Articles Index
What to Do If Your Doctor Tells You "It's All in Your Head"
It's horribly frustrating to have a doctor tell us that physical symptoms may be all in our head! But there are some steps you can take in order to prove your doctor wrong and get the help you need.
Where Should You Get Your Flu Shot?
It used to be that the only place to get your flu shot, or flu mist, or any other vaccine, was at at doctor's office. But today there are many alternatives, from county health clinics in libraries and offices, to Walmart and other big box stores, to CVS and other pharmacies. But are these alternative flu shot locations safe? What do you need to know before you get your flu shot in an alternative location?
H1N1 Swine Flu Update 2011-2012
As late as December 2011, H1N1 swine flu continues to make headlines - and infect people worldwide. Here are some updates about swine flu, including how it is affected by flu vaccines.
I Got a Flu Shot, So Why Did I Get the Stomach Flu?
Each year, many of us try to avoid getting a flu shot by explaining that we once got a flu shot, but we got the stomach flu anyway. Learn why this isn't a good excuse for avoiding a flu shot.
Seasonal Flu 2011 - 2012
Seasonal influenza and new diagnoses of H1N1 swine flu both continue to infect us in late 2011. Learn about the status of both seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu, how to prevent flu, what vaccines or flu shots are available , and what to do if you suspect you've come down with the flu.
What Is the Difference Between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans?
It's easy to be confused about Medicare plans. What is the basic plan offered by the government? What are those Medicare Advantage Plans? What on earth is Medigap? Here are the differences among those different types of Medicare plans.
Learn About Medicare's Never Events Policy
In 2008, Medicare instituted a never events policy intended to improve patient safety, refusing to pay for certain types of patient safety violations that occur in hospitals.
How to Choose the Best Hospital for You
When it comes time to be tested or treated in the hospital, it's best to make a serious effort to choose the hospital where we will receive the most effective and safest care.
The Affordable Care Act and Patient Satisfaction in Hospitals
One initiative implemented as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (formerly healthcare reform) is to align Medicare payments to hospitals with patient satisfaction scores, as determined by patient satisfaction surveys. Learn more about this initiative and what it means to patients.
The Napkin, the Melon and the Monkey by Barbara Burke
Sometimes lessons about navigating the dysfunction of healthcare are best learned by metaphor. The Napkin, the Melon and the Monkey is a business book that translates well to healthcare by teaching us how to face difficulties ourselves while learning to work well with others.
Donate Your Organs, Tissues or Body - An End of Life Decision
Many parts of the human body can be transplanted to other people to help improve or extend life. Making the decision to become an organ or body donor should be considered as we think about our end of life wishes.
How to Work With a Second Opinion Doctor
This is a process for working with your second opinion doctor to find the best outcomes for your medical condition.
What is a Personal Health Record (PHR)?
Personal health records, also known as personal medical records, are records kept by a patient to make his or her navigation through the American healthcare system more efficient and possibly safer.
Using Online Support Groups, Forums and Message Boards
Patients can learn from other patients through support groups, forums and message boards on the Internet. Find out what you can learn, and what precautions you should take before participating online.
Primary Care Physicians (PCPs)
We hear the term "primary care" -- savvy patients know exactly what PCPs do and what to expect from their care. GPs, internists, family practice, pediatrics, OB-GYN and geriatrics may all be considered primary care.
A Career as a Hospital Patient Advocate
When considering getting a job as a patient advocate, some people consider working for a hospital as a patient advocate or representative. Learn more about the work hospital patient advocates do and the qualifications for this career.
What is Medical Board Certification?
Patients are told to find a doctor who is board certified. Learn why it is important for physicians to be board certified in medical specialties and what the competencies are to make them eligible to be board certified.
What are HCPCS Codes?
HCPCS codes are Medicare codes and are used by doctors and other healthcare practitioners to describe and bill medical, surgical and diagnostic procedures used on patients. Here is more background on HCPCS codes.
Staying Healthy When You Travel Abroad
Traveling when you have health or medical challenges can be difficult, but traveling to international destinations can create even bigger challenges. Here are some tips for making sure you can manage your health problems if you decide to travel abroad.
What Are Health Savings Accounts?
A health savings account (HSA) is a great way to save money on healthcare, if you are eligible to use one, and if your health expenses aren't too high.
How Common Is Misdiagnosis or Missed Diagnosis?
If you have symptoms that won't go away, or you find treatment isn't working well for you, it's possible you have been misdiagnosed, or that your diagnosis has been missed. That may seem like a long shot, so you might want to understand better how common missed and misdiagnosis are.
An Overview of Patient Advocacy
Health and patients advocates provide many types of assistance and patient advocacy services. Here is an overview of health and patient advocacy with advocate resources included.
Medical Journals - Using Medical Journals for Health Research on the Internet
Medical journals can be useful for reading about current studies that relate to your diagnosis or possible treatment options. Understanding the basics of medical journals can help you find and translate the ones that will be most helpful to you.
Why Do Prescription Drug Errors Occur?
If your doctor prescribes a drug for you, it's possible that by the time the written or verbal prescription makes it through the dispensing process, you will be given the wrong drug or the wrong dosage or the wrong instructions. Empowered patients understand the perils of drug errors.
Using COBRA for Health and Medical Insurance Coverage
You may take advantage of COBRA for extending coverage of health insurance from most employers under certain qualifying circumstances. Those include being laid off or losing your job, or divorce, retirement or death of your spouse. Learn more about how COBRA works and what it covers.