The Essential Patient Handbook; Getting the Health Care You Need — From Doctors Who Know

by Alan B. Ettinger, M.D. and Deborah M. Weisbort, M.D.

• ISBN13: 9781932603026
• ISBN10: 1932603026
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2004-08-10
• Publisher: Demos Health

Summary

The Essential Patient Handbook was written for the millions of Americans who are dissatisfied with their medical care, and are looking for a practical no-nonsense way to get the help they need from their doctors. It contains lessons learned by two doctors (husband and wife) who endured immense challenges on the patient side of the medical care system. Here are the secrets to: getting your doctor to listen preparing information your doctor needs to know understanding the reasoning behind your doctor's questions asking the essential questions about tests, diagnoses, medications, surgery, and second opinions checking for medication side effects and drug interactions dealing with confusing insurance and billing forms working with your doctor when considering alternative and complementary medicines handling difficult doctor-patient interactions dealing with a hospital stay The Essential Patient Handbook will walk readers through the entire medical evaluation process, fro

Author Biography

Alan B. Ettinger, MD, is Chief of the Division of Epilepsy and Electroencephalography at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, and Associate Professor of Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Deborah M. Weisbrot, MD, is Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center at Stony Brook, New York

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. xii
Introduction	p. xiv
How to Use This Book	p. xvi
The Medical Evaluation Process & Developing Your Own Medical Record
What Are You Complaining About?--The Chief Complaint	p. 3
Make Your Mark in History--Your History of Present Illness	p. 7
Your Specific Symptoms	p. 19
Blast From the Past--Your Past Medical History	p. 29
All in the Family--Your Family History	p. 37
Put Yourself to the Test--Your Prior Diagnostic Workup	p. 41
Current and Prior Treatments	p. 44
Beyond the Facts and Figures--Your Psychosocial History	p. 49
Your Current and Future Health	p. 58
Did We Forget Anything?--The Review of Systems	p. 62
Let's Get Physical--The Physical Examination	p. 70
Testing Patients, Not Your Patience--Tests and Procedures	p. 78
Putting it all Together--How the Doctor Arrives at the Diagnosis	p. 99
To Waste Time or Not Waste Time, That Is the Question--The Follow-up Visit and Specific Diagnoses	p. 103
Special Situations
Your Child's Medical History	p. 115
The Psychiatric Consultation	p. 127
Preparing the Medical Evaluation for People with Impaired Thinking	p. 136
Whose Life is it Anyway?--Preparing Advance Directives	p. 141
Questions for the Doctor
Not Asking About Test Results Is Out of the Question	p. 147
Questions About Your Diagnosis and When to Get a Second Opinion	p. 150
If You Do not Ask Questions About Your Medications, You are Asking for Trouble	p. 160
Surgery and Other Procedures Are Not a Cut and Dry Matter	p. 175
Don't Compliment a Doctor Who Will Not Discuss Complementary Medicine	p. 183
Be Prepared When You Call Your Doctor	p. 190
Other Useful Information
Do Not Go Out of Your Mind When You Go Out of Network--Understanding Medical Insurance Plans	p. 195
You Do Not Have to Be a Doctor to Get a Medical Education--Ignorance is Not Bliss When It Comes to Your Health	p. 201
Doctors: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--Do Not Let Difficult Doctors Get On Your Case	p. 206
Feelings You May Have When You See the Doctor	p. 218
Read This Before You Go to the Hospital	p. 224
Example of a Completed History Form	p. 231
Common Medical Errors Related to Testing	p. 254
Potential Causes of Commonly Encountered Symptoms	p. 256
Medication Categories	p. 259
References	p. 274
Index	p. 277
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