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“Honey, what did the doctor say?”
“I have no idea!”
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Hi! My name is Dr. Wise, and I have a family I care very much about just like you do. If you are reading this book, then I am going to make the assumption that you have an interest in learning about the medical conditions and diseases that are most likely to both affect the individual members of your family and impact your family as a whole.
The American Medical Association reports that approximately 90 million Americans have trouble understanding medical information. It is NOT the patients’ fault in my opinion.
The current system of healthcare in the United States no longer permits our country’s physicians to spend quality educational time with their patients. This system of health insurance is referred to as “managed care.” This term encompasses Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), and other similar programs run by the health insurance companies. Managed care companies certainly provide valuable health insurance for us, but make no mistake—they are in business to make money. As such, they contract with doctors to see their enrolled members at greatly discounted fees. For example, if I charge $100 for a particular procedure or type of appointment, the insurance companies typically only pay me $50-60, sometimes less in the case of Medicare. As a result, many if not most physicians are forced to see more patients each day to compensate for the revenue lost to insurance companies. As you can see, if I have to see 20 patients a day rather than 15, I am forced to spend less time with every patient!
In the current medical climate, the time that patient and doctor spend together must now focus on diagnosis and treatment only. There is no longer time for doctors to ask, “How’s the family?” or “How’s business going?” There is no longer time for doctors to sit down with patients and explain what types of tests are being ordered and why. There is no longer time to explain how the medications being prescribed work and what the possible side effects of the medication might be. There is no longer the time for doctors to go over the results of laboratory panels and explain the significance of each test ordered and why it may or may not be of importance to the patient. There is no longer time for discussions to educate the patient and/or family about the importance of preventive topics such as smoking, weight loss, cancer screening, etc. Healthcare in the twenty-first century is more complex than ever before, but that doesn’t mean that patients and families should have to be kept in the dark about their health. Everyone has the right to know as much about their personal health as they wish, and this right should not be infringed upon by the current state of our healthcare system. You have the right to be educated about your health and the health of your family!
“As I see it, every day you do one of two things:
build health or produce disease in yourself.”
- Adelle Davis
Help is here! This book is designed for the entire family. My goal is for you, the reader, to gain a much greater understanding of 10 of the most common medical topics that are most likely to affect each and every member of your family. There are topics in this book for children, adults, and seniors alike. I have endeavored to write each chapter with as little “doctor-speak” as possible. Medical language and terminology are either left out entirely or are easily explained in a way that you WILL understand. It does not matter if you are an accountant, a plumber, a lawyer, a driver, a housewife, a househusband, a teacher, or a retiree. The things you will learn in this book will improve your health, improve the health of your family members, and make all of your future visits to the doctor less intimidating, more enjoyable, and vastly more productive!
The book includes chapters that deal with common topics such as ear infections, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine headaches, cancer prevention, depression, and losing weight.
It is my sincere hope that this book is a helpful, educational tool for your family, and an easy and enjoyable read as well. My goal? For you and your family to Live Health-Wise. So, let’s get started!
“The first wealth is health.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1860) |
