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 [...]
Two articles on LocalHealthGuide today talk about end-of-life issues. Below is an article by Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, that we ran last month in which she explores end-of-life issues and provides links to useful resources where you can go to learn more. Talking about end-of-life treatment [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality July 7, 2009 It’s natural to avoid thinking—never mind talking—about dying. As a result, most people do not make their wishes clear to their loved ones or their health care providers. This includes many people who are nearing the end [...]
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.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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