As more and more questions are being asked about how we Americans can possibly continue to pay for our healthcare, a documentary has surfaced that will help us citizens better understand why the American Healthcare System is on the ropes, and ready to implode.

A new website called Snagfilms is now offering documentaries, independent films, and other less available motion pictures for any and all to learn from or be entertained by. Among them is this report which Peter Jennings was just finishing when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, just months before he died.  In fact, while he handled the interviews for the program, someone else had to do the narration because Jennings, ironically, was too sick to do so.

This report addresses healthcare costs, responsibilities, and who is really paying for all those 47 million people who don’t have private insurance.  It will open your eyes, frustrate you, and give you good reasons to begin getting involved in the conversation.

This American dysfunction WILL implode.  Make no mistake about that.  Watch this report to learn some of the reasons why.

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Sometimes the best way to accomplish the most is to get good heads together for conversation, brainstorming and more.  Some of those names we hear over and over again in the patient safety world were able to join forces at a picnic in Aiken, South Carolina, on July 4th.

Organized by Dianne Parker, the group was able to discuss safety initiatives and ideas, and remember those who have been lost due to medical errors.

The goal?  To make this world “independent” of patient safety violations — to save lives and stop the loss of them to medical errors.

Here are some of the dedicated folks who were able to make the picnic, all standing in front of the Consumer’s Union Cover America Tour Big Blue Bus:

Left to right: Curtis & Lisa Lindell, author of 108 Days, Houston, TX.
Helen Haskell, President, Mothers Against Medical Error, South Carolina
Kim Sandstrom, Mothers Against Medical Error, Ocala Florida
Dianne Parker, President, Patient Safety Advocates, Aiken, South Carolina
Lorin & Christine Jones, www.pamsjourney.org, Farmington, New Mexico
Dr. Ira Williams, author of First Do No Harm, Greenville, South Carolina

Missing from the photo is Sanjaya Kumar, MD, author of Fatal Care who was also in attendance.

………………………………..

Thanks to Lisa Lindell for sending the photo, and to all who attended for taking one more step toward awareness and solutions.  You are all fixers — and I appreciate that!

(Wish I could have joined you!)

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For those of you who have read my misdiagnosis story, you know that one of the ultimate heroes was the pathologist (I’ll call him Dr. H.) who helped me understand how the misdiagnosis happened.  Even though he was one of the doctors responsible for getting it wrong, in the end, he didn’t turn away or try to avoid me.  Instead, he explained to me how the mistake was made.  He even apologized.  There was some relief in that, even though it didn’t change the outcome.

Fast forward four years.  Last week I was invited to visit Dr. H’s lab, the lab where my specimen was mis-read, the one where my misdiagnosis really took root.  It’s a hematopathology lab, meaning specimens like lymphomas, tumors, abnormal growths.  What Dr. H wanted me to know was that procedures and policies have been changed.  In his words, had I not brought the inherent problem-causing procedures to their attention, had I not held their toes to the fire, they’d still be doing things the old way.

And people might still be getting misdiagnosed.

For this woman who has fought on behalf of patients for four years…. that was a melt-down point.  All good.  Dr. H. showed me how the processes have changed.  It’s a way of handling paperwork and the eventual reports that are issued.  It turns out my misdiagnosis was more about piecemeal reporting, and less about bad science.

The tour lasted about an hour.  I saw all kinds of specimens under microscopes, printed reports, color-laced spots on a computer monitor (all well protected so I saw no names — good privacy) — and when we were finished, and I did understand how the original mistake had happened, and what was being done for today’s patients to prevent it from happening again….  I asked only one thing.  This, from my follow up email to Dr. H - and I’m quoting:

I recognize that there will always be a certain number of mistakes that will happen in the reading / conclusions drawn from samples / specimens.  I’ll never forget your words to me those four years ago – that you were taught in medical school that there will be mistakes, but if you have to err on one side or the other, you would want to err on the side of getting someone treatment they didn’t need, as opposed to missing a diagnosis that would require treatment.  I understood it even then.  It makes sense.  And I agree that it’s probably best for the majority of patients.

But when I look at those 10,000+ numbers of specimens being reviewed each year, I have to think there is some of the human aspect being lost.  As you will remember, I did ask the one woman in the lab where we reviewed the lined up chromosome reports, about aligning the work you do with the people who are represented by all those samples.  I do understand the responses you both gave me about objectivity, but I still feel it’s important to make this emphasis:  I don’t think it takes away from objectivity to remind yourselves on occasion (as an entire group of lab professionals) that each report is followed by emotion of real human beings who are receiving answers about their lives.  Each one of those samples represent life, death, debilitation, illness – short term or long term.  If the three most important things in life are love, health and the finances needed to support them, then your results have an impact – positive or negative — on all three.  The reaction upon hearing whatever the news is – good, bad or still unknown — is always emotional in nature.  Total joy, crippling sadness and upset, worry, fear, whatever it is – it’s human.

I’m not suggesting you need to know individual names, faces and personalities to align with samples and test results.  I’m just suggesting that they be regarded for what they are – the determination of what the rest of someone’s life is going to be.  Making that connection would, hopefully, compel the people who are figuring out the answers, the people who work in your labs, want to get it right even more often than they do.  How well do they understand that they hold someone’s life in their hands when they arrive at their answers? Could such an emphasis improve the quality and success rates of your results? I realize not every specimen is a life or death situation.  I imagine some are as simple as strep throat or some other fairly ordinary malady.  Even still, to the person who may not be able to afford the medicine needed to get rid of that strep throat, even that could be a big deal.

There was more, of course…. but that’s the gist.

Bottom line — I am highly appreciative of this opportunity to visit Dr. H’s lab, to observe how their work is done, and most of all to be so gratified that the procedures have been changed and fewer people will be misdiagnosed.

It was a pivotal moment in my career and my life.

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Like so many of you, my heart breaks at the loss of Tim Russert. On so many levels, we felt a kinship to him. Anyone who has tried to understand American politics or politicians during the past 20 years has gotten to know Tim Russert, as if he were the trusted friend and neighbor who could help us “get” it.

Our world is now less because we don’t have Tim. And It occurs to me that there are some final lessons we can learn about healthcare from him. Just as he helped us understand politics, he can help us better understand healthcare and a healthy life — as follows:

It turns out that Tim was quite watchful over his heart disease. He had been diagnosed, and was under a doctor’s care. He took his meds, he watched his diet, he exercised, and he got his regular check ups. He was a vigilant patient. Our lesson: being a vigilant patient, doing our best to prevent problems, following all the rules for good health, doesn’t mean life won’t still be too short.

We’ve learned that no matter how many studies exist, no matter what tests can be run, no matter what drugs are available, no matter how well we manage our diets and exercise, there are aspects of a body’s function that just can’t be controlled. Our lesson: Medical science still has a very long way to go.

We’ve learned that good quality medical care doesn’t always translate to a longer healthier life. Yes, I think that over a population of people, better care equals a longer life — BUT — Tim had the best care available in this country, and he died way too young, in his prime. Perhaps without that good care, he would have died even younger? We’ll never know… Our lesson: having good medical care is a plus, but it’s only one tool in determining longevity.

We’ve learned that even the best medical care can’t make up for 1) bad genes or 2) bad choices or 3) extreme stress — any or all. What we don’t know is whether Tim was a smoker when he was younger, or whether he survived on hamburgers and greasy pizza before he turned 55. We don’t know if there was heart disease in his family. We can assume his life was quite stressful. Our lesson: we can’t expect medical miracles to overcome bad genes, heavy stress or bad choices.

Tim taught us that we just never know when our final moment will be — and we need to be prepared. His family was the most important part of his life. He left this world making sure they knew exactly how much he loved them — his dad, his wife and his son. Our lesson: At any moment in life, be sure those you love know just how much you love them. It’s important for your own health, and their health and well-being, too.

Tim had very strong spiritual beliefs, and surrounded himself with spiritual people. In the difficult times, believing in a higher being can be very comforting. His family will find some comfort in the coming years based on that faith, too. Our lesson: Life can be enhanced, health can be supported, and comfort can be found through spiritual beliefs.

Finally, we’ve learned from Tim that one’s legacy is about character and a zestful approach to life. We have to believe that in that instant the heart attack struck, when his life passed before him, he knew it was all good, and he would not have changed one moment of who he was, who he loved, what he had accomplished, and the experiences he had enjoyed. Our lesson: live life to its fullest, with spirit, grace, and zest.

My prayers are with his family — His dad Big Russ, his wife Maureen, his son Luke, and his co-workers at NBC. We were all lucky to have him while we did. And we can all thank him for these final lessons about living a quality — and healthy — life.

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