It's Your Body

Sadly, more people take better care of their cars than they do their body. They tend to ask more questions before getting a repair than they do before beginning treatment for an illness or injury.

While many Web savvy patients today can ask a doctor about minute details of their circulatory system or cancer treatment, when it comes to asking the really tough, personal questions, they often clam up.

The web can be a great resource, or it can be filled with myth and misinformation. I imagine all too often docs spend as much time correcting patient impressions as they do explaining treatment protocol.

An informed patient can be a boon or a bane.

Ronda Collier, a 43-year-old Ann Arbor, Mich., marketing professional, consulted several surgeons prior to having brain surgery a few years ago, but she recalls being too worried about seeming offensive to ask whether a doctor had a good safety record or used recreational drugs or alcohol.

Frankly, these are questions I never thought to ask.

Until now . . .

So tell me doc, when was the last time you inhaled?

The linked article has many useful sites including Spine Universe, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Board of Medical Specialties.

This article is a must read.