“It took 2 years of questions and followup before actress and health advocate Fran Drescher learned she had uterine cancer,” writes Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in her new column. “Today,” she writes, “Ms. Drescher is an 8-year cancer survivor, due in large part to her asking [...]
One out of every five prescriptions written today are to treat a condition for which the drug has not been approved. Such “off-label” use of drugs is common because under the law doctors are given considerable freedom to use their clinical judgement when it comes to practicing medicine. Still, taking a drug for a condition [...]
“In health care, one size does not fit all, and treatments that are good for one patient aren’t necessarily good, or even safe, for you,” writes Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. To try to find out which treatments are best for which patients, Clancy’s agency has been [...]
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