Remaking American Medicine - on PBS

[annelb]

This is a 4 part series that is being aired on PBS this month. I have seen the first 2 parts and it is worth watching. Sorry I did not mention this show before now but you can catch the last two episodes.

http://www.pbs.org/previews/american_medicine/

The next episode: "The Stealth Epidemic" (10/19) examines the human and economic costs of effectively managing diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions that consume nearly 70 percent of all health care resources.

You can check out your PBS times from the above website.

Arkansas will be doing a follow-up with "Remaking Arkansas Medicine". I wonder if each state is doing that.
Anne

[NancyM]

I think we could go a long, long way toward remaking medical care by examining the effect of diet on health, and taking the results as an indication of how we should change our diet, not develop new drugs to combat the effects of our lousy diets.

[Globug]

I think we could go a long, long way toward remaking medical care by examining the effect of diet on health, and taking the results as an indication of how we should change our diet, not develop new drugs to combat the effects of our lousy diets.

I agree completely!

[annelb]

This is on tonight, Thursday, at 9pm in AR.
Anne

[Zonulin]

Doh!!!! (Homer Simpson) I missed it!! Anyone see it - willing to review it here?

Karen

[annelb]

You can get a good idea about this series by going to http://www.remakingamericanmedicine.org/

Last night's episode was about chronic diseases and what can be done to give better treatment. It talked about a program for diabetics that encourage the patient to become a partner in care to maintain better control.

It also talked about the problem of having multiple doctors who don't talk with each other. A computer program turned out to be too expensive for one area so it started using "Shared Care Plan". In this the patient carries the record from doctor to doctor. http://www.patientpowered.org/ This is only available in WA, OR and AK.

Worth watching.
Anne

[diamondheart]

I wish I'd seen that one episode about infections acquired in hospitals. I wonder if the intestinal bacteria I got was from having a tube in my throat from anesthesia. I had an outpatient procedure in April, and my surgeon even said that he didn't want to keep me in the hospital any longer than necessary because people get sick in hospitals! I checked into the hospital at 6:30am and was out of the hospital by 2pm following a 3 hour surgery!

Claire

[annelb]

Claire - great avatar :cool:

Your doctor was wise getting you out of the hospital - he is right.

There is some interesting stuff on the "Remaking" website. There is a page that has check lists for doctor and patients to make care patient and family centered. http://www.remakingamericanmedicine.org/power1.html Don't we wish all our doctors could say "yes" to the Top Ten Quality Indicators of an Effective Patient- and Family-Centered Physician.
Anne

[annelb]

Can't believe that I missed the fourth episode :( Did anyone see it?

I hope they rerun this series. If they do, I will be ready to tape it.
Anne