Caring for the M.E. Patient

Caring for the M.E. Patient PDF Author: Jodi Bassett
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 144529639X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Book Description
Essential information on the neurological disease M.E. sourced from the world's leading M.E. experts. Suitable for M.E. patients, their friends and family, partners, carers or doctors. The book includes a foreword by international M.E. expert Dr Byron Hyde. M.E.is a distinct neurological disease and is not at all the same thing as 'CFS.' Learning the facts is not time-consuming or complicated. Supporting your ill friend or family member or patient more fully by being aware of the basic facts of M.E. could make all the difference in the world to them. This book shows you how. Jodi Bassett is the founder of the international M.E. charity, HFME. Jodi contracted M.E. in 1995 when she was just 19. HFME contributors also aim to advocate for those non-M.E. patients who have been given the always meaningless 'CFS' diagnosis, and subsequently denied correct diagnosis and treatment.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309316928
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Book Description
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are serious, debilitating conditions that affect millions of people in the United States and around the world. ME/CFS can cause significant impairment and disability. Despite substantial efforts by researchers to better understand ME/CFS, there is no known cause or effective treatment. Diagnosing the disease remains a challenge, and patients often struggle with their illness for years before an identification is made. Some health care providers have been skeptical about the serious physiological - rather than psychological - nature of the illness. Once diagnosed, patients often complain of receiving hostility from their health care provider as well as being subjected to treatment strategies that exacerbate their symptoms. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome proposes new diagnostic clinical criteria for ME/CFS and a new term for the illness - systemic exertion intolerance disease(SEID). According to this report, the term myalgic encephalomyelitis does not accurately describe this illness, and the term chronic fatigue syndrome can result in trivialization and stigmatization for patients afflicted with this illness. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome stresses that SEID is a medical - not a psychiatric or psychological - illness. This report lists the major symptoms of SEID and recommends a diagnostic process.One of the report's most important conclusions is that a thorough history, physical examination, and targeted work-up are necessary and often sufficient for diagnosis. The new criteria will allow a large percentage of undiagnosed patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will be a valuable resource to promote the prompt diagnosis of patients with this complex, multisystem, and often devastating disorder; enhance public understanding; and provide a firm foundation for future improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

Patient Safety and Quality

Patient Safety and Quality PDF Author: Ronda Hughes
Publisher: Department of Health and Human Services
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 592

Book Description
"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

The Empowered Patient

The Empowered Patient PDF Author: Elizabeth S. Cohen
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345523113
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
The facts are alarming: Medical errors kill more people each year than AIDS, breast cancer, or car accidents. A doctor’s relationship with pharmaceutical companies may influence his choice of drugs for you. The wrong key word on an insurance claim can deny you coverage. Through real life stories, including her own, and shrewd advice, CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen shows you how to become your own advocate and navigate the minefield of today’s health-care system. But there’s good news. Discover how to • find a doctor who “gets” you and listens to you • ask the right questions for the best treatment • make the most out of a short office visit • cut out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs • harness the power of the Internet for medical issues • fight back when claims are denied Combining the personal stories of patients across America with crucial advice on receiving the best possible health care, this guide will enable you to confront an often confusing and perilous system—and come out ahead.

Transforming Health Care

Transforming Health Care PDF Author: Charles Kenney
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439863091
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
For decades, the manufacturing industry has employed the Toyota Production System the most powerful production method in the world to reduce waste, improve quality, reduce defects and increase worker productivity. In 2001, Virginia Mason Medical Center, an integrated healthcare delivery system in Seattle, Washington set out to achieve its compe

Psychiatric Care of the Medical Patient

Psychiatric Care of the Medical Patient PDF Author: Barry S. Fogel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019021337X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 1248

Book Description
The third edition of Psychiatric Care of the Medical Patient brings a classic reference text into the twenty-first century. It combines critical scholarship with the voice of expert clinicians who work at the interface of psychiatry with medical specialties. It is meant to be read for pleasure as well as consulted as a reference. The editors have worked with the authors to bring a consistent perspective to the book - one that sees the medical psychiatrist as an agent for bringing a more comprehensive perspective to medical care. Even seasoned and knowledgeable practitioners will find much that is new to them in this book. The volume covers topics in depth that other books in the field may not cover at all, such as the use of herbal and nutritional therapies for medical-psychiatric symptoms and syndromes, and the choice of questionnaires to supplement history-taking. It looks at old topics in a new way: The chapter on the physical examination applies psychometric considerations to the Babinski sign, describes the method and application of quantitative bedside olfactory testing, and discusses smartphone apps to improve the sensitivity of the examination. Psychiatric Care of the Medical Patient, 3rd Edition provides concepts and information to facilitate the dialogue between psychiatrists and general medical specialists - minimizing psychiatric jargon and speaking in the common language of caring and curious physicians.

Through the Patient's Eyes

Through the Patient's Eyes PDF Author: Margaret Gerteis
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 360

Book Description
Sponsored by the Picker/Commonwealth Program for Patient-Centered Care In this comprehensive, research-based look at the experiences and needs of patients, the authors explore models of care that can make hospitalization more humane. Through the Patient's Eyes provides insights into why some hospitals are more patient-centered than others; how physicians can become more involved in patient-centered quality efforts; and how patient-centered quality can be integrated into health care policy, standards, and regulations. The authors show how, by bringing the patient's perspective to the design and delivery of health services, providers can improve their ability to meet patient's needs and enhance the quality of care.

The Informed Patient

The Informed Patient PDF Author: Karen A. Friedman
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501714074
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Book Description
Even the most capable individuals are challenged when confronted with the complexity of the modern hospital experience. The Informed Patient is a guide and a workbook, divided into topical, focused sections with step-by-step instructions, insights, and tips to illustrate what patients and their families can expect during a hospital stay. Anyone who will experience a hospital stay—or friends or family who may be in charge of a patient’s care—will find all the help and advice they could need in the detailed sections that cover every aspect of what they can expect. Karen A. Friedman, MD, and Sara L. Merwin, MPH, offer hands-on advice about how patients, health care providers, and medical staff can work together to achieve good outcomes. Through anecdotes, tips, sidebars, and clinical scenario vignettes, The Informed Patient presents ways to enhance and optimize a hospital stay, from practical advice on obtaining the best care to dealing with the emotional experience of being in the hospital.

Approaching Death

Approaching Death PDF Author: Committee on Care at the End of Life
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309518253
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 425

Book Description
When the end of life makes its inevitable appearance, people should be able to expect reliable, humane, and effective caregiving. Yet too many dying people suffer unnecessarily. While an "overtreated" dying is feared, untreated pain or emotional abandonment are equally frightening. Approaching Death reflects a wide-ranging effort to understand what we know about care at the end of life, what we have yet to learn, and what we know but do not adequately apply. It seeks to build understanding of what constitutes good care for the dying and offers recommendations to decisionmakers that address specific barriers to achieving good care. This volume offers a profile of when, where, and how Americans die. It examines the dimensions of caring at the end of life: Determining diagnosis and prognosis and communicating these to patient and family. Establishing clinical and personal goals. Matching physical, psychological, spiritual, and practical care strategies to the patient's values and circumstances. Approaching Death considers the dying experience in hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings and the role of interdisciplinary teams and managed care. It offers perspectives on quality measurement and improvement, the role of practice guidelines, cost concerns, and legal issues such as assisted suicide. The book proposes how health professionals can become better prepared to care well for those who are dying and to understand that these are not patients for whom "nothing can be done."

The Putting Patients First Field Guide

The Putting Patients First Field Guide PDF Author: Planetree Foundation
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118450086
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
"This book answers 'why not' and 'how to' for health care accreditation bodies, quality experts, and frontline professionals, moving the reader from timely information, to inspiration, and through patient-centered action with practical tools and potent case studies." —Paul vanOstenberg, DDS, MS, vice president, Accreditation and Standards, Joint Commission International "This superb guide from Planetree illustrates that providing high-quality, high-value, patient-centered health care is not a theoretical ideal. The case studies make clear that these goals are attainable; they are being achieved by leading health care organizations worldwide, and there is a clear road map for getting there—right here in this book." —Susan Dentzer, senior policy adviser to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "At IHI, we follow the principle, 'all teach, all learn'—the idea that everyone, everywhere has something to teach, and something to learn. This remarkable and indispensable guide is as pure an example of this principle as I've come across." —Maureen Bisognano, president and chief executive officer, Institute for Healthcare Improvement "The International Society for Quality in Health Care's mission is to inspire, promote, and support continuous improvement in the quality and safety of health care worldwide. It is in this spirit that we welcome this new book on patient-centered care. As in their previous work, the authors demonstrate just how critical it is to develop an organizational culture that puts patients first." —Peter Carter, chief executive officer, International Society for Quality in Health Care