Patient Care

Despite modern medicine's infatuation with high-tech gadgetry, the single most powerful diagnostic tool is the doctor-patient conversation, which can uncover the lion's share of illnesses. However, what patients say and what doctors hear are often two vastly different things. Patients, anxious to convey their symptoms, feel an urgency to "make their case" to their doctors. Doctors, under pressure to be efficient, multitask while patients speak and often miss the key elements.

As a third-year Harvard Medical student doing a clinical rotation in surgery, Ronald Epstein watched an experienced surgeon fail to notice his patient's kidney turning an ominous shade of blue. In that same rotation, Epstein was awestruck by another surgeon's ability to slow down and shift between autopilot and intentionality. The difference between these two doctors left a lasting impression on Epstein and set the stage for his life's work - to identify the qualities and habits that distinguish masterful doctors from those who are merely competent.

For over 30 years, it seems I have spent most of my waking hours as a patient at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. I have become a professional patient

While much has been written about the minds and methods of the medical professionals who save our lives, precious little has been said about their emotions. Physicians are assumed to be objective, rational beings, easily able to detach as they guide patients and families through some of life’s most challenging moments. But understanding doctors’ emotional responses to the life-and-death dramas of everyday practice can make all the difference on giving and getting the best medical care.

"Navigate the Parkinson's Maze: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients & Caregivers" offers an insightful and compassionate exploration of the challenges and triumphs associated with Parkinson's disease. Authored by Bruce D. Wright, PhD, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2005, this guide is grounded in personal experience and enriched by a deep understanding of the condition's medical, emotional, and practical aspects. The book begins with a personal story, drawing listeners into a journey of resilience and adaptation

Why do downcast, O my soul? A death sentence is handed down to a young man, but hope may still linger in the picturesque town of Acantilado del Mar. Stefan Campeau, a 27-year-old facing a terminal illness, seeks solace in the scenic town of Acantilado del Mar with his faithful dog by his side. However, fate has other plans as he encounters the last two people he wants to see - the beautiful Samantha and a mysterious oncologist, Dr. Miguel Calderón. While Samantha offers to care for Stefan's dog after his passing, Dr. Calderón convinces him to continue treatment. As Stefan delves deeper ...

Few experiences stir the emotions and throw a person into crisis as illness does. If affects not only the body but also the spirit and soul. Illness is about life and death, fear and hope, love and conflict, spirit and body. And yet, the healthcare system is not structured around these considerations—our doctors and other medical professionals are not trained to deal with the whole person.

Still Not Safe is the story of the rise of the patient - safety movement - and how an "epidemic" of medical errors was derived from a reality that didn't support such a characterization. Physician Robert Wears and organizational theorist Kathleen Sutcliffe trace the origins of patient safety to the emergence of market trends that challenged the place of doctors in the larger medical ecosystem.

The System Is Failing Patients. Will You Stand By and Watch? Every day, we see patients trapped in a system that was never designed to heal them. They’ve done everything the medical industry told them to do— They’ve taken the pain pills. They’ve tried injections that offered only temporary relief.Some have even gone under the knife—only to wake up in more pain than before. And now, they’re sitting in your office, desperate for an answer. The 60-year-old with crippling knee pain, told surgery is the only option. The young mom who just wanted relief—but got hooked on pain meds ...

Spirituality in Patient Care has earned a reputation as the authoritative introduction to the subject for health professionals interested in identifying and addressing the spiritual needs of patients. The body of research on religion, spirituality, and health continues to grow at a dramatic rate, creating an urgent need for a new edition of this landmark work. In this, the third edition, Harold G. Koenig, M.D., updates every chapter by incorporating the newest research and introducing sensible ways of translating that research into caring for patients.

Patients enter the medical system with faith that they will receive the best care possible, so when things go wrong, it's a profound and painful breach. Medical science has made enormous strides in decreasing mortality and suffering, but there's no doubt that treatment can also cause harm, a significant portion of which is preventable. In When We Do Harm, practicing physician and acclaimed author Danielle Ofri places the issues of medical error and patient safety front and center in our national healthcare conversation.

This book offers a clear, concise review for those preparing to become certified Clinical Medical Assistants. This guide is designed to complement more comprehensive textbooks and training materials by highlighting essential concepts in clinical procedures, patient care, and healthcare professionalism. Each chapter provides a focused overview of key topics such as phlebotomy, EKG procedures, infection control, medication safety, and communication with diverse patient populations. Rather than exhaustively covering every exam detail, this book helps readers identify high-yield topics and ...

An acclaimed medical expert and patient advocate offers an eye-opening look at many common and widely used medical interventions that have been shown to be far more harmful than helpful. Yet, surprisingly, despite clear evidence to the contrary, most doctors continue to recommend them.

Step into the realm of healthcare communication mastery with "The Independent Artisan of Words: Elevating Healthcare Communication - Part One." Tailored for freelance interpreters, this comprehensive guide immerses you in the intricate world of language interpretation within healthcare contexts. Unravel the complexities of medical terminology as you navigate the nuances of patient-provider communication. Through practical insights and real-world scenarios, you'll learn to decode medical jargon with precision and clarity, facilitating seamless interactions that enhance patient care. ...

A 'textbook with passion', Hardwiring Excellence offers a road map and practical how-to guide for creating and sustaining a culture of service and operational excellence. In this book, author Quint Studer, founder of Studer Group, draws on his personal experience as a former hospital executive who led two organizations to the top 1% in patient satisfaction and his experience coaching hundreds of healthcare organizations since.

Patients facing a cancer diagnosis often feel at the mercy of an illness they don't understand and in the hands of doctors offering treatments that focus on the cancer, instead of on the patient. In these patient-focused selections from Holistic Cancer Care, Chanchal Cabrera, a consulting medical herbalist with more than 20 years specializing in holistic oncology, provides an in-depth guide to using herb-based therapies in conjunction with conventional treatments.

In medical school, Matt McCarthy dreamed of being a different kind of doctor - the sort of mythical, unflappable physician who could reach unreachable patients. But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died his first night on call, he found himself scrambling. Visions of mastery quickly gave way to hopes of simply surviving hospital life, where confidence was hard to come by and no amount of med school training could dispel the terror of facing actual patients.

When you are told that you have leukemia, your world stops. Your brain can't function. You are asked to make decisions about treatment almost immediately, when you are not in your right mind. And yet you pull yourself together and start asking questions. Beside you is your doctor, whose job it is to solve the awful puzzle of bone marrow gone wrong. The two of you are in it together. In When Blood Breaks Down, Mikkael Sekeres, a leading cancer specialist, takes listeners on the journey that patient and doctor travel together.

In the quarter century that Victoria Sweet has been a doctor, "health care" has replaced medicine, "providers" (vastly outnumbered by administrators) look at their laptops more than at their patients, and the ruthless pursuit of efficiency has vanquished not only trust and intimacy but also, often, the effectiveness of treatment. Victoria Sweet knows that there is an alternative way, because she has lived and practiced it. In her new book, she reflects with compassion, wit, and profound insight.

This is a book of miracles - medical events witnessed by leading physicians for which there is no reasonable medical explanation, or, if there is, the explanation itself is extraordinary. These dramatic first-person essays detail spectacular serendipities, impossible cures, breathtaking resuscitations, extraordinary awakenings, and recovery from unimaginable disasters. Miracles We Have Seen is a book of inspiration and optimism, and a compelling glimpse into the lives of physicians.