomas | November 4, 2011
When my son Ben came down with a sore throat this past summer, he went to his doctor for antibiotics. Both agreed it sure sounded like strep, so without having to wait for the throat swab test results, Ben left the office with a prescription for antibiotics. But were they the appropriate treatment? Do all bugs need drugs?

Getting the Patient's Perspective in Research: Will PCORI Deliver on its Promise?

Jessie Gruman | November 2, 2011
One major challenge for the new Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is to make good on its stated mission to improve health care by producing evidence 'that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers and the broader health care community.'

Guest Blog: Think Silver'Not Pink'for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Amy Berman | November 1, 2011
Because cancer is primarily a disease of aging, we shouldn't be thinking pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month'we should be thinking silver.

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