Table of Contents
1 This Book Could Save Your Life 1
2 Right Now: Get Your Records and Read Them 13
3 Talking to Your Doctor: Put It in Writing 29
4 When the Diagnosis Is in Doubt 45
5 Your Best Ally: A Top Primary-Care Doctor 55
6 Steering Clear of Dangerous Doctors 65
7 Drugs: A Dose of Reality About the Prescription Drug Industry and How You Can Safely Use Medicines 71
8 "Should I Be Tested?" Why Understanding the Numbers Is Crucial 85
9 The Second Opinion: Always Your First Choice 97
10 When You Need Surgery: Avoiding Dr. Not-So-Good and Finding Dr. Right 119
11 Making a List and Checking It Twice: The Key to Safe Surgery 143
12 Your Personal Advocate, in the Hospital and Out 155
13 The Scandal of Infections in Hospitals and Other Health-Care Facilities, and What You Can Do 169
14 Looking for the Best Hospital: A Frustrating Journey with Some Hope 187
15 Living with Chronic Disease: Advice from Survivors 203
16 Auditing Your Care so You Live Longer 219
17 Celebrating the Heroes and Champions of Patient Safety and Quality Care 231
Epilogue: Dealing With Medical Injury 243
Acknowledgments 255
Resources and Further Reading 257
Appendix A Twenty-eight Things That Should Never Happen in a Health-Care Facility 261
Appendix B High-Risk Situations in Biopsy Diagnosis of Cancer 265
Appendix C Fifteen Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Risk of a Hospital Infection 267
Notes 271
Index 283
