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OK, But What’s the Question?
In my previous life as a speaker and writer on patient empowerment issues, I received email, even postal mail (meaning, yes, someone paid for a stamp!) from patients who were...
How To Prepare To Come Home From The Hospital
After a hospitalization, many people can't wait to go home. But going home from the hospital requires planning to make sure you have the support you'll need for a smooth...
How to Take Control of Your Medical Test Results
I'm not sure how it happened, but over the years, my medical appointments and tests all seem to have ended up as summer scheduled dates. Of course that means I'm...
All We Really Need to Know About Getting Good Healthcare, We Learned in Kindergarten
With a nod to Robert Fulghum... As millions of youngsters head off to school, it reminds us that some of the lessons we learned in kindergarten can serve us well...
How To Take Command Of Your Care When Your Doctor Goes Missing
Summer vacation this year was comprised of two weeks on a road trip with my husband as we left our (new) home in Florida, drove north to Upstate New York,...
Are You, a Friend, or Loved One “Battling” Cancer?
Those of us who spend much of our time embroiled in some way within the healthcare system are reminded, over and over again, that not everyone sees themselves as a...
How To Protect Yourself From Dangerous Drug Interactions
Not all medications get along. Drug interactions, the result of taking more than one medication at once, can be extremely dangerous. One estimate showed that 3-5% of all medication errors...
How To Make Sure Your Voice Is Heard In Healthcare
In healthcare encounters, too often patients don't feel heard. But to get what you need from the healthcare system, you must be able to use your voice. When your voice...
Sometimes the Doctor IS Wrong: How to Avoid Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis. This topic is very personal. In fact, over the years I have been affected by PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) because of a misdiagnosis that I experienced. But because...
Here – Let Us Help You Pay Us Way Too Much!
Just when you think you've heard it all.... Now hospitals are "helping" their patients with finances, too. If you don't give that much thought, then it seems like a great...
“Do Not Quote Me”
A few years ago I was at a picnic with a friend who is an orthopedist. The question was raised about whether advice given by doctors is always in the...
My Sibling Has Disabilities, My Parents Have Died – Now What?
This is such a difficult scenario, yet it happens every day. A child, perhaps mentally or physically disabled from birth, or one who might have suffered an accident earlier in...