How to Survive Your Doctor's Care (Hardcover)

~ Pamela F. Gallin (Author)

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 Description

AS SEEN ON A FOUR-DAY SERIES ON NBC’s TODAY SHOW RECOMMENDED BY FORBES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND JOAN HAMBURG

The highest ranking female surgeon at New York Presbyterian, wife, and mother of four tells how to get the doctor you need and the care you deserve. The United States has the best doctors and medical centers in the world, and you too can get to these doctors—on any insurance plan or income. Get your doctor the way physicians do for themselves and their families. Introduction by Herbert Pardes, M.D., CEO of New York Presbyterian, and endorsed by the CEOs of Johns Hopkins and Washington University (St. Louis) Medical Centers. Dr. Pamela Gallin had hand surgery, which went well, but the cast was too tight. She needed two subsequent operations. This book answers questions like: How do you find the right doctor for you? What credentials do you want your doctor to have? How do you speak to him or her when you are in the office? What MUST you know about your hospital and how doctors function as a team?

This book decodes the mysteries of the medical world and shows you in a "how-to" way how to navigate the maze successfully. There are sections on the invisible doctors—the anesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists—who are often more important than the doctor you start with. How to get a second opinion, where to find a doctor, and how to organize your complicated medical information, step by step and piece by piece.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: LifeLine Press (October 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895261200
• ISBN-13: 978-0895261205
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #411,604 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 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 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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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.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!, January 2, 2005

By	Zenaida Nelson (Nevada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every patient should read this book. The author gives you a view from what the medical field is like from the inside. She helps you understand why certain things are the way they are and when you should and shouldn't accept that. I learned how a doctor/patient relationship works and how I can make it work for me. I learned what questions to ask, who to ask, and when to ask them. This is an excellenct book full of valuable information. It is a must read for all patients!