Doc Needs Your Help to Keep You Healthy
In the past 20 years we've seen the discovery of a treatment for HIV/Aids and for several types of depression; and we've seen the number of U.
S.
deaths from heart disease decrease by one-third.
But let's look into the future.
In the next few years we could have artificial retinas, lungs, or even kidneys that will clean our blood much like a dialysis machine.
And the medications on the horizon! Based on studies of the human genome, cancer patients could expect to have medications designed especially for them that attack specific cancer sites instead of their whole body.
Diseases ranging from addiction to Alzheimer's could become as manageable as high blood pressure, and this could happen before the first Boomer turns 70.
Many of us Boomers have parents with serious medical conditions, and now we may be developing our own.
There's no question we need new medical discoveries to save our lives or at least extend them.
But as these discoveries, particularly oral medications, come onto the market, there are risks, especially when the patient has pre-existing conditions.
The banned painkillers, Vioxx and Bextra, and diet medication, Fen-Phen, are cases in point.
To assure the safety of the patient taking new drugs, everyone in the treatment process must work together.
Unfortunately doctors don't always have complete medical details about a patient before they prescribe a new medication.
The physician may be too busy to read the entire patient chart before prescribing treatment, or he/she may not be familiar with all the side effects or contraindications of a new drug that's just come onto the market.
To complicate it further, the patient may have memory loss or disorientation which hampers him/her from giving a complete medical history or a detailed list of his current medications and dosages.
Here's what you can do to reduce errors and generally improve the treatment you, your parents, or your children receive.
1.
Prepare and keep updated a summary of the patient's medical history.
Be sure to include dates of surgeries, allergies, existing medical conditions, current symptoms/ complaints, and a history of the major medical diseases experienced by the patient's family members.
2.
Prepare a detailed list of medications the patient is currently taking, the frequency taken, and the dosage.
3.
Accompany the patient to the doctor's office/hospital if they have trouble remembering their medical history or treatment they've received.
If the patient is you, ask someone to accompany you who can help you remember important medical events.
4.
Once a diagnosis has been made and a treatment regimen prescribed for the patient, ask questions about what to expect.
How long will it take for the drug to have results?What reactions are normal?What reactions are not normal and should be reported? 5.
Read the literature that comes with the medication, particularly the sections titled "cautions," "side effects," and "before using this medicine.
" 6.
Help the patient record side effects or reactions they experience from the medication.
Either have them report these to their physician or ask if you can do it for them.
Don't wait.
7.
Listen to advertising on TV when new drugs are brought onto the market.
These ads will tell you whether they have contraindications and what you should tell the physician if he starts to prescribe them.
8.
Rely on websites such as http://www.
medlineplus.
gov or http://www.
rxlist.
com to learn more about the drugs prescribed.
Today the patient and caregiver are part of the treatment team.
To benefit most from the great new discoveries of modern medicine, we must demand and share information with the physician.
By doing so, we can increase the chances of a speedy recovery and a generally longer life.
S.
deaths from heart disease decrease by one-third.
But let's look into the future.
In the next few years we could have artificial retinas, lungs, or even kidneys that will clean our blood much like a dialysis machine.
And the medications on the horizon! Based on studies of the human genome, cancer patients could expect to have medications designed especially for them that attack specific cancer sites instead of their whole body.
Diseases ranging from addiction to Alzheimer's could become as manageable as high blood pressure, and this could happen before the first Boomer turns 70.
Many of us Boomers have parents with serious medical conditions, and now we may be developing our own.
There's no question we need new medical discoveries to save our lives or at least extend them.
But as these discoveries, particularly oral medications, come onto the market, there are risks, especially when the patient has pre-existing conditions.
The banned painkillers, Vioxx and Bextra, and diet medication, Fen-Phen, are cases in point.
To assure the safety of the patient taking new drugs, everyone in the treatment process must work together.
Unfortunately doctors don't always have complete medical details about a patient before they prescribe a new medication.
The physician may be too busy to read the entire patient chart before prescribing treatment, or he/she may not be familiar with all the side effects or contraindications of a new drug that's just come onto the market.
To complicate it further, the patient may have memory loss or disorientation which hampers him/her from giving a complete medical history or a detailed list of his current medications and dosages.
Here's what you can do to reduce errors and generally improve the treatment you, your parents, or your children receive.
1.
Prepare and keep updated a summary of the patient's medical history.
Be sure to include dates of surgeries, allergies, existing medical conditions, current symptoms/ complaints, and a history of the major medical diseases experienced by the patient's family members.
2.
Prepare a detailed list of medications the patient is currently taking, the frequency taken, and the dosage.
3.
Accompany the patient to the doctor's office/hospital if they have trouble remembering their medical history or treatment they've received.
If the patient is you, ask someone to accompany you who can help you remember important medical events.
4.
Once a diagnosis has been made and a treatment regimen prescribed for the patient, ask questions about what to expect.
How long will it take for the drug to have results?What reactions are normal?What reactions are not normal and should be reported? 5.
Read the literature that comes with the medication, particularly the sections titled "cautions," "side effects," and "before using this medicine.
" 6.
Help the patient record side effects or reactions they experience from the medication.
Either have them report these to their physician or ask if you can do it for them.
Don't wait.
7.
Listen to advertising on TV when new drugs are brought onto the market.
These ads will tell you whether they have contraindications and what you should tell the physician if he starts to prescribe them.
8.
Rely on websites such as http://www.
medlineplus.
gov or http://www.
rxlist.
com to learn more about the drugs prescribed.
Today the patient and caregiver are part of the treatment team.
To benefit most from the great new discoveries of modern medicine, we must demand and share information with the physician.
By doing so, we can increase the chances of a speedy recovery and a generally longer life.
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