audio/video/text: Topol on The Creative Destruction of Medicine (technology/social networks/patients sharing data/Patients Like Me, young patients, privacy ...)

(Dr) Topol on The Creative Destruction of Medicine

eg. MS/Facebook (Canada/stents/Facebook; I use this as an example (there are others in the interview) as the social networks moved forward clinical trials for MS patients where no support existed prior.....)

Myriad, Prometheus Continue to Defend Diagnostic Patents while Others Urge More Licensing (BRCA patients)

Disruptive Women in Health Care » Blog Archive » What Does It Matter to You: Patient Activation and Good Health Outcomes (on attitudes, knowledge, communication and abuse??)

Disruptive Women in Health Care » Blog Archive » What Does It Matter to You: Patient Activation and Good Health Outcomes

JCO - Editorial: Caring for the Whole Patient: The Science of Psychosocial Care

open access: Editorial (special series) Caring for the Whole Patient: The Science of Psychosocial Care

"This Journal of Clinical Oncology Special Series relates to the
science of psychosocial care. This series is designed to provide oncology
professionals with the most recent information about the psychological,
psychiatric, and social aspects of cancer care. The emergence of
the field of psychosocial care reflects growing public and professional
awareness of the potential for cancer and its treatment to have profound
effects on many aspects of life. A principal goal of psychosocial
care is to recognizeandaddress the effects that cancerandits treatment
have on the mental status and emotional well-being of patients, their
family members, and their professional caregivers....."

open access: (Canada) How the Medical Culture Contributes to Coworker-Perpetrated Harassment and Abuse of Family Physicians (includes patients, families, education system, co-workers)

How the Medical Culture Contributes to Coworker-Perpetrated Harassment and Abuse of Family Physicians


"At present, little is being undertaken to address the issue of abuse in the workplace of family physicians. The most worrisome finding from our study is that these kinds of practices are a part of the medical culture starting in medical school and carried out throughout medical training and into the work environment. This culture is supported by power imbalances, power structures, and such systemic issues as physician shortages. The criminological broken window theory is helpful to explain why abuse may be perpetuated in the medical system, and it also provides a context for an approach to address the issue."

Controversies in Oncologist-Patient Communication: A Nuanced Approach to Autonomy, Culture, and Paternalism - Cancer Network

"....Several aspects of communication between oncologists and their patients remain contentious:
• Autonomy: To what degree must physicians observe the principle of full disclosure in order to ensure true autonomy and informed decision making on the part of the patient?
• Culture: In caring for patients from different cultures, how should the physician respond to requests of family members who claim that in their culture decision making should be left to the family rather than to the patient?
• Paternalism: How does one balance the need for information with the concern that some patients may be harmed by physicians' honoring requests for either too much or too little information? When should the physician invoke the “therapeutic privilege” of paternalistically overriding a patient request or not seeking the patient's opinion?...."

free full access: Health care providers (doctors and nurses) underestimate symptom intensities of cancer patients

Note: plain english format (easy to read) "The differences between patient and provider assessments can be caused by providers not being able to exactly interpret the patients' symptoms or that different instruments are used for patients and health care providers. Agreement on rating of symptoms was associated with demographic- and disease-related factors. Clinicians involved in care for patients with cancer should be aware of the potential factors associated with a risk of symptom underestimation."

Is this patient empowerment or something else? - EmpowHER.com

Note: including my comment (see article); old and outstanding issues/dialogue anyone?

".....Last weekend I was part of a group working on a conference for cancer patients. There were no patients listed as conference speakers ........."

'They've got to learn' -- a qualitative study exploring the views of patients and staff regarding medical student teaching in a hospice

Abstract:
UK medical school curricula incorporate training in end-of-life care as recommended by Tomorrow’s Doctors.
Previous research suggests that hospice staff have concerns about the burden on patients when participating in medical student teaching and may gatekeep access to patients.
This qualitative study uses semistructured interviews to explore and compare the views of hospice patients and health care staff about patient involvement in medical student teaching. Fifteen patients and 14 staff members were recruited from a single UK hospice involved in teaching third year medical students.
Hospice patients, who have been involved in teaching, are strongly positive about meeting medical students and staff carefully select patients based on a number of issues.

2010 ASCO Annual Meeting | Public & Patient Information

Networking power of the web shifting power balance between docs and patients - media

AdvoConnection :: When you need a patient advocate, you can find a patient advocate at AdvoConnection

Second Opinion - In Reporting Symptoms, Don’t Patients Know Best? - NYTimes.com

Case Studies Reveal that Patents Can Hinder Genetic Research and Patient Care: Scientific American

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Questions Are the Answer: Build Your Question List

Note: general

IAPO: Patient Involvement in Health Policy, Systems and Delivery | A global voice for patients

Why is Patient Involvement in Health Policy Important? Healthcare policy decisions, at whatever level they are made, will ultimately affect patients' lives. Therefore patients have a moral and ethical right to play a meaningful role in developing healthcare policies.

Cochrane Symposium - Ottawa May 2010

Upcoming Cochrane Collaboration conference includes seminars for consumers/patients

Why doctors' stories matter

"...As I read the winning stories, I had a fantasy, which is probably not a good idea to apply literally, but it’s useful as what philosophers would call a thought experiment. My fantasy was that in a doctor’s waiting room, instead of old magazines and public health brochures, patients might pick up stories that the doctor had written—stories not unlike these winning stories. And maybe patients would then bring in their stories and leave copies of those on the rack next to the doctor’s stories. That would open the silent world on both sides."

Does computer use in patient-physician encounters influence patient satisfaction?

Nurses oppose the Ontario government's physician assistant role citing inadequate education, concerns over patient safety and unnecessary cost

Note: the RNAO also made the same statement regarding pharmacists (2009)


Toronto, January 22, 2010
"Members of the public will not be well served if the provincial government pursues a plan to allow physician assistants (PAs) to work in hospitals, family health teams, community health centres, and family physician offices. The board of directors of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) has unanimously endorsed a position statement, which raises serious questions about the level of education and regulatory oversight physician assistants have and how these could jeopardize patients..."