Great Piece on Critical Decisions
Here is a well-written piece by The Global Mail discussing Critical Decisions. Take a look.
Imagine yourself in this patient’s situation. You have just found out you have cancer, and the next phrase out of your doctor’s mouth is “You’re going to die with this cancer rather than of this cancer.” Which word do you think will jump out of that sentence? “With”? “Of”? My money is on “die.” –…
Colon cancer is often preventable with timely screening. One way to be screened is through a procedure called colonoscopy, where a physician examines your colon with a camera to look for precancerous polyps. Unfortunately, some physicians are not as thorough as they should be and overlook growths they should be removing. It might be time…
Q: Much of the debate around health care reform has centered on whether the government or the individual will control health care decisions. Is that a valid argument? Most medical decisions are between clinicians and their patients, and will continue to be that way as the federal health reform law is implemented. Medicare bureaucrats aren’t…
In my previous post, I showed a powerful picture (from the Kaiser Family Foundation) of the growth in high deductible insurance plans. Here is another picture from that same report, showing that the high end of these high ends is getting really high. (Click here to view comments)
Helping patients understand their treatment choices is often no simple matter. In order for good communication to take place, doctors and patients must talk with each other in a language both parties can understand. Here is a piece in which I discuss an earnestly communicative hematologist describing the risks and benefits of treating leukemia to his patient.
At long last, my new book Critical Decisions is out there, ready to reach (fingers crossed!) a wide and appreciative audience. I’m really excited about this book. It pulls together ideas that have been smoldering in my brain for two decades — research, reflections and experiences (AKA “stories”). In the book, I relate the fascinating…