The first step in controlling your cholesterol is a balanced diet and exercise. But, even with a good diet and exercise, you may need medicine to lower your cholesterol
If you’re facing a difficult medical decision, bring someone with you who can help you take an active role in your care when you’re not fully up to it.
One in five Medicare patients go back to the hospital within 1 month, but many of the problems that sent them back could have been avoided in the first place.
You shouldn’t have to worry about getting sick because of an infection while you’re in a hospital. Unfortunately, you have reason to be concerned.
Same-day surgery can result in lower costs and for some patients safer and more convenient–but no surgery is risk-free.
Finding the right medicine for you depends on balancing the benefits, side effects, and costs.
New guides alert you to the benefits and risks of treatments based on a review of the latest studies.
“Finding the right treatment that fits your needs can sometimes be tricky.”
At an easy-to-use Web site called Hospital Compare, you can find out how often patients treated at your hospital end up returning within 30 days.
With premiums for coverage rising, it may feel more like open season on your wallet–all the more reason to know your options.
Blood thinner pills require you to make lifestyle changes, such as taking them at the same time each day and making sure you don’t injure yourself.
You hope an accident or illness won’t send you to the ER. But being prepared can help you get good, timely, and safe care when should the need arises.
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
August 18, 2009
Our parents and grandparents share family values, traditions, and heirlooms with us to help define who we are. They also pass along genes that determine our eye color, height, and risk for developing certain medical conditions.
Decades of experience have shown us that inherited risks play a large role in [...]
The concept of a “medical home”—a clinic where you are followed by a team of primary care providers who know you and can coordinate your care—is getting more attention these days. (See NPR’s story on Swedish Medical Center’s “medical home” program in Ballard below.)
Here Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare [...]
An Aspirin a Day? The Answer is Different for Men and Women
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
August 4, 2009
Throughout the ages, the differences between men and women have been the subject of plays, movies, and books. Shakespeare poked fun at the topic.
And, more recently, books with titles like Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus explored [...]
Health Effects Of Comparing Care: No Easy Answers
By Joanne Silberner, NPR News
JUL 21, 2009
This story comes from NPR, a Kaiser Health News partner.
The Obama administration and Congress are moving forward with plans to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the various medical treatments for common health conditions, despite concerns of some lawmakers and the [...]
To reduce medical errors, hospitals are forming advisory councils where patients and health care professionals work together to improve safety.
In this column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, explains how these advisory councils work.
Hospital Advisory Councils Get Patients’ View on Safer Health Care
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
July [...]
By Elizabeth G. Olson
July 14, 2009
(This story is a collaboration between Kaiser Health News and The Washington Post.)
When 81-year-old Sally Darr needed nursing home care after injuring herself in a fall, her family turned to a new federal rating system for help.
The online tool uses movie-review-style ratings – one to five stars – to compare [...]
Men can help protect their health by using a checklist developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, writes Dr Carolyn M Clancy, the agency’s director, in her latest consumer-advice column.
Invisible Families: The homeless you don't see
They squeeze in with relatives, couch surf with friends or camp out in cars. More families are quietly becoming homeless, driven to the edge by a lack of jobs and affordable housing. The Seattle Times and its local news partners tackle the topic together. Project home
E-Health Records: Seattle is ahead of the curve
Health News from the Seattle Times
