How to Survive Your Doctor's Care: Get the Right Diagnosis, the Right Treatment, and the Right Experts for You. [Hardcover]

Pamela F. Gallin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003

The essential insider's guide for anyone who has to make healthcare decisions, this workbook uncovers the secrets readers need to know to ensure they get the correct answers about anything from X-rays to complex surgery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"How to get treated like a doctor without going to medical school." -- The Wall Street Journal

How to Survive Your Doctor’s Care empowers everyone to care for themselves and their loved ones. -- Joan Hamburg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lifeline Press (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895261200
• ISBN-13: 978-0895261205
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent consumer guide on how to use medical services., December 24, 2005

By 

Gaetan Lion - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: How to Survive Your Doctor's Care: Get the Right Diagnosis, the Right Treatment, and the Right Experts for You. (Hardcover)

This is a good manual about the medical establishment written by an insider, Pamela Gallin, M.D. First, she describes in detail how the medical world works. Second, she tells you how to obtain the best medical care.

The medical profession is organized around teams. The teams are hospitals or medical centers. There are three leagues. At the top are hospitals providing tertiary care. These represent the best city hospitals. They deliver the widest array of specialized medicine services. Their specialists are often among the leading authorities. If you have a complex medical condition that is where you should go. Next are hospitals providing secondary care. They have very good resources but for the rare diseases mentioned above. Finally, you get hospitals providing primary care. These are good for mundane conditions only. For others, they will refer you to the nearest hospital that delivers secondary or tertiary care.

The medical profession has a military like hierarchy. At the bottom are several ranks of nurses. Above them are many ranks of doctors with different level of experience and specialization. There are also hospital administrators who are doctors who got promoted upstairs into managerial roles.

There is a key defense line among doctors that consist of the radiologist, anesthiologist, and pathologist. The author calls them the invisible doctors because they have no patient contact. But, their work is key. The radiologist gives others the broad road map of a disease by interpreting X-Rays. After reading the chapter about the anesthiologists you appreciate their importance. If a surgeon makes a mistake, you are typically ok. If an anesthiologist does, your dead! The pathologist is the true scientist who analyze the disease at the cellular level. He is the one that advise the surgeon if he has cut enough cancerous tissue. These three "invisible" doctors, together are more important than the surgeon.

The main advice the author gives regarding how to get the best care is original. The most important issue is to select the best hospital or medical center. The best hospital will have the best team of doctors, including the key invisible ones mentioned above. Only then, should you focus on choosing a primary doctor. And, she gives good advice on how to select both a hospital and a doctor.

My only issue with the book is that we often can't choose a hospital as she suggests. Employer sponsored health insurance (HMO/PPO) restricts you to a given hospital. Yet, her advice kicks in when you are referred to a hospital outside of the HMO/PPO network. Overall, this is still an excellent insider's view on a hermetic profession.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for one and all, September 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Survive Your Doctor's Care: Get the Right Diagnosis, the Right Treatment, and the Right Experts for You. (Hardcover)

Dr. Gallin has created a tool for everyone to be able to navigate the medical system. I wish that I had read this book before my recent foot injury as I would have known how to better handle my medical care. In fact at the time of injury, I didn't know what to do when I injured myself. Since I didn't know that I was allowed to make choices on my behalf or choose specific doctors I wound up getting inferior care.

The best part about this book is the simplicity whith which complicated matters are explained. The infusion of real world examples not only exemplifies the topic that is being described, but also allows you to grasp how situations that are not properly monitered can go wrong. You know that if this can happen to a doctor or someone in their family, it can happen to anyone. I got this book from a friend and feel that the future of my health is better and safer for having read this as I will know what to do when there is a problem.

This book is a must for one and all!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a lifesaver, January 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Survive Your Doctor's Care: Get the Right Diagnosis, the Right Treatment, and the Right Experts for You. (Hardcover)

Dr. Gallin's book was my roadmap during my mother's recent illness and hospitalization. It showed me how to negotiate the very difficult path after her complex surgery, and how to deal with careless mistakes that made her recovery more challenging. This book gives important focus to all of us who are caring for and worried about ill loved ones, no matter how informed or sophisticated we are. I have given it to several friends who have family members with significant health issues.
It is easy to read, very direct and upbeat.