Hispanics are less likely to see a doctor regularly than other ethnics groups. In fact, half of adult Hispanics reported that they did not see a doctor in 2008.
Tears in the rotator cuff are not a huge health setback. But they can limit movement and cause serious pain. There are several ways to treat rotator cuff tears, including surgery and non-surgical treatments. You’ll want to understand your options before you make a decision.
Bad reactions to medications are on the rise:
Between 1997 and 2008, hospital admissions doubled among Americans aged 45 and older for medication and drug-related conditions.
These hospital admissions include the effects of prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as illegal drugs.
Common problems: confusion, delirium and agitation; narcotic overdose; and symptoms of drug withdrawal from legal and illegal drug use.
Hospitals in the West had the fewest potentially preventable admissions (8 percent) while those in the South had the most (11 percent).
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 [...]
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 [...]
“Don’t assume your doctor has all the relevant information at his or her fingertips. Usually, in fact, the doctor does not.” — Dr. Carolyn Clancy In this month’s column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, provides tips on how to make sure you can get information from your [...]
Efforts to improve the quality of U.S. health care and reduce medical errors are proving to be disappointingly slow, writes Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in this column. “If you get sick or have surgery, you have only a 3 in 5 chance of getting the care [...]
Creating a “medical home” to help patients cope with chronic and often complicated health problems is really an old idea that is getting a new look as health providers try to find ways to improve the quality of care and reduce medical costs. In this column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Health [...]
Even modest weight loss can make a big difference in your health and how you feel: a loss of just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can reduce your blood pressure, lower your risk of diabetes, and improve your cholesterol levels. But how to get started? In today’s column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of [...]
When family budgets are tight, people often cut corners that can hurt their health. In her regular column, Dr Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, warns that such short cuts can be risky and gives suggestions on how best to save money while at the same time preserving your health.
Under new rules, Medicare will no longer pay hospitals for care needed because of medical errors. In her regular column, Dr Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, says the new rules should help make hospitals safer and improve the quality of hospital care.
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
Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.
Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
Add to Google
Recent Comments