Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and healthcare

Why Should You Use Social Networking at Work?

Jaybo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:06:47 -0800

Many workplaces ban social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so on. What are some of the reasons workplaces should allow (and even encourage) staff to use social networking sites? I'm particularly interested in the case you would make to someone in the healthcare field but examples that are applicable to other areas, especially those that may ban social networking site for privacy or productivity reasons, are welcome as well.

Bo Knows . . .

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:22:19 -0800

Health Mystery Solved. I have been given a diagnosis of avascular necrosis. My general practitioner relayed these results to me after she saw my MRI results. On Friday I meet with an orthopedic surgeon. Please help me prepare. What questions should I be sure to ask? My gp described the damage as 'fairly advanced' or something.
In addition to questions to ask, I would love to hear anecdotal experiences from mefis directly affected by this.

Short of total hip replacement, (THR), what are the cutting edge effective treatments? If THR plays out as the only/necessary option how was your experience?

Since first being told that my pain was unrelated to a muscle strain/tear I feel as good as I have in 18 months. I can't really explain it but, even without the pain management meds I was prescribed, I know walk with a nearly indiscernible limp and actually feel pretty good. I am otherwise healthy and, according to the chart on the wall, I am within 4lbs of my ideal weight.

I am now a 40yo single, straight male with no kids. I have no family in California where I have called home for 22 years. I was medically discharged in 1990 and have been granted coverage at the Veteran's Administration hospital in my community. Without exception, the care I have received there has been kind, thoughtful and genuine.

Help me prepare for my meeting on Friday and for possible outcomes in the near(?) future.

I'll dust off hiplegpain@gmail.com if anyone would like to contact me directly. Thank you.

How can I prevent a future health insurance co from discovering a previous dematology treatment and use it for denial of insurance?

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:45:05 -0800

I'm an American without health insurance, who needs (minor) dermatological care... how worried should I be that this will prevent me from getting private health care insurance in a year or so (denial due to prior condition)? And what can I do to prevent this from happening? After waiting for a year, I really need to have a few warts and dermatofibroma taken care of, maybe get a prescription or two. Nothing serious or particularly costly. I'm going to pay cash out of pocket, to a dermatologist or general practitioner whom I haven't seen before. I'm worried that this could be used against me in the next year or two when I will purchase private health insurance ... what should I do to prevent this? Is there a way the insurance company will discover this, etc... ?

Is this something I should worry about?

Best Way to Get Healthcare While Back in the US

andoatnp — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:40:51 -0800

I will be returning briefly to the US after 6 months abroad and I would like to partake in some of that wonderful US healthcare before I head back abroad. I have a couple of questions. I was planning on spending a year abroad (in Israel) where I have the most basic emergency-only insurance that will not cover me in the United States. I will be spending a week in the United States at the beginning of March and if at possible I would like to see some medical professionals (dentist, dermatologist at least, possibly other stuff, depending). I will be in Georgia and Texas.

I have never been without health insurance before, so I am wondering if anyone has any experience about this or advice on what I should do. If it matters, the last time I had health insurance was COBRA in July, through an old job. This is not emergency stuff, just annual check-ups.

I assume I can just start calling up dentists and dermatologists in the areas I will be and see if someone will see me, but I'm wondering if there is a way to keep the costs down or if there is some sort of travelers insurance I can get that will help defray the costs.

What the hell happened to the health care system

serazin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:53:04 -0800

I don't understand why health care suddenly costs so damn much. I can understand a few factors - nurses' pay has gone up, new treatments are more expensive (and doctors prescribe more expensive treatments - sometimes unnecissarily) but these factors don't seem to explain how insanely costly health care has become. And where is all that money going? Again, I understand that CEO pay has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, but is that enough to explain the enormous cost of health care these days? Another area of confusion for me is how little time doctors (and nurses) can now spend with patients. I understand doctors are pressured to see more patients, but how does that work on a practical level - has the ratio of primary care providers to patients changed significantly in the last 10 or 20 years? Is a higher percentage of the population seeking health care? If not, how can it be that each doctor is seeing so many more patients a day? I'm confused!

Need home health care / home aide in NY

exlotuseater — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:07:38 -0800

Help. Please. (Live-in?) Home Health Care in NY. Really long explanation inside. My parents are in their eighties, dad had a triple bypass in April or so and mom has a whole bunch of problems. Mom was hospitalized (sepsis from a massive UTI) in June of this year, and was sent to sub-acute rehabilitation afterwards; her situation is complicated because she has Rheumatoid Arthritis (a particularly bad case) and the loss of muscle tone from being in the hospital really set her back. She has had a bunch or recurrent infections, UTI's, Clostridium difficile, etc, and so bounced back and forth between the hospital and the rehab. It seems that she's finally ready to come home, and I need some advice.
They both live in an Independent living set-up (continental breakfast, full sit down dinner, linen service, cleaning once a week) and they are going to continue to do this until they absolutely must leave--obviously, assisted living or nursing home is the next step, but my concern is quality of life, and everyone seems to agree that this will be best served by having a full-time aide.
Right now, my mother will need help getting dressed in the morning, help with showering, perhaps toileting, transferring from bed to wheelchair and back. Maybe other, unforeseen issues as well. She can walk ~80 feet right now, but otherwise she moves around by shuffling around in one of those "transfer wheelchairs" (I think that's what they're called--the ones with four little wheels). She might only need someone in the morning and at night, but I'm guessing that with toileting and whatnot, it's more likely that she'll need someone all the time, at least for now.
They are making a move from one apartment to another, larger one within the same facility; there will be a small den for an aide with another bed, nightstand, bureau for clothes.
The aide does not need to be a nurse, although a CNA would be good. Dad needs a little help too, as he's slowing down cognitively--medicine management, etc.
My questions include, how much can we expect to pay for this service? Would getting two aides to cover two shifts be better and potentially cheaper than one live-in aide? What have your experiences been with live-in help? What agencies do you know of in NY, specifically Suffolk County, Long Island? I am getting references from people in-house (all of whom I mostly trust in terms of quality, I just don't know about cost, what's "fair" or exorbitant. It is also my understanding that, depending upon the discharge plan, Medicare might pay for all or some of the aide service if mom has an outpatient rehabilitation plan or concurrent qualified nursing care (which she might need.)

I'm sorry if this question seems incoherent or rambling; I'm the only child (no other relatives who can really do anything, I'm an MA grad student who lives 150 miles away from them, I'm taking classes, I'm a TA with my own class, I work a second job, and I have been in a state of complete crisis for the past seven months trying to take care of everything, driving back and forth every week. (Also in the midst of dealing with an Elder Law Atty, we're trying to get mom's medicaid app. going). I'm not intending to sound dramatic or histrionic, I'm telling it like it is--in fact, things actually seem like they are calming down a little, I'm just trying to organize everything from the apartment move to the aide vetting, and I'm really just looking for your advice and experience.

*breathe*

I have a midterm tonight, so I will be studying like a madman, but I will check into the thread as often as possible to provide clarification and feedback to anyone who might offer advice.

Thank you so much MeFi.

What are innovative ideas for healthcare to save money, increase efficiency and improve outcomes?

mintchip — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:06:55 -0800

What are innovative ideas for healthcare to save money, increase efficiency and improve outcomes? What would be some ideas for changes to the existing US health system to save money and improve outcomes? For example, ways to better manage chronic disease, reduce medical errors, reduce duplicate tests, etc.

I'm interested in new ideas as well as ones that have been proven to work in other countries but could be "hacked" to fit the convoluted system we have here in the US.

Groin/Hip Strain/Sprain

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:11:13 -0800

YANMD: Self-diagnosed high-groin sprain. Chronic for more than six weeks, further aggravated when I tripped in the airport today. It seems that the negative stress of catching myself completely tweaked it. 39yo Caucasian male When in a seated position I can’t lift my foot off the ground. The pain extends into front, even outside of my hip. I can extend the lower leg. The pain seems to go down my leg, especially the inside. With my feet in front of me it is painful if I try to bring my knees together or apart. Lifting my leg with my hand and moving it is not as painful but neither is it pain-free.

I am not in a po$ition to see a physician and after similarly exacerbating this lingering injury last week it felt significantly better after a third day of rest. I’m not sure what a physician could do for me. But, this feels worse than last week.

Although I ride my bike as a sole means of transportation <40 miles a week I don't believe it is a 'sports' injury.

Would heat or ice help?
To what degree might I be danger of permanent damage?
What type of exam would could best diagnose the problem?

Email at hiplegpain@gmail.com

Thank you.

Help me stock my medicine cabinet...

somanyamys — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:38:26 -0800

What should a well-stocked medicine cabinet contain? I recently cleaned out my medicine cabinet, and finally threw out years of expired, largely unused junk. The only items that survived the purge were a box of band-aids, a tube of neosporin, and a bottle of Excedrin Migraine. I am starting with a clean slate.

It's just me and my husband, no kids. So what should two reasonably healthy adults really keep on hand in the medicine cabinet?

From what I could tell in my searches, previous AskMe questions were specific to babies and/or were focused on the larger issue of spending leftover FSA funds. Google has turned up very little (mainly survival-oriented first aid lists). That's a start, but I'm looking for something a little more comprehensive than just a first aid kit.

If you can point me to a really good, everyday, household-oriented list that's not focused on small children, I'll take it. Otherwise, I'm looking for specific recommendations for what a well-stocked medicine cabinet should or should not include.

Without some kind of guidance, I'm afraid I'll end up buying one of everything at drugstore.com, and in a couple of years I'll be throwing out another garbage bag full of barely used, expired stuff. Please save me from myself.

Feeling (down) under the weather

um_maverick — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:53:12 -0800

What's it like to be sick in Australia? Full disclosure: I'm writing a paper for school about healthcare in Australia, and looking for some help. I have found a good amount of information online regarding the healthcare system in Australia, but haven't been able to find any first person account of what it's like. If you're down under, how do you feel about the healthcare system? Does it work for you? What would you like to see changed? Any information would be helpful, and most appreciated. Also, if there are websites out there beyond what I would find within Australia-healthcare-related Google search results, please send them along. Thanks!

CEEMEA news sources?

keasby — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:55:16 -0800

Best/accurate/easy to access sources of Central & Eastern Europe and Middle East / Africa (CEEMEA) news? Global newspapers or local? Which are best? Beginning to research health care in emerging market countries (Central Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS, Middle East, Africa) but am wondering if anyone has insight into particularly good news sources, ie. ones that have a good pulse on the local sentiment but can be accessed from afar.

Right now I am reading the Economist, NYT and WSJ. Economist is at times too macro (I am specifically interested in health care issues at a a regional/local level) and I presume there is bias to NYT and WSJ, but already have subscriptions so its a sunk cost.

Would I be better off reading major Euro news papers online? If so, which are best?

Would I benefit from hunting for regional/national papers, and if so, which are are most independent from the gov?

Countries of particular interest: Russia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, South Africa

Thank you!

Managing medical bils?

daniboi1977 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:09:56 -0800

What is a good way to manage numerous medical bills and insurance EOBs? I've recently starting requiring more medical care than I have been used to. Every visit to the doctor generates 2-3 statements being sent to me (depending on what gets done), then I get the "explanation of benefits" from my insurance company, then another bill from the doctor for what is not covered. I'm feeling like I should be managing this information more carefully, but am feeling swamped by the sheer amount of paperwork coming in. Does anyone have a good system that they use for managing these bills, statements, EOBs, and making sure that you are not paying more than you need to?

First they take away my tuna fish...

Asparagirl — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:04:20 -0800

California legal/medical/ethical question: In advance of my going to the hospital to give birth within the next few weeks, I decided to download and fill out California's standard Advance Health Care Directive form, i.e. a living will (and to have my husband fill his out too, as long as we were at it). However, Google informs me via multiple sources that this form, even if signed and notarized, is "not valid if pregnant". WTF? Some sources, possibly older ones, say that a "living will" and a "health care power of attorney" are (or were) two separate things under California law. However, the only actual form I have found online, the Advance Health Care Directive form from the California Hospital Assiciation, is exactly the same as the one listed in the actual California Probate Code, except more nicely formatted for printing, and while it is considered the former of the two categories, a "living will", the California Medical Association's very helpful FAQ states that this Advance Health Care Directive Form now supersedes the old health care power of attorney. It's the form to fill out for California residents. But if it's also considered a living will, then does the "not valid if pregnant" rule come into effect?

I have not found any explanation as to why a pregnant woman would be unable to declare her own health care preferences, especially since California law goes out of its way to mention that a woman's right to abortion can be neither compelled nor denied, regardless of what her health care directive says.

So:
1) How can I declare my health care wishes in a legally binding manner prior to my giving birth?
and
2) The form is (or maybe was) considered invalid while pregnant? Seriously, WTF?

Perks of having a health plan?

ism — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:42:00 -0800

How can I make the most of my new health-care plan? For the first time in my adult life, I have my own coverage, a PPO plan (through a major provider with a large network). What kind of care can I get that I might not think of ordinarily, since I'm used to not going to doctors except for emergencies? Any preventative, alternative or even holistic procedures can I ask for at a standard doctor's office? Or are there other sorts of practitioners that are sometimes under the PPO umbrella?

Doctor, doctor...how do I choose?

BitterOldPunk — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 22:26:38 -0800

How do I choose a primary care physician? For the first time in a decade, I have good health insurance (I'm in the US), and at age 41 it's time to take advantage of it and have all that unpleasant probing done that I've been putting off for far too long. I've googled extensively, I've contacted my insurance carrier for a list of approved providers, and I live in a city with a world-class medical center. So I should be set, right? But just picking a name at random from the list doesn't seem like the best way to go about it. I know there are sites that purport to give doctor ratings, for a fee. Has anyone used them, and are they worth it? I want a doc for more than a check-up: I want to find a genuine health-care provider who'll be my doctor for the next thirty years. Is that even possible these days? How'd you pick your doctor, what questions did you ask them, and what were your criteria? (If it matters, I'm a lifelong heavy smoker who'd like to quit, a moderate drinker, and I've never been seriously ill or even hospitalized, except for breaking my jaw in a bicycle wreck as a teenager.)

Going private in Hong Kong

electriccynic — Wed, 30 May 2007 05:59:39 -0800

In short: how does my father, trapped in a hospital bed, get a private doctor and a second opinion? My dad's been in hospital with severe paralysing backache for the last two weeks. Now the doctors tell him he's got a cyst or two near his kidneys - their solution is to give him four weeks of physical treatment, and if that doesn't work then a "dangerous" operation that could paralyse him if it goes wrong.

Naturally, we'd love to get a second opinion, preferably from a private doctor who can tell us (in the UK) what on earth is wrong with him. (Aside from a mid-life crisis, total belief that he's going to die soon from psychics etc.).

So how do we get a "private" second opinion with a reliable doctor? He's a HK resident, so medical insurance doesn't necessarily apply in this case.

Also bear in mind that the parents are traditional Chinese, so they're loathe to rock the boat, question doctors' diagnoses etc.

Thanks for your help!

Dealing with the no-health-insurance lifestyle?

YoungAmerican — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:21:13 -0800

Have any tips for living (in the US) without health insurance? I'm 25, reasonably healthy, don't do anything particularly risky, and I don't have any health insurance. Does anyone have any tips for the health-insurance-less? For those with very limited resources, what's the best way to spend health care money, or get free or low-cost care that isn't awful? Is there care I absolutely need to get regularly?

If it matters, I live in LA, and my income is below $15K/yr.

Affordable independent health insurance?

blueplasticfish — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:03:36 -0800

How do I get affordable personal health insurance? I work at a small business that doesn't offer any health insurance. I can probably afford $60-$80 a month for payments. Is it possible to get decent health insurance for this? Something with roughly a $25 copay and a reasonable deductible.

I am young, 26, and don't have any health problems, but would like to keep it that way. I am not married, and just need coverage for me.

I have looked through old Mefi posts and none of them seem to answer this specific questions.

Any ideas?

Is homeopathy good for society?

Arcaz Ino — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:42:45 -0800

Is homeopathy good for society? How should it be regulated? Are there any good studies to this effect? Possible pros: placebo, reduction of burden on healthcare system, economic benefits of the industry.

Possible cons: rejection of conventional medicine and science, exacerbation of untreated medical problems, scope for "fraud", reduction of money spent on conventional medicine.

How do these things balance out in real life? What are your experiences?

Gonorrhea -- Now What?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 09:30:11 -0800

So I think I went out and got myself a case of gonorrhea. (Just what I always wanted!) What are my treatment options for getting this taken care of ASAP? I understand that it can generally be handled with a course of antibiotics... but how can I best go about getting them? I don't have a regular doctor right now -- I've just made an appointment with a new doctor for the end of the month, but I'd prefer to get on top of this before then (since leaving it unattended for more than two weeks seems like a bad idea). I'm a gay guy in NYC, so advice specific to that milieu would be superb, but in the name of creating a valuable reference thread I'd be interested to see information aimed at less specific contexts as well. Before you ask, since anonymous folks can't respond in-thread: I idiotically had unprotected sex with a guy I didn't know particularly well (first --and last -- time I've ever done such a stupid thing); yes, I'm well aware that I could have been exposed to HIV (I've got every reason to believe the partner in question was negative, but the simple fact that he was OK with unprotected sex does put a question mark over everything), and I do get tested regularly and will get tested both later this month and three months later; and yes, I've self-diagnosed this -- I've had redness around the tip of my penis / meatus and a persistent tingling itch for about a week now, and I'm now twelve days out from exposure (No discharge yet, but here's sarcastically hopin'!) I'm also well aware of the fact that I should've known better, but I'm young and have now most decidely learned my lesson -- the anxiety of the "God damn it, this isn't going away" phase alone has been enough to scare me back into condom use for a good long time...

The eye has it

fijiwriter — Thu, 25 May 2006 11:10:41 -0800

Can this contact lens klutz re-use a lens? During a meeting yesterday, I rubbed my left eye, moving my contact. I tried to reposition it, but vision got worse. I assumed the lens popped out as I didn’t see it on table, floor, clothing or even somewhere on my eye.

I assumed it was gone, never to be retrieved until this morning, when I saw the lens in the lower part of the inner corner of my eye (close to my nose). So, I managed to leave it in over night, but it wasn’t on my cornea – it must have slipped under the eyeball itself and freed itself over night. I removed it, cleaned it very well, and there it sits in clean formula.

I plan to clean it several times the next few days and inspect its condition, but is it safe to wear again? It’s a soft contact, of Ciba O2Optix kind, if that has any bearing.

Medical care in Hong Kong

killdevil — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 08:55:47 -0800

Please help me determine the name and location of the best Western-style hospital in Hong Kong. I'm also looking for any other tips you can offer to someone seeking medical care there. A relative is in southeastern China, has been struck by a rather virulent and persistent illness, and is in need of quality medical care. She has had less than stellar luck with the factory-style treatment she's received in indigenous Chinese hospitals, and so will be travelling to HK tomorrow.

National healthcare question.

Shanachie — Wed, 02 Feb 2005 18:30:42 -0800

The truth about national healthcare....

Every time the subject comes up in the US. It's my experience that someone has this knee-jerk reaction about the horrors of National healthcare elsewhere. I've always felt that such reactions were somewhat ridiculous...

Where does the truth reside?

Recommend blogs or websites on stem cell research and ethics

Soliloquy — Sun, 10 Oct 2004 21:42:59 -0800

Are there any blogs/regularly updated web sites out there focusing on stem cells? I want to follow not only all the latest research (both successes and failures), but also ethics and related public policy so I'll know when to write my Congressperson. Tried Googling and came up with a few blogs that cover them occasionally, but not exhaustively.

Toothache

wackybrit — Sat, 31 Jul 2004 12:27:57 -0800

Toothache. What are some good temporary ways to hold off the pain until dentist time? I'm at the age where wisdom teeth are becoming a problem, and as luck would have it.. it started on a Saturday morning. This leaves two days before calling the dentist is even an option, and it'll take some time to get an appointment (this is what the UK is like, my friends).

It took me 8 hours to get to sleep last night, and I was in agony. Painkillers didn't help, I tried co-proxamol, paracetamol, and tons of ibuprofen (which is usually recommended for this) to no avail. The tooth in question is half way out, but the other half has a few millimeters of gum to smash through.. and this is the problem (I don't think I need to get it removed, just the gum cut). Swishing around with water helped for a while, but the benefits of this wore off.. now I'm onto clove oil, which is providing the best solution so far, but it won't be long before I get adjusted to this.. I keep reading that warm salt water washes help, but this sounds like something for infections or broken teeth, and not just for generic pain.

So, MeFiers, any wonderful, wacky, or weird treatments to tide me over until dentist time?