by Darol Joseff, Nancy Oster, Lucy Thomas
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Product Description
Millions are involved in healthcare decisions--whether we want to be or not. We may be looking for the latest advance, complementary treatments for a chronic condition, or advice on protecting ourselves from cost-cutting medicine. Making Informed Medical Decisions acts as a friendly reference librarian, giving you context for your search, with subject matter including: Tips for researching for someone elseReading a journal article (and understanding what it says)Making practical sense of statistics and riskUnderstanding variations and advances in standard treatment optionsExploring complementary treatments Locating a likely clinical trialMaking a powerful ally of your doctor Authors Oster, Thomas, and Joseff offer the viewpoints of patient advocate, medical librarian, and medical doctor and also share the stories of dozens of patients and family members.
Amazon.com Review
In the world of modern medicine, a lot of us feel as if we're on our own when it comes to making decisions about our health. Sometimes the problems that arise are a slam-dunk--the symptoms are clear-cut, the treatment is standard, the results are immediate. But often we're faced with problems our doctor hasn't seen before, or that are more annoying than life-threatening, and we have to do our own research and draw our own conclusions. Nancy Oster (a medical writer), Lucy Thomas (a medical librarian), and Dr. Darol Joseff (a physician) teach an adult-education course on finding health-related information on the Internet, and this book arose from their students' requests for more in-depth techniques and strategies to uncloak their own medical mysteries. The authors recommend that the search for a medical solution begin and end with a doctor--someone who can offer a diagnosis, and then help you sort out the information you find on your own. What happens in between is in play. Nowadays it seems a foregone conclusion that you'll head to the Internet for information. "The Internet, however, has no central catalog and no review or oversight process to control the quality of information you'll find," the authors note. In other words, it's a short hop from legitimate medical information to "aspartame causes brain tumors," with no referee to tell you when you've hopped out of bounds. Although the tips on searching the Internet and medical libraries are the highlights of Making Informed Medical Decisions, the authors also include vital information regarding your rights as a patient, interpreting health statistics, and seeking alternative therapies. Those who have been recently diagnosed with a chronic or life-altering medical condition would seem to be the most natural audience for this book, but many families will also want to keep it nearby--and then hope they never need to use it. --Lou Schuler
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Average Customer Review:
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
An essential companion for patients, 2001-03-05
In a time of personal crisis, when you or a loved one is stricken with a serious illness, it's daunting task, both emotionally and intellectually, to inform yourself fully. There's so much to learn, and it's often so scary and confusing. It's hard to know where to go, and what information to trust. The temptation is to simply place your faith blindly in your doctor's recommendation, and hope for the best. And yet, it's clear that the best medical decisions are fully informed and made in partnership with physicians.This excellent guide is the perfect companion for patients and their families to learn how to negotiate the health care system, make the best choices, and get the best care possible. It's accessible, thorough and above all, intelligent. It makes the issues comprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the medical world, yet never condescends. It's exactly the kind of book I could have really used when I was diagnosed with cancer twelve years ago, and I'm so grateful it now exists. These are tools that everyone needs.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
A necessary guide, 2001-03-02
At some point in time, all of us will have need for this book. We no longer can count on the overworked doctor to know everything about every disease and it is up to us to question, learn and become advocates for our health and health care. This book gives you the guidance necessary to become an informed advocate for your own health care. The book guides you through doctor's visits, how to get clarification of your condition and understand the impact of the particular disease you are dealing with. Numerous resources; experts, print and the web, are discussed, with the pros and cons of each presented and tips for evaluating their reliability. The authors also present information concerning researching standard treatment options for health conditions as well as alternative treatments. Most importantly, I believe, they also encourage reaching out to others who have already been there, with information for locating people who have been through it. The book is well organized, extremely clear and very easy to read. It is a fantastic source of information for anyone who finds they need to research health issues for themselves, friends or family members. I would highly recommend it for anyone to have as a medical reference.
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