"I observe the
physician with the same diligence as
the disease."
--John
Donne
Many people who wouldn’t
buy a toaster without
consulting Consumer Reports become meek and
deferential in the presence of a stethoscope and a
long white coat. Otherwise well-informed people find
it difficult to judge the quality of their medical
care and to play a meaningful role in the medical
decisions whose consequences they will have to live
with.
Examining Your Doctor
was the first book to teach
consumers to systematically evaluate the competence of
their doctors and the quality of their medical care.
More than anything, Examining Your Doctor explains how
to think about doctors and the practice of medicine,
and to take control of your medical care.
Examining Your Doctor has been endorsed by both medical authorities--mainstream and alternative--and by health care activists.
Read Reviews.
- A selection of Consumer
Reports Books
- Excerpted in the June
and July 1995 issues of Public
Citizen’s Health Letter (lead story in both issues)
- Excerpted in Men’s
Health, October 1995
- Due to the publisher’s
bankruptcy, the book is
currently out-of-print. It is still available in many
public libraries and used copies can be found in
places like Amazon.com
and Half.com.
Excerpts
Originally published on America Online’s Health channel.
Different
Doctors
Detecting
Problems Early with Screening Tests
Credentials,
Part 1
Credentials,
Part 2
Are
Specialists Better?
Preventing
Diseases with Vaccines
Is
Your Doctor Doing A Good Physical Examination, Part 1
Is
Your Doctor Doing A Good Physical Examination, Part 2
Getting
Good Care from an HMO, Part 1
Getting
Good Care from an HMO, Part 2
Getting
Good Care from an HMO, Part 3
Avoiding
Defensive Medicine
Avoiding
Unnecessary Routine Tests
Deciding
Whether You Need To Have A Test
Go
Where The Money Is
Making
Sure You Get The Right Test
Think
Twice About Surprising Results
False
Positive Tests
Follow
The Money
Do
Your Doctor Visits Feel Like an Indy 500 Pit Stop
Is
Your Doctor Taking Enough Time To Do The Job Right
How
Well Does Your Doctor Prescribe Drugs
Before
Taking a Drug, Make Sure the Diagnosis is Correct
Avoiding
Unnecessary Prescriptions
How
Drug Marketing Leads to Inappropriate Prescribing
Weighing
the Risks and Benefits of Drug Therapy
Choosing
the Safest Drug
Two
Techniques to Lessen the Risk of Drug Side Effects
Does
Your Doctor Know When to Intervene?
Sometimes
the Best Treatment is no Treatment
Tough
Treatment Decisions
How
Your Race, Gender, and Age Can Affect What the Doctor Recommends
When
Less is More: The Example of Childbirth
Weighing
the Risks and the Benefits of Medical Interventions
Is
This the Right Surgeon?
An
Ounce of Prevention
Does
Your Doctor Keep you Waiting Too Long?
Does
Your Doctor Know How to Talk to You?
Don't
Let Your Doctor Infect You
Getting
Good Medical Care When You Have an Addiction
Is
Your Doctor a Good Teacher?
Is
Your Doctor Misdiagnosing Environmental and Job-Related Illnesses?
Is
Your Doctor Out of Date?
Is
Your Doctor Practicing Good Preventive Medicine
Let's
Talk About Sex
Should
You Take Medication to Lower Your Cholesterol?
Taking
Control of Your Medical Care
Tests
in the Doctor's Office
The
Connection Between Emotions, Health and Disease
Socialization
of Doctors
Why
do smart people have such a hard time telling a good doctor from
a bad one?
Would
They Recommend an Operation if You Had Different Health Insurance? |
