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The American Medical Association recommends that in addition
to the records of a patient’s medical history that their doctor has in
his/her office, the patient should keep their own copy of an up-to-date
personal health history. Personal
health histories can be used to track medications, changes in the patient’s
health, the medical care and procedures the patient has had in the past,
and the health histories of members of the patient’s family.
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The Personal
Medical Journal helps patients to take charge of their health,
to put the responsibility for their health into the proper
hands—theirs. Taking
responsibility for their own health puts patients into a position of
strength, rather than weakness.
What patients don’t know can hurt them. They should ask questions and say no to
things they do not understand. The
Personal Medical Journal is
a revolutionary tool to facilitate patients becoming more involved in
their own health care—it provides for virtually all of what current
trends in health care are beginning to demand.
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Here are some excerpts from some of the most
widespread public media in reference to current trends and recognized
needs in modern health care:
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“With medical errors becoming what the Institute of Medicine has called one
of the leading causes of death in the USA, safety advocates are urging patients and their
families to act.”
“People are too trusting,” says Kevin Piper, director of the
National health Care Purchasing Institute, which helps employers pick
good health insurance. “They need to start waking up and asking questions – tough, hard-nosed
questions. It’s their bodies and
their lives at stake.”
“Common-sense defenses: +Be familiar with the
medication you take. +Ask
questions. +Research your disease
or surgery. +For complicated
surgeries, such as cardiac bypass, find a hospital and a surgeon who do
many such procedures each year. Doctors say patients should speak up
when they are concerned about care.
Many mistakes occur amid noticeable confusion. A patient can say, “Stop.” Because medication errors are among the
most common, patients should be vigilant when taking a new drug. “The patient
is the secret weapon on managing risks,” says Peter Honig, who
heads the program within the Food and Drug Administration that investigates medication errors. Experts say patients should question
both doctors and pharmacists about the risks involved with newly
prescribed drugs and about medications’ interactions with other
prescriptions or over-the-counter products.” ”Patients must
ask questions,” USA Today,
October 11, 2000.
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“As consumers are forced to take more
command of their health-care choices, they need
and deserve reforms that empower them with data and legal
options. Efforts to derail one,
the other or both are anti-reform, anti-progress and anti-patient.” “HMOs’ sleight
of hand threatens patients’ rights,” USA Today editorial March
31, 2000.
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“But if there’s even one error that’s
preventable and it harms a patient then that’s one error too many and we ought to be committed to finding ways to prevent
that error,” said Dr. Nancy Dickey, immediate past president
of the American Medical Association.
“Clinton targets medical
mistakes,” The Associated
Press, December 7,
1999.
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“The plan was, said (President) Clinton, an unprecedented step toward putting Americans back in
control of their own medical records.” (He was
referring to a corollary he proposed to the patients’ bill of rights then
before Congress) “A question of
privacy,” Newsweek, November 8, 1999.
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“Your letter is a powerful reminder that
people who have annual physical examinations should bring
with them a list of every medication, vitamin and over-the-counter drug
and herb they are taking.
The effects can be cumulative and debilitating, and they should be
regularly reviewed by a physician.” “Seniors should keep track of their
medications,” Dear Abby,
March 19, 2001.
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“When traveling with your pet, take
along its vaccination and medical records. In case of an emergency, the vet will
need them.”
Dear Abby, Tulsa World, March 20, 2000. (Hello, how about people?)
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“Once again we have proof positive that
routine health care can be a lifesaver.
A new study shows that women who get regular mammograms might
reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by more than 60 percent. If ever there was persuasive evidence
to be evangelical about simple, routine screening steps, this is it. .
. If there’s a
way to detect something in its earliest stages through a simple and
routine test, we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to take those
steps, and take them regularly.” “Get Screened,” Tulsa World editorial, April 26, 2001. (The best way to ensure that
those steps are taken regularly is to have a chronicle of what, when, and
where those steps are taken and thereby know what, when, and where to
take the next steps.)
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Poly-pharmacy (the use of multiple
medications for one patient) can be very dangerous. . . It is estimated that more than 100,000
persons in the United States die every year
because of poly-pharmacy. How do
we protect the people we care about?
Ask questions! Ask the doctor, the nurse and the
pharmacist. Make a list
of all prescribed and over-the-counter medications the patient is
taking. Know what each medicine is
for and what it will do. . .”
Dear Abby’s response:
“. . . I hope it (the letter) will persuade patients and
caregivers to discuss their medication – and possible drug interactions –
with their physicians and pharmacists.”
“Alert pharmacists are best defense for overmedication,” Dear Abby, April 26, 2001.
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“The nation’s health care
system is not able to provide consistent, high-quality medical
care to all Americans and must be ‘reinvented,’
the Institute of Medicine warned Thursday . . . records are
lost, illegible or not quickly retrievable
. . . Even medicine’s best people are struggling to keep up with medical
advances and communicate with
each other and patients. .
. Patients
should have more control of their treatments and medical records. They should be able to get data on how
doctors and hospitals measure up. . .
There is an urgent need for change. . . It’s about change.” “Report: Health system broken,” front page USA Today, March 2-4, 2001.
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“The physician can’t rely solely on his
own knowledge or intuition, he writes, but must join ‘his intuition with
that of his patient’. . . Only rarely do these (doctors’)
missteps stem from a lack of technical knowledge. More often they reflect simple
inattentiveness . . . how critical it is for doctors to embrace their
patients as collaborators. . .” “Learning to Respect a Patient’s
Intuitions – a doctor’s reflection on how to avoid errors,” Newsweek, February 28, 2000.
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“Increasingly, medical experts are
turning to family history for clues to patients’ health risks. . .
knowing the family medical history is a tool doctors can use to detect
disease patterns and predict what lies ahead for a patient . . . Experts say one-third to one-half of health
conditions have a genetic basis.
. . Knowledge is very powerful . . . If you’re oblivious to
your family’s history, it’s the same as putting blinders on. .
. We tend to wait for our doctors to elicit his information form us . . .
but the questions they ask are not always enough. We need to be more
prepared. . . Most experts say it’s not necessary to trace a
family’s medical history back more than two or three generations. But you should be able to
tell a doctor the diseases that affected your parents and grandparents. “Mapping your medical history – knowing
the diseases on your family tree could save your life,” almost full page of USA Today, April 17, 2000.
v
“The symbolic act of Governor Frank
Keating and state Attorney General Drew Edmondson signing advance directives detailing end-of-life care
decisions is significant.
It sends a message about the importance of thinking about such
matters ahead of time. . . The officials stressed that people about 50
and older ought to consider issues involved and sign advance directives
informing relatives and loved ones of their wishes. “Plan ahead – Officials urge end-of-life
steps,” Tulsa World
editorial, April 19, 2001.
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“The case points to a growing danger as
medications become more numerous and their names more similar. Pharmacist Michael Cohen
of the Insititue for Safe Medication Practices says mix-ups of drugs and
doses are common. . . In (this) case, there was no dispute
over the doctor’s care, just whether (the doctor) and the pharmacist
should have been more careful about the prescription. . . (The pharmacist
misread the doctor’s handwritten prescription.) (The deceased’s wife’s lawyer)
argued that the pharmacy were still responsible for the death because of
the mix-up. The jury agreed . . .
and awarded $450,000 to the family.
Half of the judgment was assigned to the pharmacy . . . Cohen also warns that
patients should be more diligent as well.
He says they should insist that doctors write out the reason for
the medication on a prescription.” “Doctor held liable for fatal
handwriting mix-up,” USA Today,
October 21, 1999.
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“But the number of prescriptions
dispensed has risen rapidly, from 2 billion in 1992 to 3 billion last
year. . . As if this (4 billion by
2004; the ranks of druggists slow growth; rising workloads; new burdens
imposed by managed care; pharmacists devoting more time to dealing with
insurance companies) isn’t cause enough for concern, the potential for
drug mix-ups is also greater than ever.
Still, says Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical
Consumers in New York City, “patients are their own best defense.” (Steps
to take): + At your doctor’s
office, ask the name of the drug, the dosage and any instructions on how
to take the medication. Write the
answers down. Also, ask
the doctor to jot the purpose of the drug on the prescription. A pharmacist is less likely to confuse
Celebrex for Cerebyx if he knows your problem is arthritis rather than
seizures. + Ask the
pharmacist if there’s anything you need to know about the drug. ‘The answer is not necessarily for
you,’ says Grasha (a University of Cincinnati psychologist who’s spent
years researching pharmacy errors).
‘It’s to give the pharmacist another look what you just got.’ Pharmacists report that
they pick up 30 to 40 percent of dispensing errors when the customers ask
questions. As the American
population ages and managed care substitutes more drugs for hospital
care, the need for vigilance will only increase.”
“Drugstore Dangers,” Newsweek,
March 27, 2000.
v
Dear Abby received a letter from a firefighter who
had endured several agonizing real-life dramas where there were no Do Not
Resuscitate (DNR) papers on hand at the homes of the victims and the
families therefore would agonize over what to do. He said that even though the victims
may have DNR papers on file at their hospitals and with their doctors, “a copy of the DNR papers has to be with the patient
or they technically don’t exist.” Dear Abby responded, “ . . .
Although some people want every effort made to be resuscitated, many do
not. Those who do not should keep
in mind . . . that for their
wishes to be obeyed, they must be written down, discussed with family
members and doctors, and copies must be readily
available. Thank you
for your urgent reminder.” “Planning
can bring dignity to dying,” Dear
Abby, August 28, 2000.
v
“Religion and medicine are
inextricably related . . . .
Now patient demand, coupled with scientific studies correlating
faith with good health . . . is slowly converting a skeptical medical
community. . . . Doctors are attending
conferences on faith and healing in increasing numbers. (The doctor) will occasionally write Scripture references for (the patient) on his prescription pad
and refers him to spiritual resources. . . The medical establishment may be
embracing spirituality because they themselves could use something to
believe in. . . . In 1992 only a
few (medical schools) taught spirituality; now some 50 of the 125
medical schools in the United States have dedicated curricula.” Psychiatrist Martin W. Jones,
whose classes at Howard University College of Medicine study the
correlation between faith and healing, “foresees a
subtle shift in the practice of medicine, from treating disease to
treating the whole person.”
National Public Radio talk-show host Diane Rehm “stresses
that faith is a complement to medical treatment.” “Why Doctors Now Believe Faith
Heals,” Reader’s Digest,
May 2001.
v
“Health care experts predict that
today’s computer and telecommunication systems will result in a new era – the health
care system information age – built around health-savvy,
health-responsible consumers who are the primary managers of their own
health and medical care.”“How to Find Medical Information,” National
Institutes of Health, February, 2000.
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22 – The Take-Charge Patient--“The willingness
to question a physician has always been a key survival skill for
patients. But with new drugs and
medical procedures flooding onto the market at an unprecedented pace,
patients are confronting more choices about treatment than ever
before. Many are now insisting on
something more than a few minutes of dialogue. They want to weigh therapeutic options
with their physicians and share in the decision-making—to be partners in, not simply
recipients of, their medical care.” Special Report -- “25 Ideas for a
Changing World,” Businessweek Magazine, August 26, 2002.
v
“Doctors are trained to read charts,
x-rays, and symptoms, not minds.
So it’s up to you to give them all the information they need to
treat you properly. UnitedHealth
Foundation is providing the following list of tips from medical experts
that tell you how to get smarter and safer health care. And how it all starts with the simple
act of opening your mouth.
1. Speak up if you have questions or
concerns
2. Keep a list of all the medicines you
take and share that information with your doctor.
3. Make sure you get the results of any
test or procedure.
4. Talk with your doctor and health care
team about your options if you need hospital care.
5. Make sure you understand exactly what
will happen if you need surgery.
Keep this information and share it with your family and your
health care team.”
“How
to Be a Smarter Patient,” UnitedHealth
Foundation, PEOPLE Magazine
September 24, 2001.
All of the
concerns and needs addressed in the preceding media excerpts
(and many more) are facilitated in the Personal Medical Journal (PMJ).
See the PMJ Table of Contents under
“Features” on this
Personal Medical Journal
Web Site.
Personal Medical
Journal
BOOK REVIEWS:
PMJ Review No. 1:
Having previewed the Personal Medical Journal, I think
it is a concept whose time has come. The future of health care will be
significantly enhanced as patients assume more personal responsibility
for their own wellness. The Personal
Medical Journal is a step in this direction.
[For instance] A significant
number of patients each year suffer ailments directly related to the
harmful effects of the interactions of certain prescription drugs.
Utilizing the pages for recording prescription medicines in the Personal Medical Journal will help
prevent this potentially lethal situation from occurring. The more
medications a person is taking, the more they will benefit from the Personal Medical Journal.
---
W. Mark Hodge, D.M.D., Tulsa, OK
PMJ Review No. 2:
This is fabulous! ---
Mark Galles, M.D., Tulsa, OK
PMJ Review No. 3:
My mother found this book at her
regular drugstore and bought FIVE, one for herself and one for other
members of her family. She said it is “the greatest thing that she has
ever seen”!
---
Health Care Worker, Tulsa, OK
PMJ Review No. 4:
I wish all the patients would
bring one of these books when they
come for their medical care!
---
Registered Nurse, Tulsa, OK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Branham is a Kentucky native
living in Tulsa, OK, who has a real gift for organizing and simplifying
the complicated areas of our modern personal lives.
A journalism major in college,
Judy also incorporates into her books the latest information news
concerning her books’ themes. Her
books demonstrate her teaching heart as well as her organizing skills.
Judy’s husband Sonny teaches
government at Oral Roberts University and their son Matthew is an ORU
graduate. Reflecting her strong
Christian faith, all of Judy’s books are sprinkled with Bible verses
pertinent to the books’ themes.
Judy says that she wishes she had
had a book like this as she raised her son. She and her husband are very thankful
to have one to track their personal health today. As her husband consistently chronicles
his medical info, he always says, “This is so great! Everyone needs one of these!”
Judy believes that the use of the
Personal Medical Journal will
pay great dividends in the lives of all who employ this innovative health
care tool.
A Personal Word from Judy to You
Your life is dependent upon your health. Your health is dependent on the quality
of health care you receive. The
quality of health care you receive is dependent on several factors—not
the least of which is your involvement in it. To be vitally involved necessitates
that you have a means by which you can chronicle, organize, and know what-is-what
in your health care management.
This Personal
Medical Journal provides that means to you and your loved ones. It has fill-in-the-blank charts and
records for about any need that you can imagine, and is very adaptable to
your special requirements.
There are pages to record doctor appointments,
prescriptions, emergency info, biographical data, insurance info, basic
tests readings, surgeries, hospital stays, chronic health problems,
illnesses and injuries, family health history, medical contacts, etc., as
well as eight blank note pages for logging info that someone tells you,
you hear on TV, or you read in the newspaper that is of particular
interest to you to remember.
It also contains 4 full-size 9 x 12 envelopes for storing
various copies of your official records such as prescriptions,
immunizations, health care proxy, living will, organ donor cards, any
many others. It is a must for
emergency situations, as well as providing reminders for essential health
care maintenance in everyday living.
This is a full size, wire-o bound, comprehensive, and
user-friendly resource that we believe you will agree is just what you’ve always needed! When you receive your copy, you can
catch up by filling in your past medical records or simply start with
where you are today and fill-in as you live your life. This book will greatly simplify your
paperwork at your doctors’ offices.
A particularly kind and thoughtful gift for those who have
complicated medical challenges with their health, the Personal Medical Journal is an
invaluable tool for anyone at any age, and its value will increase with
time! Parents and caregivers will
find that it is worth its weight in gold!
Knowledge is power.
The division pages that separate the sections of fill-in charts
are loaded with helpful information, as well as phone numbers (many
toll-free) and websites of organizations that can provide much more
valuable information, usually at no cost.
Order your Personal
Medical Journal and begin today to simplify your health care!
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