Empowered Patient - The Wise Patient's Guide to Being an Empowered Patient

Patients find more and more that their healthcare is being compromised. Patient safety issues, money issues, lack of time and communication with their doctors... These days, wise patients are empowered patients, learning everything they can about the healthcare system, the obstacles to good care, and the steps they can take to get the best care possible.

via Empowered Patient - The Wise Patient's Guide to Being an Empowered Patient.

Topics patients.about.com

• Diagnosis & Testing
• Treatment & Decision Making
• Medical Records & Codes
• Misdiagnosed/ Undiagnosed
• Doctors and Other Providers
• Research and Resources
• Medical Mistakes / Safety
• Patient / Health Advocacy
• Hospital Care
• Drugs, Supplements & Safety
• News / Issues / Debates
• Interviews, Books, Other Media
• Glossary of Med-Speak
• Medical Costs & Insurance

via Patient Empowerment at About.com - Teaching Patients to Take Charge for their Health & Medical Care.

Infection Control Certification May Lower MRSA Rates

April 10, 2012 — California hospitals appear to have significantly lower rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection if their infection control directors are board-certified, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

via Infection Control Certification May Lower MRSA Rates.

The Surprising Secret Behind Doctor Referrals

Advocates say patients now need to be more vigilant about how they're getting shipped around. Besides querying the doctor who's giving the name, they can use websites (like certificationmatters.org and castleconnolly.com) that verify and rate specialists. For those who want more details, the federal government will soon launch a major new resource: comprehensive physician "report cards." Based on the mother lode of records -- millions of Medicare files -- the reports will offer details on things like doctors' complication rates and their patients' hospital readmission rates. "It's an almost universal view into the behavior of doctors around the country," says David Lansky, CEO of Pacific Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition of employers concerned about quality and affordability in health care.

The Referral Road Map

With health care spending in the U.S. dipping after a 15-year rise, doctors and medical facilities are competing fiercely for patients.�

Take a look at what's at stake when your physician hands you a referral slip.

Still, that's months away, and most experts say referral marketing will only become more entrenched as health care cuts continue. Back at AdvisorsMD in Alabama, McKenzie says the company's expecting a strong 2012, with plans to launch new software that reps and doctors will be able to use to build more relationships. Like many in this field, she says, the firm is careful about which doctors it works with; she adds that the firm's efforts improve patient service by keeping doctors on their toes. After all, the best referral in the world won't keep the patients coming back if the doctor runs late, has bad bedside manners and overcharges. "We're not going to represent any Joe Blow who botches up patients," she says.

via The Surprising Secret Behind Doctor Referrals - SmartMoney.com.

Don't Let Medicines Cause Harm

We take more medicines than ever to maintain or improve our health. But over the last decade, many baby boomers and seniors have ended up in the hospital because the medications they expected to help them actually hurt them.

Many medical problems now can be treated with medicines that were not available just a few years ago. But taking more medicines can also result in some unexpected reactions, especially for people who take several drugs. Bad reactions to medications are on the rise, according to a new report by my agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Between 1997 and 2008, hospital admissions doubled among Americans aged 45 and older for medication and drug-related conditions. These hospital admissions include the effects of prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as illegal drugs.

This increase has been driven by three types of medication and drug-related conditions:

Drug-induced delirium, which is general confusion and agitation caused by drugs. Common causes are drugs for sleeping, nausea, and pain. Elderly patients are more sensitive to medicines than younger adults.

Poisoning or overdose from codeine and other narcotic medicines. Bad reactions from narcotic pain medicines are especially common in older adults.

Withdrawal from prescribed medicines or illegal drugs. Drug withdrawal occurs when someone suddenly stops or takes much less of a drug after being on it for a long time.

via Navigating the Health Care System: Don't Let Medicines Cause Harm.

How to Make an Emergency Department Visit a Safe One

You hope an accident or illness won't send you to an emergency department (ED). But being prepared for such an event can help you get good, timely, and safe care when the need arises.

Unfortunately, U.S. hospital EDs are severely overcrowded. In 2006, America's emergency rooms cared for 120 million patients, according to data from my agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). And—because the Nation's health care system still relies on largely paper-based medical records—chances are, if you land in the ED, the doctors won't have information about your medical history.

ED staff won't know what medicines you take or what medical problems you have unless you are able to tell them. Even if you are alert, you're likely to forget important information about your health, such as medicine allergies or your blood type.

Being prepared for a trip to the ED—whether because of an accident or illness—increases your chances of getting safe, high quality health care. It might even save you money, depending on your health plan's policy for ED visits. Know what your health plan policy is. Some health plans require that you get authorization for emergency care other than for life-threatening emergencies.

That's why it's important to have handy, updated, and thorough information at hand. Keeping your information either on paper or in an electronic form, like on your cell phone, may help you receive better, safer care in a medical emergency.

via Navigating the Health Care System: How to Make an Emergency Department Visit a Safe One.

Talking About End-of-life Treatment Decisions

It's natural to avoid thinking—never mind talking—about dying. As a result, most people do not make their wishes clear to their loved ones or their health care providers. This includes many people who are nearing the end of life.

One way to communicate your wishes about future health care decisions is through "advance directives," which are legal documents that allow you to convey your decisions about your health care, especially end-of-life care. But fewer than half of severely or terminally ill patients have advance directives in their medical records, according to research sponsored by my agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Even before you become old or ill, you need to think and talk about the kind of care you would want should a stroke, terminal illness, or life-threatening event occur. Ideally, these discussions should take place long before you need care. If such conversations don't take place, your family and physician must make decisions based on what they think you would want. As a physician, I know making decisions on behalf of a loved one is particularly difficult during an already stressful time.

End-of-life planning involves some thought and effort, such as completing advance directives. In addition to talking about your wishes with your family members, you should also talk with your doctor. Most doctors welcome the chance to discuss such issues but may be hesitant to raise the topic.

via Navigating the Health Care System: Talking About End-of-life Treatment Decisions.

Keeping Track of Your Health Information

Say you're out of town, and you become ill. You go to the local hospital emergency room, where you are quizzed about your medications and allergies. Unfortunately—in the confusion and stress of the moment—you forget to mention that you're allergic to penicillin until it's too late.

It's not farfetched. Visiting a hospital or a doctor can be a stressful experience. Some situations—if you're weak from illness or a trauma, or are in place you don't know—may be confusing. You may not be able to remember every important detail.

But, good health care depends on good and thorough information. Your health information—the medicines you're taking, your allergies, your family history, what illnesses or surgeries you have had—is what makes you medically unique, and can affect your treatment. The one thing you forget to mention could be the detail that might save your life.

Many Americans receive care from doctors in many places. We are a mobile society; we change towns, we change doctors, we change jobs and we change health insurers. But, your doctor's medical charts and other health information don't automatically appear at different doctors' offices or hospitals. Don't assume your doctor has all the relevant information at his or her fingertips. Usually, in fact, the doctor does not.

Because of this, it's up to you to keep track of your own health information.

via Navigating the Health Care System: Keeping Track of Your Health Information.

Poll: Doctors Fall Short in Helping Many Seniors

April 24, 2012 — Large numbers of seniors aren’t receiving recommended interventions that could help forestall medical problems and improve their health, according to a new survey from the John A. Hartford Foundation.

Notably, one-third of older adults said doctors didn’t review all their medications, even though problems with prescription and over-the-counter drugs are common among the elderly, leading to over 177,000 emergency room visits every year.

Falls cause over 2 million injuries in people age 65 and older annually, but more than two-thirds of the time doctors and nurses didn’t ask older patients whether they’d taken a tumble or provide advice about how to avoid tripping on carpets or slipping on the stairs, the Hartford poll found.

Similarly, depression can cause people to become socially isolated, suicidal, or stop taking care of themselves, but 62 percent of seniors said doctors and nurses hadn’t inquired about whether they were sad, depressed or anxious.

The results, which cover a period of 12 months, speak to doctors’ and nurses’ lack of training in geriatric medicine.  Providers need to recognize that “care of an 80 year old differs from that of a 50 year old,” said Dr. Rosanne Leipzig, professor of geriatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. But too often, this doesn’t happen.

Seven interventions examined in the Hartford study are part of Medicare’s annual wellness visit, which became a no-cost benefit available to all seniors in the government health program in January 2011.  Yet 54 percent of older people surveyed by the foundation had never heard of the Medicare wellness visit while another 14 percent weren’t sure if they had.

Via Poll: Doctors Fall Short in Helping Many Seniors

Doctor directory is first step to new “Physician Compare” website

 HEALTHY LIVING

Doctor directory is first step to new “Physician Compare” website

Jan 5, 2011 4:07 PM

The federal government recently took the first step toward a website that, if all goes well, will eventually help consumers shop for doctors based on patient reviews and the quality of the care they provide.

The program is part of the new health-reform law, which among many other things, required Medicare to launch the website, called Physician Compare, by January 1. For now, it’s mainly an up-dated nationwide list of health-care providers who accept Medicare patients.

Still, it's helpful. The directory is searchable by zip code or city and state, as well as by medical specialty.  Results show the doctor’s name, address, gender, phone number, and languages spoken. Those closest to you are listed first. And it includes not just M.D.s, but also chiropractors, clinical psychologists, dietitians, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopaths, physical therapists, physician assistants, and podiatrists—932,000 providers in all.

You don’t have to be a Medicare patient to use the tool, since doctors and other health-care providers who see Medicare beneficiaries also see people under age 65.Doctors who are already reporting quality information to Medicare—under a program called the Physician Quality Reporting System—have a mention of that participation in their profiles. That's a plus since it indicates they are committed to divulging such information. Later this year, Medicare will also list doctors who participate in a voluntary effort to encourage doctors to prescribe medicines electronically.Addition information will be added over time including, by 2015, the first actual measures of quality of care. Data for those measures will come from patient surveys, payment records, and electronic health records.Via http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2011/01/physician-compare-website-doctor-directory-is-first-step-to-new-physician-compare-website-.html