Healthcare Archive

Some people might benefit from having an additional expert on their health care team. Examples include an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a certified personal trainer, a dietitian, a personal chef, or a certified driving rehabilitation specialist. A person's doctor can advise on which types of experts would help round out the health care team. Before seeking additional experts, it's important to consider how much their services will cost. They might or might not be covered by insurance.

Many Americans aren't getting preventive medical care. About 12% are unsure when they'll schedule their next check-up, and about 20% don't have a primary care doctor. But skipping regular medical care can increase the risks of serious health consequences, especially for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity. To smooth the process of re-establishing primary care, people should take stock of their health goals and make a list of health-related occurrences or questions before their appointment.

Therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or tai chi are often recommended as a way to help treat chronic disease such as chronic pain or stress. But there are many types of experts who offer such services. To find a qualified practitioner, it helps to know exactly which type of service is needed, get referrals, find out if the practitioner has the specific training for the desired therapy, and check the practitioner's certifications and licensing. It also helps to interview the practitioner before signing on for any type of treatment.

Any type of eye-related surgery can trigger dry eye disease, which causes a burning, gritty, or itchy feeling in the eyes. Treatments typically start with over-the-counter remedies such as preservative-free artificial tears, eye gels or ointments used at night, and warm compresses or heated eye masks. If those approaches don't relieve discomfort, doctors can prescribe a number of treatments, such as prescription eye drops or nasal sprays, tear duct implants to help retain tears, special heat treatments, or amniotic membranes that help reduce inflammation.

Doctors may diagnose heart attacks in people who have not actually had one, in part because they screen people with subtle symptoms out of fear of missing the diagnosis. Failure to diagnose a heart attack is the No. 1 cause of malpractice payouts in the emergency department. But the blood test used to detect a heart attack is very sensitive, and other conditions such as myocarditis (heart inflammation) may be misdiagnosed as a heart attack. This problem of overdiagnosis can expose people to unneeded risks, high costs, and other downsides.

When you have a medical appointment, your health provider writes notes on the visit that are available to you. It's a good idea to read these — though you may be surprised or confused by some of the language — and to check in if you have questions or need to make important corrections.

Health insurance companies sometimes require prior authorization for new, expensive medications. The high price patients pay for these drugs is related to complexities in health insurance coverage.