What is it like to be sued for medical malpractice? Bad medical outcomes traumatize patients but they also traumatize physicians. The litigation that often follows is a profoundly human, rather than just a legal experience. Although every physician's case is different, this book shows how each case goes through the same judicial stages of complaint, discovery, depositions, motions, and delays that lead to trial, settlement, or being dropped. It also gives doctors an understanding of how lawyers think and work to help defendants. Written by a physician and a lawyer, the book provides unique insights - through real-life stories - into the personal experience of litigation as well as recommendations for dealing with each of the legal process. It also includes up-to-date reviews of HIPAA legislation, the controversial subject of disclosure, and recent developments in the law affecting medical practitioners. Only about thirty percent of plaintiffs win their cases against doctors, but the journey from bedside to witness stand tests both the personal character and the professional skills of those accused. This well-documented book will help doctors understand and navigate the legal system while honouring their own ideals and emerging changed but stronger from the experience.

Modern medicine and healthcare systems are in crisis. In the last fifty years, medicine has gained deep, scientific insights into the biological basis of health and disease, and while this has led to many successes, it has brought about a dramatic change of medical focus. The patient is seen as a carrier of disease rather than as a person with a unique experience of the effects of disease or illness. This book seeks to correct that, but showing how a person-centred medical consultation might overcome this crisis of modern medicine. The systemic, solution-oriented approach, outlined here in this new title, is good for both the patient and the doctor, and is a counter-model to doctor's consultations that can seem automated and impersonal. In a systemic, solution-oriented consultation, doctor and patient approach the symptom or problem and the patient's solutions. With active listening and a doctor who can ask the right questions, they create a common reality as a starting point for a targeted therapeutic process, which is tailored to the needs and possibilities of the patient. The consultation thus structured involves the patient as a person in all of his being with his own, personal resources. It initiates an individual, comprehensive and efficient healing process. In addition, the doctor feels satisfaction and joy in his work, which contributes significantly to his own well-being. The consultation process is ideally divided into seven steps, which are described in detail and justified with reference to the literature.

Covers the most common conditions seen in an out-of-hours primary care or urgent medical care setting. Urgent and Out-of-Hours Primary Care provides practical guidance on the diagnosis and management of the acute medical conditions seen most commonly in an out-of-hours setting. Covers over 200 acute medical conditions commonly encountered when working in an urgent and primary care setting Colour photographs provide the reader with further important information on assessing patients presenting with acute medical conditions Key 'red flag' features are highlighted in boxes The latest guidance and prescribing information is provided Uses a consistent approach: each condition features discussions of presentation, assessment and management Offers practical guidance on how to use telephone triage, video consultations and home visits effectively Assumes access to basic diagnostic aids only Provides differential diagnoses by symptom Indicates when to refer to hospital and when to order an emergency ambulance This book is aimed at GPs, GP trainees, doctors, medical students, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals involved in providing urgent and out-of-hours primary care to patients.

As public accountability has increased and resources have become scarcer, public health, like clinical medicine, has been forced to re-examine the benefits and costs of its activities. Decision and economic analysis are basic tools in carrying out that mission. These methods have become standard practice in clinical medicine and health services research. This book, now in its second edition, was written in an effort to apply and adapt that experience to public health situations.

The book was originally written to introduce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff to the concepts of decision and economic analysis, to provide guidance on methods to maximize comparability of studios, and to provide access to frequently used reference information. It has been adapted to meet the needs of scientists and managers in state and local health departments and managed care organizations as well as students in schools of public health and clinicians for an introductory text - a text that shows how these methods can be applied in population-based practice, to facilitate better comparability of studies, and to solidify understanding of the scientific basis for use of these tools in decision making. Decision makers will learn how these studies are conducted so they can be critical consumers, understanding the strengths and limitions, and apply findings to policy and practice.

The second edition updates and expands upon the standard methodology for condcuting prevention effectiveness analyses. Each chapter has been revised or re-written. The chapters on measuring effectiveness, decision analysis, and making information useful for decision makers as well as several appendices are entirely new.

Vestibular Migraine is a concise monograph that presents the scientific basis for the diagnosis and treatment of this common yet largely unrecognized cause of dizziness. Current knowledge of the features of the condition is described, and clear guidance is provided on the differentiation of vestibular migraine from other conditions that induce dizziness, including Meniere's disease. Symptomatic treatment and the various prophylactic options are discussed and evaluated, and advice is also included on long-term treatment and the circumstances under which treatment should be discontinued. Vestibular Migraine will be of interest to all physicians and other health care providers who deal with dizzy patients, including internists, family physicians, neurologists, otolaryngologists, and trainees in those specialties, as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Amenorrhea: A Case-Based Clinical Guide is a comprehensive review of the current knowledge regarding normal female reproductive physiology. Replete with interesting case vignettes and providing diagnostic algorithms and therapeutic strategies for amenorrhea, Amenorrhea: A Case-Based Clinical Guide is divided into three sections. The first section is composed of two chapters that provide a thorough review of basic science and clinical knowledge about the organ systems responsible for normal physiology of the menstrual cycle. The second section includes discussion about menstrual cycle disruption as it relates to hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, surgical and natural menopause, genetic defects, premature ovarian failure/insufficiency and the effects of caloric excess and restriction. The third section offers an update on the physiological effects of prolonged amenorrhea induced surgically or by hypothalamic dysfunction and also includes an original chapter that focuses solely on the impact of race and ethnicity on the prevalence and diagnosis of amenorrhea. Amenorrhea: A Case-Based Clinical Guide brings together chapters from renowned experts who offer state-of-the-art, clinically useful information in a case-based, reader-friendly fashion. This title will be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of all clinicians who practice in women's health settings.

First published in 1957, with a slight update in 1964, this classic text remains one of the standard works on the doctor patient relationship (largely as found in general practice). This new edition provides an updated descriptive analysis of the doctor-patient relationship, with practical advice on the potential and limits to the doctors involvement with the patient.A new Foreword by the authors son placing his fathers work in the context of the new millenium. Across the world there are thousands of Balint groups/societies that have a growing number of members keen to read the work of their founding fatherForeword by the original authors son.

This book fills the need in this growing market for a lucid and comprehensive description of the complex and exciting world of primary care. It is a readable "ready reference," positive in its approach, straightforward and factual in its style. This text also includes extensive references for further information and relevant clinical content that provides general information on subjects relevant to nurses in primary care, avoiding protocols which may vary from one area to another. Key facts relating to specific areas are presented in boxes throughout the text.

This first-of-its-kind text provides a multidisciplinary overview of a significant problem in hospital-based healthcare: patients who decline inpatient medical care and leave the hospital against medical advice (AMA). Compared to standard hospital discharges, AMA discharges are associated with worse health and health services outcomes. Patients discharged AMA have been found to have disproportionately higher rates of substance use, psychiatric illness, and report stigmatization and reduced access to care. By providing a far reaching examination of AMA discharges for a wide academic and clinical audience, the book serves as a reference for clinical care, research, and the development of professional guidelines and institutional policy. The book provides both a broad overview of AMA discharges with chapters on the epidemiology, ethical and legal aspects, as well as social science perspectives. For clinicians in the disciplines of hospital medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, nursing, and psychiatry, the book also provides a patient-centered analysis of the problem, case-based discussions, and a discussion of best practices. This comprehensive review of AMA discharges and health care quality will interest physicians and other health care professionals, social workers, hospital administrators, quality and risk managers, clinician-educators, and health services researchers.

Gastroparesis is an increasingly recognized disorder. Treatment can be difficult due to the several mechanisms for symptom production. Gastroparesis: Pathophysiology, Presentation and Treatment serves as a concise reference on this disorder that allows clinicians to quickly access and evaluate the necessary information for treating and managing patients with gastroparesis. Each chapter is written byexperts in their respective area. The volume will enable the reader to better understand all aspects of this disorder. The book presents current concepts in a variety of areas opening with the epidemiology, clinical presentation and pathophysiology of gastroparesis. The natural history of patients is explored as well as evaluation of patients with suspected gastroparesis. This section includes chapters on Wireless Capsule Motility, Electrogastrography and Antroduodenal Manometry. This important resource concludes with a full section on treatment including dietary, prokinetic, antiemetic, sensory, electric stimulation, and surgical methods. New developments include the use of gastric electric stimulation for treatment, the use of SmartPill for diagnosis, and a number of new agents in development for this disorder. Gastroparesis: Pathophysiology, Presentation and Treatment is the ideal reference for gastroenterologists, and also for surgeons, endocrinologists, primary care physicians and nutritionists looking to keep pace with the latest information treatment options for their patients. "

Despite wide recognition as a serious public health problem, anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity reactions remain under-recognized and under-diagnosed. This book fills the gaps in our understanding of the identification of triggers, recognition of clinical presentations, understanding of the natural history of these reactions, and selection of treatment strategies including those focused on cellular and molecular targets. The book provides a detailed examination of disease etiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology and their correlation to clinical practice. Forefront knowledge of the mediators and mechanisms of anaphylaxis is covered with an emphasis on how new discoveries shape our current and emerging therapies.

Over the next few years, the Connecting for Health IT programme for the NHS in England is due to implement electronic prescribing systems at all hospitals in England. Furthermore, the other UK countries are likely to follow suit with clinical IT implementation programmes, and these developments will generate interest in electronic prescribing at European and international level. There is therefore likely to be an exponential growth in the significance of electronic prescribing over the next ten years. Principles of Electronic Prescribing discusses the basic principles of design and implementation of secondary care electronic medicines management systems, and how their design and configuration can impact on benefits realization, hospital workflow and clinical practice.

Since the launch of Telemedicine Technologies (Wiley, 2010), the technologies surrounding telemedicine have changed immeasurably, particularly with the emerging trends of Internet-of-Things (IoT), digital/e-Health, and wearable, smart and assistive technologies. This second edition overhauls and expands on the original text to reflect the technical advances of the last decade. It covers applications from traditional healthcare services to remote patient monitoring and recovery, to alternative medicine and general health assessment for maintaining optimal health. This welcome update brings together a broad range of topics demonstrating how information and wireless technologies can be used in healthcare.

Newly revised and updated, this book provides geriatricians and orthopedic surgeons with the most vital tools to treat elderly patients who sustain a variety of fractures. The text uniquely encompass the etiologies of fracture in the elderly, perioperative management, the surgical treatment of common fractures in the elderly, as well as rehabilitation and prevention in the older patient. It focuses on the most current data and opinions regarding assessment and management of geriatric conditions that predispose the elderly to fracture, perioperative complications and subsequent functional decline. Unlike any other text, experts in both orthopedics and geriatrics review the content of each chapter for readability and appeal to his/her respective discipline, making this the physician's ultimate guide to treating elderly patients with injuries. Fractures in the Elderly, Second Edition is a valuable resource for geriatricians, orthopedic surgeons, physiologists, and rehabilitation specialists.

Looking for an OSCE resource directly tailored to Physician Associates? Then the 'The Ultimate Guide to Physician Associate OSCEs' is the book for you. OSCEs are one of the key examinations in the medical world and there are limited resources available. As a PA, you are expected to carry out history, examination and procedural skills, this book will allow students to practice against checklists so they can become sleek and brilliant clinicians. Often it isdifficult for students to gauge how OSCEs are marked and how much to cover, therefore this book is intended to fill these gaps by going through practical and essential tips, along with clear and step-by-step checklists for commonly encountered OSCE stations.

This is a comprehensive text on the methods - dietary, anthropometric, laboratory and clinical - of assessing the nutritional status of populations and of individuals in the hospital or the community. This Second Edition incorporates recent data from national nutritional surveys in the US and Europe; the flood of new information about iron, vitamin A and iodine; the role of folate in preventing neural tube defects; the use of HPLC techniques and enzyme assays; improvements in data handling; and many other developments.
A paperback edition of this book is available to readers living outside of North America and Europe. Interested parties should contact the author at: [email protected] http: //nutrition.earthlight.co.nz

1 Historical Introduction INTRODUCTION This chapter is mainly about the history of medicine and its ethics. As usually c- ceived, history is retrograde: It is what happened yesterday, and, much as we may try, it is what happened yesterday seen with a set of today's eyes. Trying to understand yesterday's culture may help us put on a pair of corrective glasses, but it fails in - tirely correcting our vision. Contemporary cultural anthropology may likewise help us understand the way today's events and cultural habits shape what we call history tomorrow. Past events and the kaleidoscopic pattern of today's cultures may help guide us into a future that in at least some respects is ours to forge. Learning about ethics yesterday and thinking about ethics as it expresses itself in various cultures today can help us shape the ethics of tomorrow: This is true whether we are speaking of that part of social ethics called "medical" or of any other part of social ethics. The social aspects of medical practice-how the institution called medicine fits into and works within the greater society called culture-shape the way its ethics ultimately must play itself out.

In the previous two volumes of this series, we presented classic problems in internal medicine as illustrated by actual cases cared for in our institution. It has been gratifying for us to see the interest that these volumes have generated with students and trainees. We remain committed to the case method of instruction, and believe that there is no better method to learn medicine than to have an individual patient problem as the basis for study of pathophysiology, natural history, diagnosis and management. We hope that our readers find this third volume as enjoyable and instructive as the editors found it. Juan M. Bowen, MD Ernest L. Mazzaferri, MD, FACP xiii Acknowledgement The editors are grateful to Jeff Smith and Jenny Riegler for their unflagging professionalism and patience. xiv Contents Case 1 Mitral Regurgitation - Chronic Versus Acute: Implications for Timing of Surgery * . * * * . . * . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Harisios Boudoulas, MD Charles F. Wooley, MD Advances and diagnostic imaging in a surgical technique have changed the approach to mitral valve regurgitation. This chapter provides an expert's perspective. Case 2 Cystic Fibrosis in Adults .. * ************ 36 Andrew Libertin, MD John S. Heintz, MD As children with cystic fibrosis grow into adulthood, the internist assumes a greater role in their care. Case 3 Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura . . . . . . . . . . 51 . . . Donald E. Thornton, MD Earl N. Metz, MD, FACP Patients with ITP continue to present difficulties in diagnosis and management. Two experts discuss the current approach to ITP.

Currently, informatics within the field of public health is a developing and growing industry. Clinical informatics are used in direct patient care by supplying medical practitioners with information that can be used to develop a care plan. Intelligent applications in clinical informatics facilitates with the technology-based solutions to analyze data or medical images and help clinicians to retrieve that information. Decision models aid with making complex decisions especially in uncertain situations. The Handbook of Research on Applied Intelligence for Health and Clinical Informatics is a comprehensive reference book that focuses on the study of resources and methods for the management of healthcare infrastructure and information. This book provides insights on how applied intelligence with deep learning, experiential learning, and more will impact healthcare and clinical information processing. The content explores the representation, processing, and communication of clinical information in natural and engineered systems. This book covers a range of topics including applied intelligence, medical imaging, telehealth, and decision support systems, and also looks at technologies and tools used in the detection and diagnosis of medical conditions such as cancers, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and prenatal syndromes. It is an essential reference source for diagnosticians, medical professionals, imaging specialists, data specialists, IT consultants, medical technologists, academicians, researchers, industrial experts, scientists, and students.

'Incredible. One of those rare books that should be dispensed on prescription to every household.' - Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles 'Hilarious, bitter, poignant and profound . . . like an existential soap opera - only with more laughs.' - Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan It was the kind of phone call we all dread. Your elderly father has been admitted to hospital. Your even older mum is now at home alone. The answer? Simple. Drop everything, go back and help. The reality? Not so straightforward. Suddenly, you're a kid again, stranded in the overheated house you grew up in. Soon they need you 24/7. And you want to help, of course you do. But now your own life starts to unravel almost as quickly as their health. And then there is nowhere else to go. In between bouts of washing, feeding, cooking and fighting there are times that test you, days where everything goes wrong and moments when everyone, miraculously rises to the occasion. And amidst all of that, this strange second childhood offers up a shot at redemption - if you can just stop everyone from falling down. Irresistibly funny, unflinching and deeply moving, this is a love letter to family and friends, to carers and to anyone who has ever packed a small bag intent on staying for just a few days. This is a true story of what it really means to be a carer, and of the ties that bind even tighter when you least expect it. This is The Reluctant Carer.

Hailed by professional journals and esteemed by primary care physicians, Bronchial Asthma: A Guide for Practical Understanding and Treatment, Sixth Edition, has been fully updated to help physicians face the challenge of diagnosis and management in every variety of patient subpopulation.

There is ample opportunity and scope for gynaecology in prim ary care in general practice. Many conditions and problems can be managed successfully in this context without referral to hos pital and specialist care. The first aim of this book is to deal with common problems that are referred for consultant opinion and specialist management to the average District General Hospital by analysing problems of presentation and diagnosis on a symptom-orientated basis. Selection for primary care management as opposed to hospital referral is then considered, following which the wide range of available treatment is evaluated with particular emphasis on the maximum use of up-to-date but proven regimes. The full use of the expertise of the practitioner is highlighted throughout. The second aim is to encourage the practice of primary care gynaecology and to help those doctors who have a special in terest in the subject, while hopefully stimulating others to de velop a similar one. With this in mind, the approach to the problems is realistic and often dogmatic while opportunities for individual management and for practical procedures are kept to the forefront.