Monday, May 4, 2015

"IT'S YOUR HEALTH......REALLY! ( Consumers Corner)

Greetings, Today's Consumer Corner is going to be about Your Health and how to handle it, concentrating on your doctor's and hospital visits. This blog is a result of being on both ends of the stream. I have been patient and Medical Personnel in Nursing etc. as well. So here are a few tips: 1. Demand Respect. I mean by Demanding I mean very nicely...Demand Respect. We all know about The HIPAA Law that requires a patients confidentially and privacy, but what about a RMAAP Law...."Respect me as a patient" If I owe a co-payment or something...Respect Me, Don't tell the whole world, or humiliate me if I don't happen to have it that day. You don't know my circumstances. Don't put up with that. 2. Your Doctor's Visits: a). How comfortable are you with your physician and staff? Be careful not to see a doctor because your family all the way back to The Flintstones always saw them. Make your own assessment. b). How much time do they spend with you? Unfortunately, some insurance companies...Especially HMO's require a doctor to only spend 15 minutes with their patients. That's Pitiful! Too bad that requirement by some insurance companies couldn't of been removed by The Affordable Health Care Act. I Mean, You break your neck to get there, pay for gas, bus fare and the like and pay a co-payment, right? Well after all of that, they need to give you your due time of a Patient/Doctor Quality Visit. Thank God that some Good Physicians do not worry about getting bonuses from insurance companies but will spend all the time that they need with a patient. 3. PRESCRIPTIONS: Know what your doctor is giving you. Ask him or her many questions about your meds. And when you ask if there are any side effects, and they say none....Red Flag! There are Always side Effects. And your doctor may just want to push it to get some walking around money from The Pharmaceutical Company. Do your Own Homework. It really upsets me when I am at a pharmacy and I hear a Good Pharmacist ask a Senior Citizen..."Do you know why your doctor is giving you this medication"? And a lot of times the answer from the senior is.."No, He just gave it to me". Listen, if you have a senior parent or loved one, don't let them go to the doctor by themselves. or at least talk with the Pharmacist Before they fill their prescription. And listen, Old or Young, know what your doctor is giving you. Don't be fooled. All Dementia cases does not stem from age. but they can also come from meds that do not cross reference well. And meds that a person should of Never been given in the first place. 4. TEST RESULTS: Know your full test Results. First of all, ask your doctor why he or she is a running a particular test. And then when the results come back, go over them with your doctor line by line. I don't care if it will take more than 15 minutes of their time. Make them tell you. Please, don't just accept a phone call or a letter that saids..."Your Test are Normal" I mean yes, that is Good News. But it may not be the Whole Story. Sometimes levels of blood test may bLe borderline, or not normal for your medical history. And probably should be repeated in 3-6 months. But you will not know that, if you do not press them for exact answers. Thank God that more hospitals are using "My Chart" where a patient can look up their results on line. Too many medical conditions have been missed by a quick blanket interpretation of a test result. The same goes for Cat Scans, Mri's ,Ultra Sounds and the like. For Example. If your Hemoglobin as a post menopausal woman has always been 14.5. But now it is 12.75. Even though that may fall close to a Normal range for the lab, It is not normal for you. And it should be investigated to find out why it changed. And on the note of Women..You know your body, if you know that something is wrong with your menstrual, pelvis, breast or anything. Don't let the doctor dismiss you by saying that I wouldn't worry about that. You know when something is wrong. And I don't care how many test that they ran....if They didn't find Nothing...Take it again! Because you know your body! AND THIS GOES TRIPPLE FOR YOUR CHILD AND THEIR PEDIATRICIAN!! So, be your own Advocate. If you have a Good Doctor who takes time with you, explain things and listens.. You need to Praise God for that. But if you don't...start looking for another doctor. Because It's Your Body. You are the Patient, the Doctor works for You. So in a nice but bold way, Demand Respect and Excellent Health Care. For "It's Your Health...Really!" Blessings PastorD

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