(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) Medical records can be hard for patients to get, even in this digital information age. But they shouldn’t be: Federal law guarantees that people have a right to see and obtain a copy of their me… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This content is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a Next Avenue sponsor.) For some people facing a terminal illness or the end of life, transitioning to palliative care (care given to improve quality of life for patients with… Continue reading
Finding the best doctor in town can be a huge comfort in the midst of a medical crisis. I know. When I was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene [linked to breast cancer risk], I opted for a preventative double mastectomy to greatly reduce my risk. A prominent… Continue reading
(This article is excerpted from Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell Smith.) What is anxiety? Where does it come from, and how can you gain control over it? And why is it so frequently spurred by the loss of a loved one? These are ofte… Continue reading
My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. We managed to focus on the positive side of things (the doctors said that if they got all the cancer out of his stomach in an operation, then his prognosis was quite good.) But we blithely ignored the stat… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This story was published by Kaiser Health News. ) In a move to improve cancer care for older adults, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is recommending that all patients 65 and older receive a geriatric assessment when con… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: The family of Sen. John McCain said today that the Arizona Republican will no longer receive care for his brain cancer, a sign that he is most likely entering his final days. Below is a previously-published Next Avenue article about McC… Continue reading