What Does A Patient’s Dream Medical Office Look Like?

WHAT DOES A PATIENT'S DREAM MEDICAL OFFICE LOOK LIKE? Patients everywhere may disagree on waterfalls or colors, but we all know we want it to be comfortable and as clean as possible. And a vibrating massage chair and some chocolate wouldn't be bad either. This article shares the wish list of ideas from patients with a chronic illness. #NHBPM @wegohealth @Lisa Copen

Have you ever walked into a medical office and thought, if I see one more waterfall or People magazine I am going to scream? WEGO Health asks for their daily writing challenge “if you could, how would you redesign a medical office?" Day #7. Lisa Copen The medical office. The exam room. The hospital. Oh, how we would like to get our decorator's ideas out at some of those places where we spend so much time. I asked some of you what your dream medical office would look like and some of your answers were the exact opposite of one another. For example, some of you liked the water fountains found in many offices, others of you said you hated those. Maybe you have heard too much water trickling right before painful procedures and its … [Read more...]

Q/A: How Do I Get A Doctor Who Will Listen?

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Looking for a doctor who will listen, accept the challenges of your illness and stick with you? You are not alone in your search for a doctor who will fight for you. Have you had the experience of one doctor passing you off to another, and that one to another, and no one really wanting to "own" you as a patient? For a while I have felt I was the ball in a game of ping pong between my general practitioner and a specialist, each telling me to see the other. Currently, as new issues develop, I have become a "hot potato." My question is, what do you do to get doctors to listen and stop passing the buck? I am looking for suggestions beyond basics of talking to doctors. One thing I am finding helpful lately is to pray earnestly and … [Read more...]

When Chronically Ill People Are Assertive, Are We Not Taken Seriously?

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By Lisa Copen I had just received the third pink slip in two weeks from the lab that said my payment was passed due. Over three times I had called and my insurance company had assured me that the lab work was covered and that they would mail out a check that afternoon. This time, when I finally got a representative on the telephone, I was polite, but firm. I said that I wanted the problem taken care of immediately, and I wrote down her name and the supervisor's name. It was time to get even more assertive. When chronically ill people are assertive, is it not taken seriously? Is it assumed that we won't have the energy or stamina to fight all of the battles that we will face? When we do talk to someone in customer service, we are rarely … [Read more...]

Are Herbs Safer Than Drugs?

According to ExperimentalMedicine.org, "approximately 25 percent of Americans who consult their physician about a serious health problem are employing unconventional therapy, but only 70 percent of these patients inform their physician of such use." Since herbal products are not regulated for their purity & potency, like conventional drugs, there can be severe adverse effectss & drug interactions. They can even be different from one batch to another. David Kroll, Ph.D., a pharmacologist & consultant to the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine (DCIM) says, "The single greatest resource for people who want credible herbal information is a health care practitioner who is uniquely trained in both conventional & alternative medicine. Those … [Read more...]

Find Health Answers at Your Fingertips

Have you ever gone to an internet search engine website like Google to look up information on health? A survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 61 percent of adults say they look online for health information. There’s a new term for this: e-patients. E- patients take internet searches a step further. Not only do they occasionally conduct internet searches about health; but they become involved in online groups & organizations dedicated to a particular aspect of their health. The upside? We can find people out there who know what we are going through. We can become involved in discussions with other patients like ourselves who have experienced the same side effects, the same pain, & most importantly, some of the … [Read more...]

Why Won’t My Doctor Treat Me?

What do you suggest to a patient who likely has a chronic illness but whose doctor refuses to treat her or refer her to a specialist? I have a friend whose doctor insists on treating her with antibiotics to treat the symptoms, but not the illness. It has been going on for over a year. She is suffering & getting depressed. —name withheld Does your friend have an HMO that requires her primary physician to be a “gate keeper?” In this model, doctors must cut costs by limiting referrals. It may be necessary to contact the HMO administration to dem& a second opinion. Read the fine print in the insurance packet before calling. Alternatively, she may request a new primary physician. These two processes will take … [Read more...]

Americans Welcome Conversation w/ Doctor About Faith

According to Newsweek, more than half of the med schools in the country now offer courses on spirituality & medicine; just a decade ago, only 3 schools did. This is largely because patients are dem&ing more spiritual care. A Newsweek Poll found that 72 percent of Americans say they would welcome a conversation with their physician about faith; the same number say they believe that praying to God can cure someone—even if science says the person doesn’t st& a chance. Tell your doctor you’d like to see more physicians trained to underst& spirituality & medicine. (Newsweek, Nov. 10, 2003). … [Read more...]

Are You a “Difficult Patient”?

What is so terrible about wanting to look at our own medical records? Someone brought this video to my attention recently--a Seinfeld clip, in which Elaine looks at her folder in the doctor's office & sees that a previous doctor recorded that she was "difficult." It has a whole new meaning now that doctors & medical charts are part of my daily life. I hope it brings you a smile. … [Read more...]

When The Doctor Becomes Ill: Interview with Carrie Carter, MD

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Lisa sits down with doctor Carrie Carter to discuss how life changed for this doctor one day when she because the patient. This is reprinted from HopeKeepers Magazine, 2004. "I woke up feeling better than usual & I’m not a morning person. I was driving to work & pulled into the parking lot when everything around me began spinning so fast I couldn’t see anything & didn’t know where I was. I held onto the steering wheel & the pinwheel feeling lasted a few minutes. Finally it settled enough so that I could see the horizon & I pulled my car over. That was the last time I drove.” Dr. Carrie Carter had spent years studying to become knowledgeable about medical conditions & nutritional supplements. But in the … [Read more...]

How Has The New Age Movement Affected The Medical Field?

The New Age Movement has a lot to say about spirituality, but it rejects Christ’s claim of absolute truth.  The idea that truth is a matter of personal preference has influenced our culture, our political system, & even our churches.  It comes as no surprise that New Age philosophy has affected the field of medicine. Modern “conventional” medicine sprang from the uniquely Christian idea that truth never changes.  Shamanism & alchemy were utterly debunked in the intellectual wildfire sparked by the reformation of the Christian Church.  Science as we know it was born. Now “alternative” medicine is gaining ground, offering a more spiritual approach to physical healing.  Unfortunately, the religious philosophy it is based … [Read more...]