According to the abstract,

We found many of these consumers’ beliefs, values, and knowledge to be at odds with what policy makers prescribe as evidence-based health care. Few consumers understood terms such as “medical evidence” or “quality guidelines.” Most believed that more care meant higher-quality, better care. The gaps in knowledge and misconceptions point to serious challenges in engaging consumers in evidence-based decision making.

It goes on to explain how they did the study, how they drew their conclusions — and the bottom line is that we patients are making poor and expensive choices, we patients need to begin engaging more in our own care decisions, and therefore, and until we do, we will continue to be at fault for the huge cost of healthcare.

As their next step, Health Affairs developed a communication toolkit. But – just as every other group that tries to analyze patient behavior has done — it was developed FOR patients, to be given TO patients (through their employers) — but nobody worked WITH patients to develop it.

However — the study, the toolkit and the journal report have completely missed the boat on why patients don’t believe evidence. In fact, it has very little to do with evidence at all.

Here’s why:

Because the American healthcare system is based on profits — and the less engaged we patients are in our own decision-making, the more money there is to be made. As long as someone can make money from our need for care, we patients will continue to be manipulated so they can make their money. It’s not about evidence.  It IS about maintaining and increasing profit.

Some examples:

1.  Providers are not paid to talk to us.  In fact, they can’t wait to get us out the door.  Their goal is to make as much money they can from us — which is fair — but the system says that they have to do that by seeing as many patients as they can in their day.  More patients means less time per patient.  That approach, of course, is driven by payers. But how are patients supposed to discuss options with someone who won’t spend time with them?

My perspective as a patient:  I have symptoms. I am scared about what they mean.  The doctor won’t take the time to explain them or answer my questions.  He intimidates me, but he’s still the gatekeeper to all my medical needs, so I don’t dare make him mad.   I would love nothing more than to discuss options — but exactly who can I have that discussion with?

2.  Providers CAN make money by running tests and doing procedures – so they recommend all the tests and procedures they can get away with.  Further, they know that the paper trail of tests and procedures may cover their backsides one day if I ever sue.  That approach, of course, is driven by payers.

My perspective as a patient:  I have symptoms. I am scared about what they mean.  The doctor won’t take the time to explain them or answer my questions.  He intimidates me, but he’s still the gatekeeper to all my medical needs, so I don’t dare make him mad.  When he tells me I have to have a test or a procedure or take a certain drug, I just nod my head because I’m put on the spot. I don’t know the questions to ask, and even if I did, the doctor has left the room before I can even think to ask them.

3.  Providers are rewarded by writing prescriptions for expensive drugs.  (And don’t tell me that’s no longer legal because we all know it’s still going on — it’s just more covert.)  They are paid to speak at dinners, or they get their CME cruises paid for, etc….  Payers may encourage a prescription for a generic, but even that is no longer as true as it once was.  They’ve pretty much thrown in the towel – now they just charge patients a larger co-pay.

My perspective as a patient:  I have been diagnosed by the EXPERT — the doctor.  He suggests I take a certain drug. When the prescription is written for me, as I sit naked in his office, I have no way of knowing what it’s going to cost me when I pick it up… What I do understand is that a few months ago when I asked about a generic I was told that one didn’t exist for what I need.  Even if I ask, I’m afraid the doctor won’t be happy with me, and since it took me two months to get this appointment anyway, I just don’t want to rock the boat.

4.  Providers own equipment and facilities.  They encourage patients to use that equipment and those facilities.  MRIs, surgery centers – you name it, physicians own it — OR — they are employed by the people who own the equipment.  Those leases need to be paid!

My perspective as a patient:  I just know I banged up my knee and the doctor needs to look at it.  He tells me he’s sending me down the hall for an MRI.  What am I supposed to do — suggest I get an x-ray be done somewhere else instead?  Seriously.  Suppose he says no and gets mad?  My knee hurts today — I can’t wait another couple of months for an appointment with a different doctor!

etc etc etc

Perhaps by understanding our patient perspective on our interface with the system, you’ll better understand the bottom line to why we don’t make the choices that evidence or money suggests we should.

We don’t TRUST the system.  And we are AFRAID NOT TO TRUST our doctors.  Doctors are the gatekeepers.  They are the front line.  They are the ones who help us live and who may cause us to die – and we are intimidated.

Until the system shifts to a place where we can be partners, and feel as if our input will be listened to, considered, and respected, then there will be no massive shift in how patients influence their own care decisions, whether for evidence or money reasons, no matter how many communications toolkits are developed.

My regular readers know that I have never been about a victim mentality.  I have spent the last 5+ years writing and speaking to patients about getting past these hurdles. If there is anyone engaged in improving how patients approach their care, I’m at the front of the line.

But I’m also not willing to accept the blame being heaped on us patients as if we are children who haven’t yet done what we’ve been told.  You can’t flip a switch, tell us we are wrong, and that we are expected to change, when there is nothing about the healthcare system that will allow for that change.

Bottom line — as long as everyone in the healthcare industry is out to make a buck off our patient backs, there will be no improvement on a grand scale.  Period.

That’s evidence we all understand.

PS – think this is blown out of proportion? See what real patients have to say.

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One of the things that has been keeping me busiest (as you can imagine) is talks about my book, book signings and interviews. It’s been fun so far! So I thought I’d share some links to videos, podcasts and more.

• I had fun talking to Dave Bullard from our local NPR station, WRVO about You Bet Your Life! You can listen to the podcast here. You’re welcome to listen to the entire conversation!  But if you want to hear just the section about You Bet Your Life, then you’ll find it begins right at 33 minutes and runs a total of 5 minutes.

• My chat with Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau for her syndicated weekend radio show was a blast, too!  We were able to cover quite a bit more ground than my conversation with Dave — I thank Kathleen for her enthusiasm about You Bet Your Life! Please do listen to this podcast because it will give you quite a bit of perspective about why you must take control of your own healthcare.

Great fun at book signings, too:

• At Creekside Books in Skaneateles, NY – great questions from the audience and many thanks to both the owner, Erika Davis and Laura Ponticello from Laura’s List of Books for Women.  They made my book launch just perfect!

• A big thanks to Marie Kulikowsky from Barnes & Noble in Dewitt, NY for handling what will be two book signings!  Yes — in an example of some of the most marvelous timing, the Syracuse Orange NCAA basketball game was scheduled for the exact hour as my book signing (hey!  I got there first!)  I emailed those on my list and told them we would reschedule the basketball game.  Afterall, I have a pretty good sense of what my friends’ priorities are — however — about two dozen people showed up anyway – including friends Leslie Rose McDonald and Cindy Masingill — here are the three of us:

….. and yes…. we have rescheduled for May 6th, 7 PM at Barnes & Nobel, Dewitt.

• Thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people and answering so many great questions at the University of South Florida / Sarasota Lifelong Learning, too.  Truly engaged emPatients — a real pleasure.

• Finally — but certainly not least! — is a great article written by Amber Smith of the Syracuse Post Standard (yes, my disclaimer, Amber is my editor) — accompanied by a video, too!  Link to the article — or to the video below:

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So at least you know I haven’t been snoozing…. I do want to sell books, but honestly, I’m making next to nothing on those books. More than that, I want you to be an emPatient, too… it’s important. Especially knowing the road healthcare reform will take us down.

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Readers of the post took offense, calling me arrogant and ignorant. Among them are people who are truly afraid, people who are allergic, people who feel as if they have done their due diligence and have dismissed vaccines (empowered patients!) — and conspiracy theorists.

I wrote a follow up post, citing highly credible sources for all to see, showing why I believe flu vaccines are so important. The bottom line is that the flu is dangerous — both the H1N1 swine flu and the seasonal flu are killers. Vaccines are the only defense we have today (who knows – maybe we’ll have something better in the future?) And the statistics tell us that we have a 591% better chance of dying from the flu than we do dying from the flu vaccine. You don’t have to be a Las Vegas gambler to understand those odds.

I am actually VERY pleased that so many people have given researched thought and consideration to the question – even the ones who disagree with me.  However — I must say — I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with the flu vaccine conspiracy theorists…. seriously. And if you are one, I say to you — get a life!

Here are the conspiracy theorists’ arguments. They remind me of a saying I heard many years ago — “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get me.”  Further – they have violated the first rule of questionable healthcare practices, and that is – Follow the Money.

Here are some of their lines of reasoning, and my comments:

1. Flu vaccine is only produced to make pharmaceutical companies richer. To that I say — don’t be silly. For the cost, personnel and too tiny profits to be made by producing vaccine, pharmaceutical manufacturers would much prefer to put their efforts into producing something that actually makes a worthwhile profit for them.  Included is the manufacturing are symptoms relievers — far FAR more profitable in the long run.  Why would they want to prevent an illness at very little profit at the expense of bigger profits from medicine that could relieve or fix us?

2.  Flu vaccines were developed from African Green Monkeys - and the real intent is to eradicate the population of the earth! This one gets the “give me a break” award on so many counts… First…  if the government wanted to eradicate the entire population of the earth, they could do it FAR more efficiently by using, oh, say  anthrax or dengue fever – or some other killer.  Why would they go to all the trouble to develop something that actually took science?  Why not a shortcut, and something cheap to do it?

3.  And then I have to ask – why would the government (which government anyway?) want to eradicate the world’s population? If the government eradicated the world’s population, then who would be left to govern?  and who would be left to pay taxes to that government?  and who would be in charge anyway?  (because the government is comprised of people who would get sick, too)…. etc etc….

Sorry — but these theories are just plain laughable.  You want a conspiracy?  I think there’s a conspiracy to make me waste my time looking these things up — because I do my due diligence, unlike some of my readers.

Here’s the deal — I understand that not everyone wants to be injected with flu vaccines, and even that some must avoid vaccines because their bodies cannot tolerate them.  However — for the great majority of us (GREAT majority) — flu shots will keep us healthier — and will keep our loved ones and those around us healthier — than not getting flu shots will.

Further — as reasonable people, we need to understand that unless we have a real concern about negative effects of vaccines, we must accept responsibility for passing possibly deadly flu on to others when we don’t get the flu vaccine.  H1N1 or seasonal — they are both killers.  I’m not willing to be responsible for making someone else sick, nor chancing that they could die.  I would not be able to sleep at night.

Do you?

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Then I watched the Dateline / Matt Lauer interviews and exposé, A Dose of Controversy, about where that suggestion came from, profiling Andrew Wakefield, the doctor/scientist who first suggested that link existed, and who is now hailed a hero by many of those parents who still believe in the connection.  Also interviewed were two more major players in the argument – Brian Deer, a British journalist who has exposed Wakefield over and over again, and Dr. Paul Offit, infectious diseases expert from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who has written a book called Autism’s False Prophets which lambasts Wakefield’s work.

Matt Lauer pulled no punches in his questioning of any of the three.  It’s very clear that the worshipping behavior of these parents who believe that somehow Andrew Wakefield represents the second coming is misplaced.  But even more than that – it’s very easy to see how we observers must use the follow the money rule on all three of these men.  Perhaps an even bigger lesson has to do with LISTENING.

But we also must remember in the midst of this — that many studies (I can’t find a number, but it was suggested there were at least dozens) — studying, literally, MILLIONS of children — have proven every time (not just some, but every time) that an autism-vaccine link DOES NOT EXIST.  Even The Lancet, a highly respected medical journal, the one which originally published Andrew Wakefield’s article about that link, has stated that they never would have published it if they had known how Wakefield’s work had been funded (see below.)

Follow the money (FTM) — it’s the rule that helps explain a lot of the “why’s” in healthcare.  Here are examples, as applied to the questions about autism:

FTM explains why Andrew Wakefield would continue asserting that the MMR vaccine causes autism — because he is/was paid in at least two ways to make sure that was clear.  First, he was paid at least $750,000 by a company that developed a measles-only vaccine that could have been used as a substitute for the MMR.  Now, under suspicion for other (unspecified) charges in his native England, he has set up an outpost in Austin, Texas (have to wonder about the wordsmithing there — Austin and Autism) — but is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States.  Parents are paying thousands of dollars to have their children tested for certain gastrointestinal problems possibly related to autism, but it was unclear as to whether any children have actually been helped by Wakefield.  Further, outside of parents talking about how wonderful he is, none seemed to be able to pinpoint exactly why — except that he listens.

(All other doctors of every stripe — please take heed of that — HE LISTENS.)

Brian Deer – his FTM is a bit easier to track.  He is paid to do his investigating and writing, so finding a goldmine like Andrew Wakefield is job security.  It should be noted that Deer also needs the money to defend himself legally. He has been sued a number of times by Wakefield — always unsuccessfully — Deer has always prevailed, able to prove that his allegations about Wakefield were accurate and defensible.

Dr. Paul Offit requires some FTM analysis as well.  Beyond the income from his book where he alleges that parents have been scammed by Wakefield for more than 10 years, he is full-on supportive of vaccines – including the fact that he is the developer-inventor of one vaccine.  So yes, he makes money as the developer of the vaccine, which seems to be unrelated to autism.  Interestingly, he has an expense many would not ever think of — he is forced to pay for bodyguards, because some of those Wakefield supporting parents have threatened his life.

Here are some beliefs I hold, which affect my beliefs about this controversy:

• I absolutely believe each of these parents who has observed their children well enough to say “She was fine, then she got the vaccine, and something happened.”  I don’t question that for a minute, because I do believe parents are THAT WELL tuned in to their children.
• I also know human nature well enough to understand why parents cling to any belief that would help them explain something that is otherwise not understandable.  As humans, we all want to assign blame. It’s the reason we can’t cope with problems like Hurricane Katrina, or any other mother nature related catastrophe — because there’s really no one to blame.  By clinging to the vaccine-as-perpetrator, parents have someone to blame, plus the bonus of a hero in Wakefield.  (Plus making Jenny McCarthy a hero — another story for another day.)
• When people are desperate, like these parents with autistic children, they will go to extremes, even when those extremes don’t make sense.  To so desperately believe in something that has been disproven in so many ways, and to be threatening the life of someone who truly makes sense — these are moves of desperation.

Combining those beliefs, and having done a brief FTM analysis – we have to look at some bigger picture questions, too.  I provide no answers here — I’m just sayin’…

• So what if Wakefield and all these parents are right?  What if the MMR vaccine DOES trigger something that causes autism?  Maybe it’s not the vaccine itself — maybe the child happened to have eaten something that day, or has another very mild, asymptomatic virus or bacteria in his body — or ?  It could be the vaccine in a combination with something else – I do know a genetic link is being studied, too.
• Even if there is a link — how does that change things for the parents whose children do have autism?  It doesn’t mean there is a cure.  You can’t subtract the vaccine from their bodies.  So why would parents put so much energy into their hero-making – at the expense of taking time away from their own children to do it?
• Autism is a “spectrum disorder” — is it possible it’s not just one thing?  Is it possible that even though the symptoms and some of the behaviors are similar, that these children really have different disorders — triggered by different things?  Whose to say that some forms of  ADHD, for example, aren’t really a part of that spectrum?  I know there are many discussions of misdiagnosis among both autism and ADHD diagnoses….

Finally — I believe the bottom line here is the fact that NONE OF THESE PROFESSIONALS get the fact that the passion and desperation fuel this fire and that the people who feel the most maligned (the parents who believe in Wakefield) do so because they feel that he LISTENS.

And that is the bottom line for today’s very long-winded post.  We all need to listen more because listening, then responding appropriately, will lend itself to compromise and understanding — no matter what the controversy.

I’m listening — what can you tell me that will help explain what I don’t understand?

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Lives First
(Then Money)

or

Money First
(Then Lives)

“Lives First” people understand that lives are more important than money.  Not that money isn’t also important.  It’s just that they believe that aspects such as no insurance denials for pre-existing conditions, or making sure rewards are in place for innovation, or assuring access for everyone (everyone must participate) or making sure there is focus on health outcomes improvement — are more important than how reform will initially be paid for.

“Money First” people understand that controlling costs and reining in spending are more important than worrying about who gets what kind of options for care or access.  They understand that yes, people die or get sicker (and more expensive) when they don’t have access, but that denying access to some means others can get better care. They tell the Lives First people that if money isn’t the first consideration, then it will mean rationing for all, as if that is something new. (A bogus argument, by the way, because rationing is already a part of our care.)

Some generalizations, although I realize there are exceptions:

The Lives First people are often people who have had their access challenged due to cost (or they have watched a friend or loved one who has desperately needed access and could not afford it.)  I’ve been there.  Although I had high deductible health insurance when I suffered my misdiagnosis, the co-pays were back breakers. I lost every penny I had in savings just trying to keep up — all for the privilege of proving the medical experts were wrong.

The Money First people are typically people who do have access, either because their employer subsidizes their health insurance or because they are already age 65 and older and have Medicare.  They see reform as something that will impinge on their income because it certainly won’t get in the way of THEIR access.  They don’t need to worry about other people’s lives.  They only need to worry about their money. (I have to wonder about the Medicare recipients who think money is more important – do they have this conversation with their children?)

Based on that description, which do you think I am?  There’s probably not much question in your mind — but this may surprise you: My husband and I have good healthcare coverage because he is retired from the Air Force and that gives us access to a government payment system for the rest of both our lives.  Healthcare reform will end up costing us more money than we pay now, there’s no doubt.  Based on my own generalizations, you might expect me to be a Money First person….

But of course, I am not.  I hear from too many of those people who don’t have access, who have bankrupted because of medical needs, who work up to four or five jobs just so they can buy into a high deductible, catastrophic plan, just like I had. They get sicker, or they lose a loved one, not because the care wasn’t available, but because they could not afford it, or because they were denied care since they had no insurance.

Don’t get me wrong.  I understand that money is an extremely important consideration in the debate. We need to be responsible about the money questions, and yes, I get the “don’t want to mortgage our children’s future” argument. I believe we need both points of view to hammer out the best approach.

But, if you are a Money First person, I ask you to consider that Lives First may be the more fiscally responsible approach.  If we build a new healthcare system that assures access, even if it’s quite expensive to begin with, then over the longer term, we will be “building” a healthier populous — one that won’t need as much of the same kind of expensive access we have today.  In the long run, the system will cost far less with healthier people who won’t have to go bankrupt just to get the care they need.

Ask yourself: What’s more important to you? And which profile is yours? I wonder if maybe you’ve even put yourself into the wrong category to begin with? Does this food for thought shift your thinking at all?

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Do you have concerns about healthcare reform?  Have a rumor or concern you want clarified?  Pose it here and we’ll try to uncover the truth.

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As predicted, the fearmongering, half truths and out-and-out lies about healthcare reform have begun in earnest.  I received an email from a dear and respected friend yesterday and was appalled at the dis-information it contained.

So I’ve decided to share the email with you and show you where it is wrong and why you need to question anything you hear in these kinds of emails, blog posts and other pieces you may read.

The email, called SENIOR DEATH WARRANTS is printed here in its entirety.  I’ve footnoted my responses below.

The actress Natasha Richardson died after falling skiing in Canada. It
took eight hours to drive her to a hospital. If Canada had our healthcare she might be alive today. In the United States, we have medical evacuation helicopters that would have gotten her to the hospital in 30 minutes. (untrue – see comment 1)

In England anyone over 59 cannot receive heart repairs or stents or bypass because it is not covered as being too expensive and not needed.  (untrue - see comment 2)

Obama wants to have a healthcare system just like Canada’s and England’s. (untrue - see comment 3)

I got this today and am sending it on. If Obama’s plans in other areas don’t scare you, this should! Please do not let Obama sign senior death warrants!!

Everybody that is on this mailing list is either a senior citizen, is
getting close or knows somebody that is.  (true!)

Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the “stimulus” Bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens. (untrue – see comment 4)

The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg (untrue - see comment 5) with the following statement:

Bloomberg: Daschle says “health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them.”
(untrue – see comment 6)

If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that our esteemed Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes. (true!)

Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level.

We have an election coming up in one year and nine months, and we have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and it allies have begun and in the interim, we can make their lives miserable. Lets do this! (see comment 7)

Comment 1: Natasha Richardson fell and hit her head, and refused to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.  No one can be treated if they don’t seek treatment.  Yes, later her husband phoned for help, but by then it was too late.  Could they have taken her by helicopter for help if she had been in the US?  Maybe — but we will never know.  This form of condemnation of Canada’s healthcare system is purely speculation.  No matter what country anyone lives in, they won’t get care if they refuse help.  News articles indicate that helicopters are available for transport in many areas in Canada, but not remote areas.  That is true in the US, too.

Comment 2: I went straight to some doctors in the UK for this answer ( I network with many doctors in England on Twitter.)  They assure me that there is no such policy.  One even asked me “is that a serious question?”

Comment 3: I have scoured the Internet and can find no where where any bona fide news organization has reported that Mr. Obama has made any such statement.  There are blogs, comments and editorials on some news websites, but no hard news anywhere that reports this statement or any statement like it.

Comment 4: The stimulus bill has nothing to do with quality of care or delivery of care.  It does contain $57 billion for development of an electronic medical records system which will eventually cut the cost of care and will improve the safety and delivery of care.  Will rationing take place?  Of course it will.  It already does.  But that has nothing to do with the stimulus bill!

Comment 5: Bloomberg has never quoted Tom Dashle saying any such thing!  I checked in with one of my favorite resources, Politifact and they spell out exactly how this rumor came to be.

Comment 6: In fact, that quote came from Betsy McCaughey in the form of a letter to the editor.  And while I have admired Dr. McCaughey’s work in hospital acquired infections for many years, I believe she is WAY off base by making such a statement.  Inflaming an already contentious argument does not help. (Update: McCaughey is truly going off the deep end, now making statements that the healthcare reform will will make it mandatory for Medicare recipients to go through required counseling to tell them how to end their lives sooner.)

Comment 7: Healthcare reform is going to happen.  We can make it easier on ourselves by dealing in the truth, and helping the cause.  Or we can make it far more difficult on everyone by fearmongering and inflaming.  Sending an email full of half-truths, lies and speculation doesn’t help!  If you truly want to get involved at the grassroots level, then I ask you to instead contact your local congress person and share your feelings about what is important to you.

Read more about the Senior Death Warrant at my About.com blog.

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Do you have concerns about healthcare reform?  Have a rumor or concern you want clarified?  Pose it here and we’ll try to uncover the truth.

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I’ve always admired Oprah.  To me she has been the perfect example of the American dream, while retaining her moral compass and behaving ethically.  Until recently, she managed to make her billions by keeping the best interests of her audiences at heart. She had my admiration and my respect.

But no more.

Keep in mind, that when I mention ethics and morals, I’m not suggesting she avoided controversy or wasn’t willing to stick her neck out politically.  Of course, Oprah has been at times controversial and political.

As she has every right to be!  It’s her show / magazine / network / production company / conglomerate! She hasn’t earned her following by being neutral or wishy-washy.  Even when I have disagreed with her opinions on some topics, I still believe she has had every right to voice them.

But until recently, when she has taken a stand, she has done so to improve her audience’s knowledge of a topic, or to help them understand why she believes the way she does.  Oprah has helped us understand point-of-view, whether or not it’s our own point-of-view.

And until recently, I have admired her ability to bring so many and varied points-of-view to her audiences, without her #1 focus being how she could make money from it.  Granted, she invites guests who will maximize the size of the audience, meaning, indirectly, increased income from sponsors, magazine and TV show advertisers, etc.

That’s fair.

What’s wrong is what she has done recently and that is, she has signed a contract with Jenny McCarthy. McCarthy is no longer a once-in-awhile guest.  Now she’s one of Oprah’s annointed ones.  It marks a shift for Oprah, a shift in the wrong direction.

And now, I am no longer a fan.  For the first time, I believe Oprah has traded her media soul to the money-making devil.  And that has tainted everything she will do from now on.

In case you don’t know who Jenny McCarthy is, she is a former playboy bunny – come – self-proclaimed expert in autism.  McCarthy has a son who she claims to have cured of his autism.  She has written books, marched on Washington, and been very vocal, presumably on behalf of families of children with autism.

For the record, I do not claim to know much about autism at all, and for all I know, maybe she HAS cured her son.

What I object to is not McCarthy’s work in autism — rather — her stance that since she believes her son’s autism was caused by vaccines, she now adamantly advises new parents to refuse to have their children vaccinated for childhood diseases.  Her son was born in 2002.

Here’s the problem with that:

First — there is no proof that vaccines cause autism. In fact, all the proof is to the contrary. The agent contained in vaccines that some argued may have caused autism was called thimerisol. Thimerisol has not been used in any vaccines since 1999.  Yet, the number of children diagnosed with autism is on the rise.  Clearly, something else is causing it.

The second problem — that vaccines have been developed strictly to destroy the diseases that destroy lives, but they can’t do their job if they aren’t being used.  Think of the millions who were injured or killed by polio before the polio vaccine.  Today, the only people getting polio are those who have not been vaccinated.  If children are not vaccinated they will risk polio and it’s their parents who, by choosing not to have their children vaccinated, will put their children at risk.  That’s true, too, for every other childhood disease.

Read Time Magazine’s interview with McCarthy. And McCarthy’s very classy quote,

“I do believe sadly it’s going to take some diseases coming back to realize that we need to change and develop vaccines that are safe. If the vaccine companies are not listening to us, it’s their f___ing fault that the diseases are coming back. They’re making a product that’s s___.”

(Those are Time Magazine’s bleeps, not mine.)

As one friend put it:  Jenny McCarthy is systematically destroying children’s and families’ lives by taking such a dangerous stand.  How is that any different from Adolph Hitler?

Jenny McCarthy is not an MD. She has no medical credentials whatsoever.  Yet young parents are listening to her because they are desperate to find someone who can help them with their autistic children.  If they listen to what she has to say about helping their child recover from autism — great.  But to listen to McCarthy’s medical advice about vaccines?  That’s foolish.

Now — returning to Oprah. Oprah has had Jenny McCarthy on her show any number of times.  That’s a good way to showcase McCarthy’s point of view, especially when it’s contrasted with those who are experts, those who really do know something about autism and vaccines.

But to sign McCarthy on, as she has with Dr. Phil McGraw and Dr. Mehmet Oz?  They ARE doctors!  What message is that sending to those who can’t discriminate who does and who does not have good information? (And I wonder how Dr. Phil and Mehmet Oz feel about being in the same media camp as McCarthy?)

And won’t it be interesting when McCarthy spouts her medical opinions (opinions, NOT facts) on her show, a parent does not get her child vaccinated, that child and others are debilitated or die from McCarthy’s advice?  I wonder if Oprah will be sued along with McCarthy?  Afterall, it’s Oprah who has given her the platform.

Oprah — sorry — but you’ve stepped over a line of trust and respect.  You made that flip to the darkside, all in the interest of growing your franchise and making money.

You’ve lost this fan, and I suspect, many others.

Update 5/31/09: Apparently Newsweek agrees with me. Oprah has truly stepped over the line.

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I say – we have not overreacted – but I worry about Chicken Little.

The initial reports from Mexico indicated real potential for problems.  Governments, WHO and the media were in a d*mned if they do and d*mned if they don’t position:  Had they NOT reacted, then I guarantee you, the flu would have spread faster, further and more people would have died.  Then they would have taken the hit for not reacting appropriately– like George Bush deservedly did for Katrina — and we would all be left behind cleaning up behind the mess.

So I believe the reaction and the hype, and the reminders about the impact seasonal flu has on all of us, are warranted. I, for one, appreciate it.  Lives have been saved.  Awareness has been heightened.

That said…

I actually have more concern about the next time around. Whatever virus mutates, whether it be bird flu, swine flu, or hippopotamus flu — no matter which one it is — will we all be (pardon the pun) immune to the hype?  Will we ignore the governments and media who try to prepare us to keep us safe?  Will we go about our daily business tuning them out?  Will we turn a deaf ear because “remember swine flu?  no big deal!”

Chicken Little (who may be carrying bird flu, by the way) reminded us that the sky CAN fall when we don’t pay attention.  So the real point is that we need to be prepared with falling-sky contingency plans.  That’s what WHO does.  That’s what governments do.  That’s what media reports.

We just need to be sure we pay attention and take action, regardless of how hype-y it seems to be.

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Note:  Swine Flu FAQs updated daily

Plus:  Should We Be Afraid of Swine Flu?

While the professionals provide us with statistics about Mexico, Texas, California or other places where patients have contracted swine flu, I actually find I have different questions all together:

• I don’t live in Mexico. Am I at risk for getting swine flu?
• Will my seasonal flu shot protect me?
• I’ve never met a pig in person and don’t expect I’ll meet one anytime soon. Should I be worried about getting flu from a pig?
• And what about my favorite Sunday breakfast – bacon and eggs?

So I went in search of the answers, believing that if I have those questions, you might too.  So I put them together in an article along with their answers: Swine Flu FAQs

And as for breakfast?  Very crispy please.

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Many of you, my readers, have had complaints about the healthcare system, including the relationship you have (or don’t have) with a doctor. And I hear you — I’ve had bad experiences with some doctors, too.

But that begs the question — do doctors have complaints about patients, too?

Of course they do!  I asked, and received input from more than three dozen healthcare professionals.  I learned:

• What those doctors’ complaints are, and….

• What doctors do about them (which ranges from firing patients to putting codes in their charts to warn others)
• Then I put together some ideas for how patients can get back in their doctors’ good graces if that’s what they would choose to do.
• AND – I invited readers to share their stories of how they got dumped by their doctors, and what they’ve done about it since.

Ha!  Opened the floodgates, I did.  You’ll be amazed at some of the stories.

Since then, I’ve come across this question from KevinMD - and commentary by one of his responders that suggests that rather than fire his patients, he just makes them so miserable that they choose to leave him. (find comment from MANALIVE)

Have you been frustrated by a meeting with your doctor?  Have you received a letter telling you the doctor will no longer work with you?

I invite you to share your story, too — and to discover whether you fit one of those patient profiles that doctors really just don’t want to work with.

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