Im-Patient: 2007

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Prevent wrong side surgery

Wrong-sided surgery happens more often than you think. Here is an article published by the New York Times this week and please take a moment to read the following tips in case you have a surgical procedure in the near future.

You and your surgeon should agree on exactly what will be done during the operation.
Ask to have the surgical site marked with a permanent marker and to be involved in marking the site. This means that the site cannot be easily overlooked or confused (for example, surgery on the right knee instead of the left knee).
Ask questions. You should speak up if you have concerns. It's okay to ask questions and expect answers that you understand.
Think of yourself as an active participant in the safety and quality of your health care. Studies show that patients who are actively involved in making decisions about their care are more likely to have good outcomes.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

How to talk to a doctor

Know what to ask — and how and when to ask it - from USAToday
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20071203/yourhealth03.art.htm

Monday, November 26, 2007

Worthless blogs

Aside from the different currencies that blogs may provide (information, happiness, comfort, etc), there is now an application that puts a price-tag on blogs. This application is based on the hypothesis that traffic is not a good measure of what blogs are but that conversation, as represented by links and indexes like Technorati, represent a more accurate view of the value of a blog. By using the application to estimate value, this blog, Im-Patient, is worth $0.00. But its lack of monetary value may incline people to believe that 'just because' this blog isn't worth anything, it is not worth at all.

What is your perspective on this issue? Is this blog of value to you?

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?