Better Health Care Newsletter from Patrick Malone

New Year's Tuneup: A Health Care Newsletter
January 2012
Vaccines: Life-Long Preventive Care
Screening and Prevention Tests that Work
Recent Health Care News You Should Know About
Check Out Our Previous Tips

Saying No to Your Doctor: Sometimes Wrong but Always Right
December 2011
Refusing Health Care Is OK, as Long as You Have the Facts
Sorting Your Options for Colon Cancer Screening
Past issues of this newsletter

The Second Opinion: Trust, but Verify
November 2011
Why We Hesitate to Get a Second Opinion
Seven Ways Second Opinions Improve Our Health Care
Making the Second Opinion More Productive
Past issues of this newsletter

The One Medical Statistic You Need to Know
October 2011
"Number Needed to Treat:" The Simple Way to Understand What Works
How to Find the Number Needed to Treat for Just About Any Condition
Some Eye-Popping NNT Numbers for Breast Cancer Screening
Past issues of this newsletter

Those TV News Doctors: Good Advisors or Fear Mongerers?
September 2011
TV Doctors Pump Calcium Heart Screening Test, but Leave Out the Other Side
Following the Money Trail When TV Doctors Push the C-Reactive Protein Test
What Neutral Experts Say about the New Heart Screening Tests, and Some Simple Advice for You
Past issues of this newsletter

Helping Your Doctor Make the Right Diagnosis
August 2011
How Bringing an Ally to the Doctor's Office Can Help You Get Better Care
Switching Doctors When You Need to
More Reading on Getting the Right Diagnosis
Past issues of this newsletter

Finding the Right Hospital for You
July 2011
The Volume Rule - and an Important Refinement
Two Appeals Court Decisions Worth Knowing About: Report from the Malpractice Trenches
Past issues of this newsletter

Rules of Thumb for Better Health Care: When Instinct Can Guide You in the Right Direction
June 2011
Rule One: Avoid Superior Doctors
A Rule of Thumb for Scheduling Surgery
Open House This Week at Our New Office

Talking to Your Doctor When You Can't Speak
May 2011
Some Eye-Opening Numbers about Your Odds of Landing in an ICU
The Health Care Power of Attorney
The Living Will -- and Some Questions to Think About

When the Doctor Isn't Sure: What You Can Do
April 2011
The Most Vital Question You Can Ask Your Doctor
Talking to Your Primary Care Doctor: What You Need to Ask
Why Doctors Are Vulnerable to Misdiagnosis
Past issues of this newsletter

When a Conversation Can Save a Life
March 2011
A quick introduction to "informed consent"
Talking to Your Surgeon: What You Need to Ask
Myth versus Reality in Medical Decision-Making
Past issues of this newsletter

Essential Tips for Doing Your Own Health Care Research
February 2011
WebMD: Another Hype Alert
Top Sources for Reliable Health Care Information on the Internet
One Click to a Healthy Diet
Past issues of this newsletter

Separating Fact from Hype in Health Care Advice
January 2011
A quick reality check: Reviewing medical journalism and rating its accuracy
Overrated Medications: A Family Doctor Speaks Out
Look for this "Miranda Warning" on so-called health products
Past issues of this newsletter

A Safer, Healthier Hospital Stay (Part Two of a series on preventing injury in the hospital)
December 2010
Washing the Hands: An Old-Fashioned Way to Save a Life in the Hospital
Blood clots: What is the plan, doctor?
Wrong medicine, wrong dose: What you can do.

Protecting a Loved One in the Hospital (One of a series on getting the best medical care)
December 2010
Step One: Have Someone in the Hospital Room at All Times
Two potentially deadly but preventable harms: Falls and bed sores
Next newsletter: More Preventable harms: Wrong medicine, infections, blood clots.

The Joys of Being a Health Care Skeptic (One of a series)
November 2010
Medical Research: A Play in Five Acts
The True Numbers for Breast Cancer
A Chart of Death Trends
Most Research Findings Are Wrong
Check Out Our Previous Tips

Your First Step to the Best Medical Care (One of a series)
October 2010
Why Getting & Reading Your Medical Records Can Save a Life
Resources for Getting Your Records
Cracking the Code: Here's How
Check Out Our Previous Tips

Colon Cancer: How to Save Your Life by Finding the Right Doctor to Do Your Screening Exam (One of a series: Becoming a Smarter Consumer of Health Care in 2010)
September 2010
Two Questions You Must Ask to Get a Competent Colon Cancer Screening Test
How Often Do Patients Get an Inadequate Colonoscopy?
Past issues of this newsletter

Preventive Care: What Works? What Do I Need to Stay Healthy? (One of a series: Becoming a Smarter Consumer of Health Care in 2010)
August 2010
The Shingles Vaccine: A Small Hassle Now to Prevent Much Misery Later
What Every Adult American Needs: A Simple List of Preventive Medical Care that Works
Not on the List: The Executive Physical or Expensive Scans

When Less Is More for Treating Back Pain and Heart Disease (One of a series: Becoming a Smarter Consumer of Health Care in 2010)
July 2010
Simple Is Best for Most Back Surgeries
Many Unneeded Heart Stents
A Postscript: People Like Us

Understanding Numbers in Medicine: Easier than You Might Think, and More Important Too
June 2010
Count the Patients If You Want to Know the Real Scoop
How to Read Numbers: The Tamoxifen story
A New Approach: The "Drug Facts" Box

How Do You Find The Best, Safest Hospital?
April 2010
How to look for the Right Hospital
Check Out What Other Patients Have Said on the Medicare Website
More Resources

The Dilemma of Modern Medical Care: More Is Not Always Better
March 2010
Lessons from Heart Attack
Removal of a Healthy Breast
Cancer Screening

Experience Counts: What you need to know before choosing a surgeon
January 2010
Practice Makes Perfect: Essential Knowledge for Anyone Facing Surgery or Any Medical Procedure
Finding the Answers on Your Surgeon's Experience
Your Legal Right to Know Your Surgeon's Experience

A New Start for 2010: Becoming a Smarter Consumer of Health Care
January 2010
Conflicts of Interest: Why Should Patients Care?
The First Step: It Gets Easier