Help For All Doctors and Patients From Dr. Wes

Posted on June 17, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized |

As he boards his flight to Berlin (where he will be spending several days attempting to indoctrinate brand new electrophysiologists with as many DrRich-isms as he can manage), DrRich urges all of his readers, whether you may be doctor, patient, or both, to read Dr. Wes’ “Open Letter to Patients.”

This letter provides essential advice to patients on how to survive under our impending new, enlightened, data-driven, electronically-enabled, team-based, high-quality healthcare system. DrRich hopes all American physicians will send this vital document to all their patients.

This letter spells out for one and all the “Essential Habits of the Successful Patient,” such as eschewing the many unfortunate “shenanigans” which many patients have engaged in over the years, which may have provided some amusement in the past but which now will only cause trouble. Some of these common “stunts” include failing to respond to the assigned therapy in the manner which comparative effectiveness research has decreed is appropriate, and, when you have more than a single ongoing disease, failing to specify the one you would like the doctor to address. Such advice (as well as tips on how to navigate the new team-based medical practices, and a discussion of why the only sure-fire way to get the best healthcare is to not get sick in the first place) will be indispensable to American patients.

So please, to the physicians among DrRich’s readership, have a look at Dr. Wes’ letter, then package it up and send it off.  You will be doing yourselves and all your covered lives a great service.

And if nothing else, this will give you something useful to do while you await DrRich’s return to the blogosphere.

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