Patients Are Powerful

Archive for the ‘patient issues’ Category

My chiropractic clinic is right next door to a veterinary clinic. The clinic, run by two veterinarians who are husband and wife, is very popular in town. I, personally, like the fact that the veterinarians take a holistic approach to treating their animal patients. But, what I like best is the big, furry Burmese cat that “owns” the clinic. She basks in the sunshine that streams into the two front offices and whenever I walk by, she gives me her full attention. If I put my hands on the outside of the window, she rubs her body against the glass as if she can actually feel me petting her. And, though I can’t actually hear her, I’ve always suspected that she’s purring peacefully on the other side. I have to say that I feel instantly happier after our little encounters. I had a cat companion for nineteen years, and since her passing last year, I have found that even though I do yoga and meditation, “Hazel” was the best stress reducer in my life.

As a chiropractor I am always looking for natural, drug-free approaches to health, and I can’t think of anything more naturally healthy than having a pet (as long as a person doesn’t suffer from allergies, of course!). You could say that pets are very similar to patient advocates. They are genuinely happy to see you, they offer unconditional attention and affection, and their goal is to help you to feel better, even if it is just to sit with you when you need companionship.

Many studies have shown that having a pet can actually help to control blood pressure. One such study compared a group of hypertensive patients that owned pets with another group that did not. While both groups remained on blood pressure medications, the  dog and cat owners were less likely to experience spikes in blood pressure and heart rate due to tension and stress.

Pets have also been shown to be helpful for people who tend to suffer from depression or anxiety. After all, it’s human nature to feel less sad or anxious, no matter whatever else may be going on, when a cat rubs up against you and purrs, or a dog looks adoringly in your eyes as if you are truly someone special. And, just as their human counterparts are able to help patients who are having a hard time dealing with an illness, pets have been shown to be helpful, too.  Researchers have found that people who have been diagnosed with difficult diseases are more able to cope with their situation when they are in constant contact with a pet.

So, if you’ve been feeling “down in the dumps,” a furry patient advocate may be able to help. In that case, an animal shelter may have just what you need!

Technorati Tags: anxiety, blood pressure control, depression, dogs and cats, pets, stress reduction

I’m a Chicago chiropractor, and I believe in a holistic approach to health. Naturally, I believe in chiropractic care. I also believe that “you are what you eat,” and that exercise and a good night’s sleep are essential for good health. Most of the time, good health depends on what you put into your body to give it what it needs to function optimally. But, an essential component to being healthy also lies in what you “don’t do,” i.e., what you don’t put into your body, like avoiding fruits and vegetables that are sprayed with pesticides, and not drinking your spring water out of plastic bottles that contain BPA.

Just as patients are powerful when it comes to reforming health care, consumers are powerful when it comes to reforming product safety standards. Along those lines, I just read a really good article on Enviroblog: “BPA: Can consumer revolt trump K Street?” The blog post is all about Massachusetts’ strictly voluntary approach to reducing human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). On Monday, August 3rd, the state Department of Public Health issued a warning to parents and caretakers to avoid BPA-based polycarbonate baby bottles and infant formula packaged in cans lined with epoxy resin, another material whose key component is BPA.

Apparently, the Massachusetts advisory lacks the force of laws enacted earlier this year by Minnesota and Connecticut legislators, who have banned BPA in baby bottles and other containers used by young children. But, health warnings can spur consumer resistance that can change the marketplace faster than laws and regulations.

There’s a lot more interesting (and inspiring) information contained in the blog. You can read it at www.enviroblog.org. But, the point to remember is that change, really, is up to you. As a patient and a consumer, you are powerful and you can make a difference.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, health

As an Orlando Chiropractor, I felt a sinking feeling when I read this NY Times story. One can only hope that patient interests are truly being taken into account.

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A back-pain researcher, Dr. Richard Deyo, recalls the uproar the last time federal officials tried to suggest how doctors should practice their craft.

It was in the mid-1990’s, when Dr. Deyo helped develop federal guidelines urging surgeons not to perform spinal fusions to treat acute pain.

Spine specialists quickly attacked the report, calling it flawed. One medical device maker, Medtronic, sued unsuccessfully to block its release.

Now, 15 years later, the Obama Administration is entering this same medical minefield.

The Administration plans to spend $1.1 billion over the next few years on studies like the one conducted by Dr. Deyo, to compare the effectiveness of competing treatments for common conditions like back pain, heart disease and prostate cancer.

Supporters include many medical researchers, consumer groups, unions and insurers.

The New England Journal of Medicine, published several articles Wednesday supporting the federal effort and rebutting arguments raised by critics.

But potential opponents — which include medical products companies, some doctors and their political allies — warn that the comparative effectiveness movement could lead to inadequate treatment for some patients and even the rationing of health care.

“It is not difficult to see how you can get on a slippery slope very easily,” said Tony Coelho, a former Democratic Congressman who is head of a new industry-backed Washington group called the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, formed to lobby on the comparative effectiveness effort.

Among others, the group is backed by the major trade organizations that represent producers of drugs, medical devices and biological treatments.

Critics like Mr. Coelho also point to a British government agency, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, which considers costs in judging a treatment’s effectiveness.

Whether cost should be a factor in this country was a hot-button issue during the Congressional debate in February, when the comparative-effectiveness funding was approved as part of the economic stimulus package.

Despite that assurance, even supporters of the effort say one goal in identifying effective medical treatments is to stop wasting money on those of little value.

For now, proponents and critics are warily circling one another, as the first administrative steps of the process unfold.

A panel of government health experts is holding a series of public hearings at which people can suggest medical conditions for comparative effectiveness reviews.

“If this research is done in a rigorous way and doesn’t pull strings, then a lot of pressure will come to bear,” on the process, said Dr. Deyo, a professor at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

Some conservative and libertarian think tanks, as well as commentators like Rush Limbaugh, have attacked the comparative effectiveness effort as a step towards socialized medicine.

But for now, both Mr. Coelho’s opposition group, as well as drug and device makers, are using more measured rhetoric.

Coelho, a former House Democratic leader who resigned in 1989 over a controversial junk-bond investment, says his organization does not oppose the concept of comparative effectiveness.

His organization includes patient advocacy groups like the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which also receive funding from medical products companies.

Coelho, who was a driving force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act, points to his own experiences with epilepsy, which he has had since he was a teenager, as an example of how patients need to be treated individually.

Under the comparative effectiveness program, the Department of Health and Human Services and two agencies under it –the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality — will fund studies that will look at various treatments as well as pay for the development of information -gathering tools like databases of patients being treated for a certain condition.

Right now, “there is no place that helps you sort through a specific option and how that compares to another,” said Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The agency, back when it was known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, was the federal body Dr. Deyo worked with in drafting the back pain guidelines in the mid-90’s.

More recently, officials of the Oregon Evidence-Based Practice Center, began producing reports a few years ago comparing the effectiveness of competing drugs, both brand name and generic, in treating specific conditions.

Wherever they went, Dr. Helfand said, he and his colleagues met resistance from drug makers and some patient groups that had rallied to the companies’ side, who raised the same arguments that critics of comparative effectiveness are raising today. The Practice Center’s research, which is continuing, is now used by 14 states.

“Ironically, the motivation for comparative effectiveness is to see what works in practice,” he said, “rather than over generalizing from a few unrepresentative studies.”

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Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/business/07compare.html?hpw

Technorati Tags: comparing medical treatments, consumer groups, medical treatment

Cerebral palsy is a brain disorder that affects the motor skills of a person. This affliction is usually acquired before, during, and after birth and will tend to stay for the rest of their life. There are treatments and therapy available to make cerebral palsy patient’s lives more normal. It is a necessary to know your patient rights.

Cerebral Palsy can alter the lives of children and their family. If you have a child with Cerebral Palsy, it can drastically change the way you live your life forever. Most families don’t have the financial capability to cover the cost of treatment and therapies for their child who has Cerebral Palsy. For this, you can consult a Cerebral Palsy Attorney to get the compensation you need and in some cases, get you discounts on medications and treatments in the hospital.

You can join Cerebral Palsy Associations for additional help, but these organizations can only do so much. There are many patient issues. They often have so many Cerebral Palsy patients that are in need of financial support that they tend to make you wait for your turn.

They can investigate if your child has acquired the condition because of mishandling them during birth, causing brain damage so they can file a lawsuit against the doctor or the hospital. If you want the proper compensation, you can obtain it by hiring a Cerebral Palsy lawyer.

If you think that there has been birth or delivery mistakes that may have caused the child’s condition, you should immediately contact a Cerebral Palsy attorney in order to get you the right compensation.

These kinds of lawsuits can really provide you with more than enough money for the treatment and medication for your child who has Cerebral Palsy.

Another great thing about Cerebral Palsy attorneys is that you won’t have to pay them a dime until they get you your compensation.

Mishandling a child during birth is a very common cause of Cerebral Palsy. So, you should not erase this on the list of possible causes and you can really make the doctor or the hospital pay for what they are responsible for.

You can also hire a Cerebral Palsy Attorney to let the hospital give you a cheaper treatment fee for your child. This can really benefit you because Cerebral Palsy therapy is often a long term therapy and can really cost a lot of money.

Always remember that Cerebral Palsy treatment can be expensive. You can always seek help from Cerebral Palsy attorneys to get you the proper compensation and also get you a cheap treatment for your child with Cerebral Palsy.

Technorati Tags: Cerebral Palsy, patient issues, patient rights