Hot MedFax

Helicopter parent. I admit it.  Though it's morel like kamikaze, in my case. But a new study has alleviated my stress a little.  I let my teenager go in with the doctor alone on annual visits, unlike many other parents. Just 34 percent of parents say their teen discussed health concerns privately with a doctor without them in the room, and less than 10 percent say their teens can complete their health history form independently. Although I shouldn't congratulate myself too much.  I'm very lucky, my son is healthy and doesn't have any health concerns at this time.  But I do go in first with him and answer the doctor's questions about his general health, though I'm letting up a little on that, too.   “The majority of parents are managing teens’ health care visits, and their teens may be missing out on valuable opportunities to learn how to take ownership of their own health,” newswise.com quotes Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., associate director of the C.S....

Next time you're sick, don't call your doctor.  Consult your monitor. That's what's happening to medicine , writes Beth Carter at smartplanet.com, and it's completely transforming healthcare.  No longer do you need to see your doctor for a physical.  Now electronic monitors can track it, along with your fitness level, calories burned, heart rate and a brand-new application for detecting biomarkers in your blood can tell your doctor whether you need more potassium in your diet. Called InsideTracker, "By using insights drawn from blood work, the service helps individuals design his or her optimal diet and exercise program," Carter explains. As Carter notes, she recently learned that, while all her levels were fine, she was doing so much exercise she needed more potassium in her diet.  There's probably no way a doctor could tell you that without running a bunch of (expensive) tests, and who would even think to test that, anyway? So InsideTracker c...

I have a doctor I really like.  But she's never around.  She only works three days a week and they're never the days I need a prescription filled or a question answered.  I have to call her office a couple of times to get a prescription renewed.  My last one waited five days before she refilled it, and I ran out. So, should I fire her?  That's a question Kristen Gerencher asks in her WSJ article on the subject.  She writes, "If you're frustrated with communication problems, a disorganized staff or a doctor's poor bedside manner, a change may keep your health—and health costs—from suffering." Gerencher gives as the main reasons patients switch doctors (which actually doesn't happen very often, due to the hassles): Unclear explanations Delays in getting test results Hard-to-resolve billing issues (my all-time favorite: the man charged for a hysterectomy) Rushed office visits  "Like in any relationship, sometimes the chemistry just i...