Surviving Modern Medicine: How to Get the Best From Doctors, Family, and Friends

By Peter Clarke and Peter Clarke

Book Overview

"Surviving Modern Medicine" gives consumers the practical steps they can take to navigate today's confusing medical world to improve the quality of care they receive. The authors dig through leading research for down-to-earth tips that any patient can apply to: open lines of communication with doctors; weigh the risks and benefits among treatment options; mobilize understanding and effective support from family and friends; overcome the fatigue and guilt of long-term cargiving; and control life-support situations to balance high-technology against an acceptable quality of life. Readers learn how to battle with a stubborn HMO and to select the right coverage in the first place. Patients discover how to make better use of their office visits, communicating effectively with doctors by asking the right questions and remembering crucial facts. The book features the authors' nationally-tested guide to decision making about critical care and to completing a Living Will or Healthcare Power of Attorney. Throughout, the book provides simple exercises that readers can practice. These exercises allow patients to replace frustating and perplexing encounters with the health and medical bureaucracy with successful ones.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081352556X
• ISBN13: 9780813525563
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.3" x 0.8" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Increase your health through knowledge!

Linda Richman, author of a humorous book and audiotape, explains that what we know about pain is: "no one wants any and everyone gets some." If you haven't yet experienced the pain of illness yourself or in a loved one, it's pretty likely you will. On the other hand, many, if not most of us, have already had brushes with illness or even death. This is just the book to have on hand for those occasions - though it's truly helpful even if you're not facing a crisis. In fact, the authors suggest that it's better to think things through before one occurs!Generally speaking, the information in the book is highly practical - tips aimed at improving health that you can put into action right away. I liked the fact that you don't have to read the chapters in order to get the benefit of the sections relevant to your own situation. And to top it all off, Clarke and Evans take a subject that is not usually thought of as entertaining and "take their own medicine," using humor and stories throughout, which makes the reading go quick.Chapter 3 was the most powerful chapter for me: "Seeking the Right Kind of Social Support." I always thought I had a good - if not excellent - support network. What I learned is that there are (at least) six types of support: emotional support, yes - but also network support, esteem support, tangible support, informational support and opportunity for nurturance. Further, the type of support needed depends on personal circumstances and type of situation. This opened up my eyes to why I seem to cope with some situations better than others.Perhaps the most important outcome for me was significantly reducing my own stress level. My husband and I have chosen to have a schizophrenic relative live with us. He is an intelligent and kind person, and the effects of his illness are not terribly apparent. So it may or may not be a surprise that this situation can be extremely stressful to me. I learned several key tips that helped me tremendously, for example, asking for and receiving the type of support I was lacking (and didn't know I was lacking until I read the book), or using humor effectively to deal with the situation overall. This book that will be on my Christmas shopping list this year!

Highly recommended

Surviving Modern Medicine was given to me when it was first published in 1998. I read the first chapters; since I did not have a particular medical problem, I did not feel the need to finish the book. Time passed and someone very dear to me raised a question concerning what to do in the case of serious illness of a loved one. I immediately referred to Surviving Modern Medicine and was able to share some of the ideas discussed by Clarke and Evans. In the end I bought the book for my friend. This book is a resource for us baby boomers who, believing ourselves to be immortal, will delay facing the issues of age and death. Clarke and Evans address these important subjects with candor and compassion. I recommend this book to anyone who is beyond the great divide - over 50.

A "must" for yourself and those you love

This book is easy to read, well oganized, and most helpful. The information here has already helped myself and my family. I've already bought copies for gifts. If you want to know the inside scoop on health care in America, you must read this book.

Fascinating

I heard the authors on the radio, and was excited to learn there's a book to help readers deal with their doctors and HMO's---regardless of their medical condition. I got the book and discovered that, not only was it hugely helpful, but the authors share lots of fascinating facts about the quality of health care today.

Helpful

Lots of practical tips here about how to get family and friends to help during a difficult illness. I also found out about some making, when trying to get my HMO to reverse its denial of authorization.