Cancer Stem Cells: Philosophy and Therapies by
An innovative theory proposes a new therapeutic strategy to break the stalemate in the war on cancer. It is called cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, and Lucie Laplane offers a comprehensive analysis, based on an original interdisciplinary approach that combines biology, biomedical history, and philosophy. Rather than treat cancer by aggressively trying to eliminate all cancerous cells--with harmful side-effects for patients--CSC theory suggests the possibility of targeting the CSCs, a small fraction of cells that lie at the root of cancers. CSCs are cancer cells that also have the defining properties of stem cells--the abilities to self-renew and to differentiate. According to this theory, only CSCs and no other cancer cells can induce tumor formation. To date, researchers have not agreed on the defining feature of CSCs--their stemness. Drawing from a philosophical perspective, Laplane shows that there are four possible ways to understand this property: stemness can be categorical (an intrinsic property of stem cells), dispositional (an intrinsic property whose expression depends on external stimuli), relational (an extrinsic property determined by a cell's relationship with the microenvironment), or systemic (an extrinsic property controlled at the system level). Our ability to cure cancers may well depend upon determining how these definitions apply to different types of cancers.
Climate Change and Global Health by
There is increasing understanding, globally, that climate change will have profound and mostly harmful effects on human health. This authoritative book brings together international experts to describe both direct (such as heat waves) and indirect (such as vector-borne disease incidence) impacts of climate change, set in a broad, international, economic, political and environmental context. This unique book also expands on these issues to address a third category of potential longer-term impacts on global health: famine, population dislocation, and conflict. This lively yet scholarly resource explores these issues fully, linking them to health in urban and rural settings in developed and developing countries. The book finishes with a practical discussion of action that health professionals can yet take. Now with added chapter updating key changes affecting climate change and health through 2015, culminating with UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon's hopeful comment "What was once unthinkable is now unstoppable". Climate change, now clearly worsening, is triggering a powerful social and technological response. Will this response be sufficient to avert its potentially catastrophic "tertiary" health effects?
Drugs Clubs and Young People by
In this volume, contributors employ sociological and public health perspectives to offer insights into behaviours common at raves and nightclubs. The volume provides theoretical observations on illicit club drug use and supply, helping to challenge current orthodoxies on the role of drug use within young peoples' lives. Drawing material from the USA, UK and Hong Kong, the volume allows the demystification of stereotypical presentations surrounding young people who attend clubs and/or use club drugs. This work provides a badly needed and objective analysis of youthful drug use, and a foundation from which future sociological and public studies on young people, clubs and drugs - as well as young people themselves - will benefit.
Ecological Health: Society, Ecology and Health by
Drawing on ecosystem thinking, complexity and postnormal science, Ecological Health offers a radical new way of thinking about the health issues of the 21st Century. This volume reflects on recent social scientific engagement with Ecosystem Health research and practice and sets out a vision for the future. While significant links between human health and the environment are increasingly evident, how to make sense of the interdependence of human health on natural systems is posing significant challenges. Ecological health is a new approach used by medics, public health practitioners, veterinarians, as well as social and natural scientists who study health at the nexus between human, animal and ecological systems. This volume is a reference tool offering a sociological analysis of the interrelationship between society, earth systems and health as conceptual frameworks. The authors provide methodological tools for conducting social science research that integrates social, natural and medical systems. It will appeal to a broad audience of researchers and practitioners who currently work in the arena of ecology and health and as well as those interested in expanding their research.
Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives by
"We expect medicine to progress in an orderly fashion, with good medical practices being replaced by better ones. But some tests and therapies are discontinued because they are found to be worse, or at least no better, than what they replaced. Medications like Vioxx and procedures such as vertebroplasty for back pain caused by compression fractures are among the medical "advances" that turned out to be dangerous or useless. What Dr. Vinayak K. Prasad and Dr. Adam S. Cifu call medical reversal happens when doctors start using a medication, procedure, or diagnostic tool without a robust evidence base―and then stop using it when it is found not to help, or even to harm, patients.
Drs. Prasad and Cifu narrate fascinating stories from every corner of medicine to explore why medical reversals occur, how they are harmful, and what can be done to avoid them. They explore the difference between medical innovations that improve care and those that only appear to be promising. They also outline a comprehensive plan to reform medical education, research funding and protocols, and the process for approving new drugs that will ensure that more of what gets done in doctors’ offices and hospitals is truly effective." (Amazon)
Ethnic-Racial Stigma and Physical Health Disparities in the United States of America by
Articles on interpersonal, intergroup and structural factors as a source of physical health disparities.
The Global War on Tobacco: mapping the world's first public health treaty by
The tobacco industry has capitalized on numerous elements of globalization--including trade liberalization, foreign direct investment, and global communications--to expand into countries where effective tobacco control programs are not in place. As a consequence, tobacco is currently the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Each year, it kills more people than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.
Amid evidence of an emerging pandemic, a committed group of public health professionals and institutions sought in the mid-1990s to challenge the tobacco industry's expansion by negotiating a binding international law under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)--the first collective global response to the causation of avoidable chronic disease--was one of the most quickly ratified treaties in United Nations history. In The Global War on Tobacco , Heather Wipfli tells the engaging story of the FCTC, from its start as an unlikely civil society proposal to its enactment in 178 countries as of June 2014. Wipfli also reveals how globalization offers anti-tobacco advocates significant cooperative opportunities to share knowledge and address cross-border public health problems.
The book--the first to delve deeply into the origin and development of the FCTC--seeks to advance understanding of how non-state actors, transnational networks, and international institutionalization can impact global governance for health. Case studies from a variety of diverse high-, middle-, and low-income countries provide real-world examples of the success or failure of tobacco control. Aimed at public health professionals and students, The Global War on Tobacco is a fascinating look at how international relations is changing to respond to the modern global marketplace and protect human health.
Health and Wellness Concerns for Racial, Ethnic, and Sexual Minorities by
Minority status in the United States often accompanies diminished access to education, employment, and subsequently health care. This volume explores factors that have contributed to health disparities among racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities.
Focused on developing strategies for understanding these disparities and promoting wellness in minority communities, the authors highlight social forces such as racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and homophobia, which continue to influence not only access to and quality of care but also perception and trust of health care professionals. The authors identify several common themes, including the importance of communication, intentional and unintentional discriminatory structures, and perhaps most significantly, the role of culturally relevant learning sites.
This is the 142nd volume of the Jossey Bass series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education . Noted for its depth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.
How to Change Your Mind by
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began an adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists inadvertently catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research.
Inside National Health Reform by
This indispensable guide to the Affordable Care Act, our new national health care law, lends an insider's deep understanding of policy to a lively and absorbing account of the extraordinary--and extraordinarily ambitious--legislative effort to reform the nation's health care system. Dr. John E. McDonough, DPH, a health policy expert who served as an advisor to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, provides a vivid picture of the intense effort required to bring this legislation into law. McDonough clearly explains the ACA's inner workings, revealing the rich landscape of the issues, policies, and controversies embedded in the law yet unknown to most Americans. In his account of these historic events, McDonough takes us through the process from the 2008 presidential campaign to the moment in 2010 when President Obama signed the bill into law. At a time when the nation is taking a second look at the ACA, Inside National Health Reform provides the essential information for Americans to make informed judgments about this landmark law.
The Patient Equation by
We are living through a time when the digitization of health and medicine is becoming a reality, with new abilities to improve outcomes for patients as well as the efficiency and success of the organizations that serve them. In The Patient Equation, Glen de Vries presents the history and current state of life sciences and health care as well as crucial insights and strategies to help scientists, physicians, executives, and patients survive and thrive, with an eye toward how COVID-19 has accelerated the need for change. One of the biggest challenges facing biotech, pharma, and medical device companies today is how to integrate new knowledge, new data, and new technologies to get the right treatments to the right patients at precisely the right times--made even more profound in the midst of a pandemic and in the years to come.
Drawing on the fascinating stories of businesses and individuals that are already making inroads--from a fertility-tracking bracelet changing the game for couples looking to get pregnant, to an entrepreneur reinventing the treatment of diabetes, to Medidata's own work bringing clinical trials into the 21st century--de Vries shares the breakthroughs, approaches, and practical business techniques that will allow companies to stay ahead of the curve and deliver solutions faster, cheaper, and more successfully--while still upholding the principles of traditional therapeutic medicine and reflecting the current environment.
How new approaches to cancer and rare diseases are leading the way toward precision medicine
What data and digital technologies enable in the building of robust, effective disease management platforms
Why value-based reimbursement is changing the business of life sciences
How the right alignment of incentives will improve outcomes at every stage of the patient journey
Whether you're a scientist, physician, or executive, you can't afford to let the moment pass: understand the landscape with this must-read roadmap for success--and see how you can change health care for the better
Spoiled Milk: 37 old expired health beliefs with a fresh new perspective by
Confused about conflicting health information? Wondering if you are making the best health decisions for you and your family? Many common ideas about health are based on popular fads that are altogether false. These popular theories may cost you time, money, and most importantly, your health.Improve your life by changing the way you think about wellness, food, thoughts, everyday chemicals, mainstream health hype, and health care. This is your guide to easily and confidently incorporating healthy decisions into your life.- If you think that being thin is all that matters (myth #1), consider your health is not determined by how much or how little you weigh.- If you think you are sick because you aren't taking the right drug or haven't had the right surgery, consider that the real cause is often found at a deeper level.- If you think that a low-fat or no-fat diet keeps you skinny and healthy, consider it may actually help you put on the weight and may make you unhealthy.
Transforming Health Care: The Financial Impact of Technology, Electronic Tools and Data Mining by
The future of healthcare technologies, and what they mean for investors and entrepreneurs The healthcare technology revolution is just around the corner. And when it arrives, it will change and enrich our lives in ways we can only begin to imagine. Doctors will perform blood pressure readings via video chat and nutritionists will analyze diet based on photos taken with cellphone cameras. Transforming Health Care combines healthcare, technology, and finance in an innovative new way that explains the future of healthcare and its effects on patient care, exploring the emergence of electronic tools that will transform the medical industry. Explaining how technology, not politics, will lead the future of the healthcare revolution, author and healthcare technology expert Phil Fasano presents real-life examples that show how the next generation of medical breakthroughs will come from the instant exchange of information across the world Explores how new technologies will radically change the future of healthcare by making it easier to share information rapidly Explains what the future of the high tech medical industry means for investors and entrepreneurs Written by a respected healthcare and health technology expert Offering an unprecedented look at how technology is transforming the healthcare industry, and what it will mean for future investors and entrepreneurs, Transforming Health Care is a remarkable insight into the next generation of health technologies.
The Well-Gardened Mind by
The garden has always been a place of peace and perseverance, of nurture and reward. Using contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and compelling real-life stories, The Well-Gardened Mind investigates the remarkable effects of nature on our health and well-being."-
Where Does It Hurt?: an entrepreneur's guide to fixing health care by
A bold new remedy for the sprawling and wasteful health care industry
Where else but the doctor's office do you have to fill out a form on a clipboard? Have you noticed that hospital bills are almost unintelligible, except for the absurdly high dollar amount? Why is it that technology in other industries drives prices down, but in health care it's the reverse? And why, in health care, is the customer so often treated as a mere bystander--and an ignorant one at that?
The same American medical establishment that saves lives and performs wondrous miracles is also a $2.7 trillion industry in deep dysfunction. And now, with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), it is called on to extend full benefits to tens of millions of newly insured. You might think that this would leave us with a bleak choice-- either to devote more of our national budget to health care or to make do with less of it. But there's another path.
In this provocative book, Jonathan Bush, cofounder and CEO of athenahealth, calls for a revolution in health care to give customers more choices, freedom, power, and information, and at far lower prices. With humor and a tell-it-likeit- is style, he picks up insights and ideas from his days as an ambulance driver in New Orleans, an army medic, and an entrepreneur launching a birthing start-up in San Diego. In struggling to save that dying business, Bush's team created a software program that eventually became athenahealth, a cloud-based services company that handles electronic medical records, billing, and patient communications for more than fifty thousand medical providers nationwide.
Bush calls for disruption of the status quo through new business models, new payment models, and new technologies that give patients more control of their care and enhance the physicianpatient experience. He shows how this is already happening. From birthing centers in Florida to urgent care centers in West Virginia, upstarts are disrupting health care by focusing on efficiency, innovation, and customer service. Bush offers a vision and plan for change while bringing a breakthrough perspective to the debates surrounding Obamacare.
You'll learn how:
• Well-intended government regulations prop up overpriced incumbents and slow the pace of innovation.
• Focused, profit-driven disrupters are chipping away at the dominance of hospitals by offering routine procedures at lower cost.
• Scrappy digital start-ups are equipping providers and patients with new apps and technologies to access medical data and take control of care.
• Making informed choices about the care we receive and pay for will enable a more humane and satisfying health care system to emerge.
Bush's plan calls for Americans not only to demand more from providers but also to accept more responsibility for our health, to weigh risks and make hard choices--in short, to take back control of an industry that is central to our lives and our economy.
Antibiotics by
Virtually everyone has taken antibiotics. They can be lifesavers -- and they can be useless. What are they? How are they used? And what happens as the effectiveness of antibiotics continues to decline? Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Knowa. examines the personal and societal implications of our planet's most important -- and frequently misused -- medications. In a question-and-answer format, it unpacks the most complicated aspects of this issue, including: How antibiotics are used (and overused) in humans, plants, and livestock; the causes and consequences of bacterial resistance to antibiotics; how the globalized world enables antibiotic resistance to spread quickly; and the difficult decisions ahead for both medical care and the food system. Grounded in the latest scientific research and crafted for general readers, Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Knowa. offers a clear-eyed overview of where we are, and what the future holds, as antibiotics lose their power.
Physician-Assisted Death by
The issue of physician-assisted death is now firmly on the American public agenda. Already legal in five states, it is the subject of intense public opinion battles across the country. Driven by an increasingly aging population, and a baby boom generation just starting to enter its senioryears, the issue is not going to go away anytime soon. In Physician-Assited Death L.W. Sumner equips readers with everything they need to know to take a reasoned and informed position in this important debate. The book provides needed context for the debate by situating physician-assisted death within the wider framework of end-of-life care and explaining why the movement to legalize it now enjoys such strong public support. It also reviews that movement's successes to date, beginning in Oregon in 1994and now extending to eleven jurisdictions across three continents. Like abortion, physician-assisted death is ethically controversial and the subject of passionately held opinions. The central chapters of the book review the main arguments utilized by both sides of the controversy: on the one hand, appeals to patient autonomy and the relief of suffering, on theother the claim that taking active steps to hasten death inevitably violates the sanctity of life. The book then explores both the case in favor of legalization and the case against, focusing in the latter instance on the risk of abuse and the possibility of slippery slopes. In this context the experience of jurisdictions that have already taken the step of legalization is carefully reviewed tosee what lessons might be extracted from it. It then identifies some further issues that lie beyond the boundaries of the current debate but will have to be faced sometime down the road: euthanasia for patients who are permanently unconscious or have become seriously demented and for severelycompromised newborns.The book concludes by considering the various possible routes to legalization, both political and judicial. Readers will then be prepared to decide for themselves just where they stand when they confront the issue both in their own jurisdiction and in their own lives.
The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure cancer by
For decades, scientists have puzzled over one of medicine's most confounding mysteries: Why doesn't our immune system recognize and fight cancer the way it does other diseases, like the common cold? As it turns out, the answer to that question can be traced to a series of tricks that cancer has developed to turn off normal immune responses--tricks that scientists have only recently discovered and learned to defeat. The result is what many are calling cancer's "penicillin moment," a revolutionary discovery in our understanding of cancer and how to beat it. In THE BREAKTHROUGH, Graeber guides readers through the revolutionary scientific research bringing immunotherapy out of the realm of the miraculous and into the forefront of twenty-first-century medical science. As advances in the fields of cancer research and the human immune system continue to fuel a therapeutic arms race among biotech and pharmaceutical research centers around the world, the next step--harnessing the wealth of new information to create modern and more effective patient therapies--is unfolding at an unprecedented pace, rapidly redefining our relationship with this all-too-human disease. Groundbreaking, riveting, and expertly told, THE BREAKTHROUGH is the story of the game-changing scientific discoveries that unleash our natural ability to recognize and defeat cancer, as told through the experiences of the patients, physicians, and cancer immunotherapy researchers who are on the front lines.
Caring for the Family Caregiver by
"Caring for the Family Caregiver is an extensive practical tool kit for health care providers across the healthcare continuum. Regardless if it is a mother caring for a child with a developmental disability, a wife caring for a husband with a long term chronic illness, or a daughter sitting at the bedside of her father who is enrolled in hospice, family caregivers are the silent "other patient" in the health care drama. Healthcare providers who do not attend to the needs of the caregiver not only inflict interactional suffering, but dilute their treatment by not engaging the caregiver as a partner. In fact, they may unintentionally do harm as the caregiver flounders and thus patient treatment fails. As noted by one dying cancer patient in an educational YouTube video of his cancer journey, "there are two patients not one." If we are to eliminate the interactional suffering experienced by family caregivers, we must train both the caregiver and the health care team for the important interaction and roles that are required for the successful care of the patient. Caregivers lack information, skills, and emotional support for the tireless task they are volunteering for. They need to be taught how to advocate for themselves and their patients and how to best communicate with the health care team. Likewise, health care providers have the skills and knowledge to provide outstanding patient centered care; however, they are not taught the importance of the family caregiver, nor do they always understand that experience or how to help
Communication for Health Care Practice by
This concise, contemporary handbook offers practical advice about how to engage and interact in a productive manner. Quality communication leads to better health outcomes and ultimately a positive experience for clients and health professionals.
Communication Rx by
ACH's methodology is detailed in this step-by-step guide. You'll learn communication skills that will enable you to: * Provide more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments -- and improve patient outcomes * Boost patient adherence and lower hospital readmission rates * Make fewer errors and reduce malpractice risks * Increase patient satisfaction and build teamwork among providers * Further develop your communication skill set -- and help others do the same. In this volume, you'll discover special sections on teamwork, coaching, shared decision-making, feedback, conflict engagement, diversity, and communicating through hierarchy. The book also provides institutional initiatives to help you implement change in your organization and outlines a field-tested blueprint for healthier communication across the entire industry."--
Communication Skills in Health and Social Care by
Communication in medicine.
Communication in social work.
Allied health personnel and patient.
Patient speak : 7 communication practices to improve patient and family experience, a guide for healthcare professionals by
"Patient Speak is a reference guide of communication techniques and approaches recommended for healthcare and medical professionals to use when interacting with their patient , so their patient and family members can feel the genuine concern the medical team has for the patient's overall emotional, psychological, and physical health..."
Providing Health Care in the Context of Language Barriers by
Global migration continues to increase, and with it comes increasing linguistic diversity. This presents obvious challenges for both healthcare provider and patient, and the chapters in this volume represent a range of international perspectives on language barriers in health care. A variety of factors influence the best ways of approaching and overcoming these language barriers, including cultural, geographical, political and practical considerations, and as a result a range of approaches and solutions are suggested and discussed. The authors in this volume discuss a wide range of countries and languages, and cover issues that will be familiar to all healthcare practitioners, including the role of informal interpreters, interpreting in a clinical setting, bilingual healthcare practitioners and working with languages with comparatively small numbers of speakers.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Lia's parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest, and the Salon Book Award, Anne Fadiman's compassionate account of this cultural impasse is literary journalism at its finest. -- Provided by Publisher on back cover.
Diabetes Head to Toe by
Diabetes Head to Toe is an invaluable resource for anyone living with diabetes. It includes everything you should know about the disease--straight from the experts. The authors, all doctors who specialize in diabetes care, offer simple explanations and essential advice on all things diabetes.
Accessible and concise, Diabetes Head to Toe presents information at a glance, with conversational prose and easy-to-digest bullet points. Each chapter begins with a short introduction and includes helpful sections on "What You Need to Know" and "What Does It All Mean?" Other notable features include "Tips," "Myths and Facts," and frequently asked questions. In addition to defining medical concepts in everyday language while tackling core topics, such as patient dietary needs and lifestyle changes, this book contains unique coverage of
* how to prevent and diagnose diabetes
* the many complications--head to toe--that people with diabetes can develop
* diabetes in diverse populations, including children and adults
* new treatments for diabetes and how they work
* common interactions between diabetes medications and other drugs
* medical conditions that occur more frequently in people with diabetes, including eye disease, heart disease, kidney problems, depression, nerve damage, and sexual problems
* cutting-edge diabetes technologies and the costs, benefits, and limitations of various devices
* legal considerations that everyone with diabetes should keep in mind
More than 50 illustrations illuminate key points, while a two-color format allows readers to quickly identify the information they are seeking. Aimed at people with diabetes, family members, teachers, physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, specialists, and anyone else who cares about the health of diabetes patients, this up-to-date book will help readers recognize the early warning signs before diabetes-related difficulties arise, ensuring a long, healthy life.
Antidepressants: History, Science, and Issues by
Depression is one of the most commonly reported mental disorders, and it affects millions of Americans. A wide variety of medications are used to treat depression, many of which have become household names--Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil among them. Because these medications have the ability to alter how people think and feel, however, physicians must weigh a number of factors when prescribing them, especially to teens. Antidepressants: History, Science, and Issues, a part of Greenwood's Story of a Drug series, offers a robust exploration of antidepressant medications that covers the historical, ethical, medical, legal, and scientific dimensions of these drugs. After an introductory case study of a person with depression and this individual's problems and successes with antidepressants, the book provides an overview of depression and its various symptoms as well as the causes, prevalence, and diagnosis of depression. Readers will gain an understanding of the neurotransmission and specific mechanisms behind the activity of antidepressant medications; the effects and applications of these drugs, plus their associated risks of misuse and abuse; and related policy and societal issues
Chronic Pain and Opioid Management by
"This book presents an integrated approach for concurrently treating chronic pain and opioid use. Many patients who suffer from chronic pain are also managing opioid medications. Because this population often requires a higher level of care, it is critical for providers to address pain and opioid management together. This book presents an integrated healthcare team approach that helps patients manage opioid use in a structured, safe, and supportive environment while also exploring all of the factors that impact the patients' pain experience. This whole-person approach to care allows for cross-cutting strategies to be applied and maximizes the reduction of suffering. The behavioral treatment strategies in this book can help providers assist patients who are struggling with chronic pain and have relied on opioids at one point. This includes individuals that are considering de-prescribing, are in the process of opioid tapering, have recently discontinued from opioids, or are currently using opioids effectively for pain. Combining expert clinical guidance with the latest research and practical case examples, the book helps practitioners across healthcare disciplines understand their patients, improve rapport and engagement, and implement treatment strategies to help patients live their best lives"--
Dopesick by
Beginning with a single dealer who lands in a small Virginia town and sets about turning high school football stars into heroin overdose statistics, journalist Beth Macy endeavors to answer a grieving mother's question -- why her only son died -- and comes away with a harrowing story of greed and need. From the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, Macy parses how America embraced a medical culture where overtreatment with painkillers became the norm. The unemployed use painkillers both to numb the pain of joblessness and pay their bills, while privileged teens trade pills in cul-de-sacs, and even high school standouts fall prey to prostitution, jail, and death. Through unsparing, yet deeply human portraits of the families and first responders struggling to ameliorate this epidemic, each facet of the crisis comes into focus.
Drug Dealer, MD by
Three out of four people addicted to heroin probably started on a prescription opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, 16,000 people die each year as a result of prescription opioid overdose. But perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is that it's built on well-meaning doctors treating patients with real problems. Combining case studies from her own practice with vital statistics drawn from public policy, cultural anthropology, and neuroscience, Dr. Anna Lembke explores the complex relationship between doctors and patients, the science of addiction, and the barriers to successfully addressing drug dependence and addiction. Full of extensive interviews -- with health care providers, pharmacists, social workers, hospital administrators, insurance company executives, journalists, economists, advocates, and patients and their families -- Drug Dealer, MD is for anyone whose life has been touched in some way by addiction to prescription drugs. Dr. Lembke gives voice to the millions of Americans struggling with prescription drugs while singling out the real culprits behind the rise in opioid addiction: cultural narratives that promote pills as quick fixes, pharmaceutical corporations in cahoots with organized medicine, and a new medical bureaucracy focused on the bottom line that favors pills, procedures, and patient satisfaction over wellness.
Ordinarily Well: The Case for Antidepressants by
"Do antidepressants actually work, or are they just glorified dummy pills? How can we tell one way or the other?In Ordinarily Well, the celebrated psychiatrist and author Peter D. Kramer addresses the growing mistrust of antidepressants among the medical establishment and the broader public by taking the long view. He charts the history of the drugs' development and the research that tests their worth, from the Swiss psychiatrist Roland Kuhn's pioneering midcentury discovery of imipramine's antidepressant properties to recent controversial studies suggesting that medications like Prozac and Paxil may be no better than placebos in alleviating symptoms. He unpacks the complex "inside baseball" of psychiatry--statistics--and reveals the fascinating ways that clinical studies and their results can be combined, manipulated, and skewed toward a desired conclusion. All the while, Kramer never loses sight of the patients themselves. He writes with deep empathy about his own clinical encounters over the decades as he weighed treatments, analyzed trial results, and considered the idiosyncrasies each case presented. As Kramer sees it, we must respect human complexity and the value of psychotherapy without denying the truth--that depression is a serious and destructive illness that demands the most effective treatment available
Pain Killer by
"Between 1999 and 2017, an estimated 250,000 Americans died from overdoses involving prescription painkillers, a plague ignited by the aggressive marketing of OxyContin by its maker, Purdue Pharma. Purdue, owned by a wealthy and secretive family--the Sacklers--knew early on that teenagers and others were abusing its billion dollar "wonder" drug. But Justice Department officials balked a decade ago when it came to meting out justice, allowing an opioid crisis to evolve into a catastrophe. Originally published in 2003 and hailed since as groundbreaking, Meier--in this thoroughly updated edition--reveals new and shocking information about how long the drug maker knew about OxyContin's abuse, even as it marketed it aggressively, and the way government officials passed up opportunities to protect hundreds of thousands of lives. Equal parts crime thriller, medical detective story, and business expos, ̌ Pain Killer is the origin story of the opioid crisis, a hard-hitting look at how a supposed wonder drug became the gateway drug to a national tragedy"--Provided by publisher.
Making Sense of IBS by
IBS affects almost one in six Americans and is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation. Today physicians are better able to diagnose this complex disorder, understand and explain its origins, and develop a treatment plan that effectively meets the individual needs of a patient. Since publication of the first edition of Making Sense of IBS, diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome have changed significantly. Drawing on his many years of experience treating people who have symptoms of IBS, Dr. Brian E. Lacy has greatly expanded the first edition, adding new topics and the latest findings on tests, medications, alternative treatments, dietary factors, and lifestyle. Dr. Lacy explains normal digestion, the causes of IBS, how IBS is diagnosed, and what to expect with treatment. He also explores special topics such as IBS in children and psychological, hypnotherapeutic, and psychiatric therapies. Important new information in the second edition includes: the roles of fiber, gluten, lactose, and fructose in the development and treatment of IBS; the use of probiotics and antibiotics to treat IBS; similarities and differences between IBS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); the relationship between small intestine bacterial overgrowth and IBS; how to make the most of your visits to a gastroenterologist; and lifestyle modifications that can improve symptoms of IBS.
Dirty Genes by
After suffering for years with unexplainable health issues, Dr. Ben Lynch discovered the root cause--"dirty" genes. Genes can be "born dirty" or merely "act dirty" in response to your environment, diet, or lifestyle--causing lifelong, life-threatening, and chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, obesity, cancer, and diabetes.
Based on his own experience and successfully helping thousands of clients, Dr. Lynch shows you how to identify and optimize both types of dirty genes by cleaning them up with targeted and personalized plans, including healthy eating, good sleep, stress relief, environmental detox, and other holistic and natural means.
Many of us believe our genes doom us to the disorders that run in our families. But Dr. Lynch reveals that with the right plan in place, you can eliminate symptoms, and optimize your physical and mental health--and ultimately rewrite your genetic destiny.
The Social Context of Birth, Third Editon by
No woman has an "uneventful pregnancy"; a phrase which is commonly heard in western medical birth settings in the UK. Each woman births her child within a social context of her own. Midwives and other health care professionals need to have a deep understanding of the various lives childbearing women live in order to support them insightfully and practise in a nuanced manner.
The Social Context of Birth has been revised, updated and enlarged to provide an essential understanding of the different lives women live and in which they birth their children. For the first time, it also contains original primary research on the perspectives of student midwives as they progress through their three year training. This comprehensive guide provides countless valuable insights into the many different lives, experiences and expectations of women in their childbearing years in the twenty-first century, especially vulnerable women. Written by a team of highly experienced health professionals, it also covers contentious areas of maternity care, such as new reproductive technologies and fetal surveillance.
A true essential for all healthcare professionals who work with women giving birth, such as midwives, nurses, health visitors and obstetricians, and wish to deepen their knowledge of women's lives.
Health Care Fraud by
The medical profession and health care in general has deteriorated over the past twenty years. It has become plagued with fraudulent behaviors. It is difficult for individuals to know if they are being scammed. Fraud unfortunately exists in all aspects of health care today. In 2011, $2.27 trillion was spent on health care and more than four billion health insurance claims were processed in the United States. It is an undisputed reality that some of these health insurance claims are fraudulent. No institution has undone more quickly and more completely than American medicine. In only a few decades, the medical system has been overrun by organizations seeking to exploit for profit the trust that susceptible and sick Americans place in their healthcare. No doctor wants to be identified as being out of step with medical practice norms. Furthermore, most health care providers do not want a decrease in profit margins as well. This book is about the millions of Americans who have access to what some would call the best medical care in the world but are being swindled. Of course, there are millions of uninsured Americans whose access to care is heartlessly limited. The problems of fraudulent health care described in this book are less likely to transpire to the latter group, simply because they receive less medical care. This book is about the relentless expansion of medicine and our health providers increasing tendency to only make a diagnosis so that further treatments can be done to increase their revenues. Americans have been taught to be concerned about their health. We are all aware that types of hidden jeopardies prowl inside of us. The conventional wisdom is that it's always better to know about these dangers so that something can be done. That's why we are so enthusiastic about amazing medical technologies that can detect abnormalities even when we reason we are well. That's also why we welcome the identification of risk factors, disease awareness campaigns, cancer screening, genetic testing etc. Americans love a diagnosis so that they can receive attention and health care whether or not it helps them. But it's also true that we do receive too much of it in some circumstances. Some people are diagnosed and treated needlessly by swindlers who do unnecessary or dangerous treatments to increase their profit which is one reason why this book was written. Our legislators have proven themselves either unwilling or incapable of reining in the increasingly outrageous costs faced by patients, and market-based solutions only seem to funnel larger and larger sums of our money into the hands of corporations. Impossibly high insurance premiums and inexplicably large bills have become facts of life. The majority of health care frauds are committed by a very small minority of dishonest health care providers. Unfortunately, the stock in trade of fraud-doers is to take advantage of the confidence that has been entrusted to them in order to commit ongoing fraud on a very broad scale. Another reason for this book is to inform individuals that rewards can be made by reporting health care fraud by becoming a whistle blower. Health care consumers need to identify these health care fraudsters and report them to ultimately attempt to salvage what remains of our health care structure. Fighting Medicare fraud is an important part of safeguarding our healthcare for future generations. Health deception costs Americans billions of dollars. We all must do our parts to reverse this trend. If you suspect that something has happened illegally with respect to medical care, then it is your duty to blow the whistle. Doing so makes you part of the solution. This book addresses the types of fraud which plague the healthcare industry and describes the most common fraudulent behavior throughout this industry and how to report fraud and possibly receive a reward. We must all do our part in trying to save our health care system!
The New Science of Fighting Silent Heart Disease by
On average, 50% of all heart attacks are silent - that is, they are painless and leave behind damage that remains undetected - unless the patient and his or her doctor are looking for it. Silent heart disease is a significant cause of sudden death - American's number one public health problem with more than 600,000 sudden deaths and 1.5 million heart attacks occurring in the U.S. each year. This book tells you everything you need to know in the order to detect and treat this silent killer. Written by a celebrated cardiologist who has successfully treated thousands of patients in his career spanning 50 years, it offers practical advice for all readers and provides insight into a type of asymptomatic cardiac condition that affects almost half of all those afflicted with heart disease.
The Doctors Blackwell by
"The vivid biography of two pioneering sisters who, together, became America's first female doctors and transformed New York's medical establishment by creating a hospital by and for women. Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for greatness beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity won her the acceptance of the all-male medical establishment and in 1849 she became the first woman in America to receive a medical degree. But Elizabeth's story is incomplete without her often forgotten sister, Emily, the third woman in America to receive a medical degree. Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies and enduring partnership, Nimura presents a story of both trial and triumph: Together the sisters founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary; they were also judgmental, uncompromising, and occasionally misogynistic--their convictions as 19th-century women often contradicted their ambitions. From Bristol, England, to the new cities of antebellum America, this work of rich history follows the sister doctors as they transform the nineteenth century medical establishment and, in turn, our contemporary one"
The Scalpel and the Silver Bear by
The first Navajo woman surgeon combines western medicine and traditional healing.
A spellbinding journey between two worlds, this remarkable book describes surgeon Lori Arviso Alvord's struggles to bring modern medicine to the Navajo reservation in Gallup, New Mexico--and to bring the values of her people to a medical care system in danger of losing its heart.
Dr. Alvord left a dusty reservation in New Mexico for Stanford University Medical School, becoming the first Navajo woman surgeon. Rising above the odds presented by her own culture and the male-dominated world of surgeons, she returned to the reservation to find a new challenge. In dramatic encounters, Dr. Alvord witnessed the power of belief to influence health, for good or for ill. She came to merge the latest breakthroughs of medical science with the ancient tribal paths to recovery and wellness, following the Navajo philosophy of a balanced and harmonious life, called Walking in Beauty. And now, in bringing these principles to the world of medicine, The Scalpel and the Silver Bear joins those few rare works, such as Healing and the Mind , whose ideas have changed medical practices-and our understanding of the world.
Seeking the Cure by
A timely, authoritative, and entertaining history of medicine in America by an eminent physicianDespite all that has been written and said about American medicine, narrative accounts of its history are uncommon. Until Ira Rutkow'sSeeking the Cure,there have been no modern works, either for the lay reader or the physician, that convey the extraordinary story of medicine in the United States. Yet for more than three centuries, the flowering of medicine--its triumphal progress from ignorance to science--has proven crucial to Americans' under-standing of their country and themselves.Seeking the Curetells the tale of American medicine with a series of little-known anecdotes that bring to life the grand and unceasing struggle by physicians to shed unsound, if venerated, beliefs and practices and adopt new medicines and treatments, often in the face of controversy and scorn. Rutkow expertly weaves the stories of individual doctors--what they believed and how they practiced--with the economic, political, and social issues facing the nation. Among the book's many historical personages are Cotton Mather, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington (whose timely adoption of a controversial medical practice probably saved the Continental Army), Benjamin Rush, James Garfield (who was killed by his doctors, not by an assassin's bullet), and Joseph Lister. The book touches such diverse topics as smallpox and the Revolutionary War, the establishment of the first medical schools, medicine during the Civil War, railroad medicine and the beginnings of specialization, the rise of the medical-industrial complex, and the thrilling yet costly advent of modern disease-curing technologies utterly unimaginable a generation ago, such as gene therapies, body scanners, and robotic surgeries.In our time of spirited national debate over the future of American health care amid a seemingly infinite flow of new medical discoveries and pharmaceutical products, Rutkow's account provides readers with an essential historic, social, and even philosophical context. Working in the grand American literary tradition established by such eminent writer-doctors as Oliver Wendell Holmes, William Carlos Williams, Sherwin Nuland, and Oliver Sacks, he combines the historian's perspective with the physician's seasoned expertise.Capacious, learned, and gracefully told,Seeking the Curewill satisfy armchair historians and doctors alike, for, as Rutkow shows, the history of American medicine is a portrait of America itself.
They Were Soldiers: how the wounded return from America's wars--the untold story by
A reporter's firsthand, close-up-and-personal look at the impact of our recent wars on America's unlucky soldiers.
100 Questions & Answers about HIV and AIDS by
100 Questions & Answers About HIV and AIDS, Third Edition is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional uncertainty of this disease.
Hormones Gone Haywire! by
Many books discuss the science behind the normal biochemical changes in a woman's body. This book, however, looks at the things that can and do go wrong with hormones that throw off a woman's balance physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Hormones gone haywire! discusses the plethora of debilitating symptoms that can ruin a woman's quality of life and leave her feeling frightened and weak."--Cover "Hormones gone haywire! offers straight-forward, practical, life-balancing principles for women whose experience is anything but natural and normal. It encourages women not to settle into weakness but to seek God's guidance to reclaim health and a life of greater balance and deeper meaning.
Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods by
Period Repair Manual is your guide to better periods using natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and bioidentical hormones. It contains advice and tips for women of every age and situation. If you have a period (or want a period), then this book is for you.
Missing Microbes: how the overuse of antibiotics is fueling our modern plagues by
Tracing one scientist's journey toward understanding the crucial importance of the microbiome, this revolutionary book will take readers to the forefront of trail-blazing research while revealing the damage that overuse of antibiotics is doing to our health: contributing to the rise of obesity, asthma, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. In Missing Microbes , Dr. Martin Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in a peaceful symbiosis that is responsible for the health and equilibrium of our body. Now, this invisible eden is being irrevocably damaged by some of our most revered medical advances--antibiotics--threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes with terrible health consequences. Taking us into both the lab and deep into the fields where these troubling effects can be witnessed firsthand, Blaser not only provides cutting edge evidence for the adverse effects of antibiotics, he tells us what we can do to avoid even more catastrophic health problems in the future.
Understanding the NICU by
Most parents do not expect to begin life with their new baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). They often feel lost and powerless amidst this new world of medical vocabulary, technology, and numerous health care providers. Understanding the NICU will guide you through your NICU journey, help you communicate with members of the NICU team, and learn about your baby's condition so that you can ask questions and participate as a valuable partner in your baby's care. It will also provide important information about how to care for your baby after you leave the hospital and head home with your little one.
Foundations for Clinical Neurology by
Foundations for Clinical Neurology presents basic principles of neurology in a user-friendly way for practicing neurologists as well residents, fellows, and students. Written in a clear and concise format, this book will perfectly complement the "traditional" neurology textbook. This volume on neurology is divided in to three primary sections. The first section "Practicing Neurology" covers bedside investigation, diagnosis, imaging techniques, and therapeutics; Section 2, "Topics in Neurologic Disease" reviews subjects in neurologic disease that are often overlooked but arevery important; and the third section, "Perspectives" provides insight in to how we talk, think, and develop concepts in neurology. With understanding of the evolution of neurologic concepts, the terminology and classifications used by neurologists, and the methodologies used to prove cause ofdisorder and disease, the practicing neurologist can provide the most effective care. Topics discussed in Foundations for Clinical Neurology include...* Verbal and nonverbal communication, especially during the history-taking portion of a neurologic examination* How to be effective and avoid common pitfalls in the neurologic exam* Difficulties in applying diagnostic criteria and formulating diagnoses* Advantages of using CT or MRI scanning in various clinical situations
Fat Nation: A History of Obesity in America by
"Fat Nation is a social history of obesity in the United States since the second World War. In confronting this familiar topic from a historical perspective, Jonathan Engel attempts to show that obesity is a symptom of complex changes that have transpired over the past half century to our food, our living habits, our life patterns, our built environments, and our social interactions. He offers readers solid grounding in the known science underlying obesity (genetic set points, complex endocrine feedback loops, neurochemical messengering) but then makes the novel argument that obesity is a result of the interaction of our genes with our environment. That is, our bodies have always been programmed to become obese, but until recently never had the opportunity to do so. Now, with cheap calories ubiquitous (particularly in the form of sucrose), unwalkable physical spaces, deteriorating rituals and norms surrounding eating, and the withering of cooking skills, nearly every American daily confronts the challenge of not putting on weight. Given the outcomes, though, for those who are obese, Engel encourages us to address the problems and offers suggestions to help remedy the problem."
Glaucoma Explained by
"Glaucoma is one amongst the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the whole world. There are different types of glaucoma and a number of ways it can affect people. Get to know more about the second leading cause of blindness of people, young and old, women and men, and discover what to expect at the doctor's office. Find out about possible telltale signs which may accompany some sorts of glaucoma, be aware of how you can improve your life by making adjustments to your lifestyle, and get to learn about the importance of diet and nutrients needed to maintain optimum eye health and overall wellness."
Innovative Approaches to Chronic Pain: Understanding the Experience of Pain and Suffering and the Role of Healing by
This book sets out to restore the concept of healing to its place within and beyond pain medicine, in chapters authored by keynote speakers to the British Pain Society's Philosophy and Ethics Special Interest Group. Exploring psychological, spiritual and creative approaches, contributors reflect on therapeutic avenues ranging from the deliberate use of the placebo response and the importance of a caring relationship between patient and practitioner, to the use of knitting as a therapeutic tool. Barriers to the flow of healing such as practitioners' careless use of language and cultural attitudes are identified and contrasted with the need to understand the first-person perspectives of people who are suffering. This book will provide hope and inspiration both to people who have become disillusioned with conventional medical approaches to the relief of their pain, and to health professionals sadly aware of the frequent inadequacy of their efforts to help them.
Medications and Mothers' Milk by
Now in its 17th Edition, Medications and Mothers' Milk , is the worldwide best selling drug reference on the use of medications in breastfeeding mothers. This book provides you with the most current, complete, and easy-to-read information on thousands of medications in breastfeeding mothers.
This massive update has numerous new drugs, diseases, vaccines, and syndromes. It also contains new tables, and changes to hundreds of existing drugs.
Written by a world-renown clinical pharmacologist, Dr. Thomas Hale, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Dr. Hilary Rowe, this drug reference provides the most comprehensive review of the data available regarding the transfer of various medications into human milk.
This new and expanded reference has data on 1,115 drugs, vaccines, and herbals, with many other drugs and substances included in the appendices.
New to this Edition:
Many new drugs, vaccines, herbals, and chemicals. Major updates to existing drug monographs. New tables to compare and contrast the suitability of psychiatric medications. New table to compare and contrast pain medications. Updated table and new monograph on hormonal contraception.
If you work with breastfeeding mothers, this book is an essential tool to use in your practice.
Pediatric Ethics by
This book examines the many ethical issues related to health and health care in children. It describes the field of Pediatric ethics, a unique and important aspect of the discipline of bioethics, the study of moral conduct in health care and the rational process for determining the best courseof action in the face of conflicting choices. The book begins with an exploration of what it means to be a child in America and the unique kinship relationships and obligations engendered by the decision of parents to have a child, and it examines ethical principles and professional obligationsrelated to the care of children. Each of the chapters in the book focuses on important ethical concerns. It begins with ethical issues in creating babies using reproductive technologies, and then continues with an analysis of the ethical issues in labor and delivery of a child. The book continues with an in depth analysis of themany hard choices faced by families and clinicians in the care of critically ill neonates, and then goes on to describe current controversies in caring for older children who are dying and their families, as well as ethical issues concerning adolescents, research ethics as it relates to children,issues concerning genetic testing, screening and biobanking, and surgical and medical enhancement of children. Each chapter has case examples to illustrate the real life concerns of patients, families and clinicians. The book is intended for students in pediatrics and ethics, as well as for practicing clinicians, and interested families.
Rest Uneasy by
"Deaths of infants in bed" : the historical origins of SIDS -- Cause of death : SIDS -- The theory of the month club : conducting research on SIDS -- Risky babies -- Mobilization : SIDS activism -- Cause for alarm -- Sleep like a baby -- Conclusion : "the disease of theories" : discovering SIDS.
Addicted. Pregnant. Poor by
For the addicted, pregnant, and poor women living in daily-rent hotels in San Francisco's Mission district, life is marked by battles against drug cravings, housing debt, and potential violence. In this ethnography Kelly Ray Knight presents these women in all their complex humanity and asks what kinds of futures are possible for them given their seemingly hopeless situation. During her four years of fieldwork Knight documented women's struggles as they traveled from the street to the clinic, jail, and family court, and back to the hotels. She approaches addicted pregnancy as an everyday phenomenon in these women's lives and describes how they must navigate the tension between pregnancy's demands to stay clean and the pull of addiction and poverty toward drug use and sex work. By creating the space for addicted women's own narratives and examining addicted pregnancy from medical, policy, and social science perspectives, Knight forces us to confront and reconsider the ways we think about addiction, trauma, health, criminality, and responsibility.
Not Broken by
"Not Broken is a comprehensive, evidence-based but easy-to-read guide for anyone who wants to understand all aspects of miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss. Whether you are a patient struggling with miscarriages or a medical provider caring for patients with recurrent pregnancy loss, you will learn something from this resource. Dr. Shahine explains not only a typical Western medicine approach to evaluation and treatment for miscarriage but also includes Eastern approaches to care, lifestyle factors that will decrease your risk of miscarriage, and the emotional impact of recurrent pregnancy loss. You will finish this book feeling more empowered to be an advocate for your care and more hopeful than ever to continue towards your family goals."
Pregnancy: A Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, Breastfeeding and Circumcision by 
Pregnancy Day by Day, 3rd Edition by
An illustrated reference for expectant parents explains in intricate detail every stage of a pregnancy, in a comprehensive resource that also covers labor, birth, and life with a new baby.
Social Experiences of Breastfeeding by 
Teen Pregnancy and What Comes Next by
Finding out you are pregnant, particularly as a teen, can be a frightening and disorienting experience. This text guides readers through important first steps to taking on a potential journey to parenthood, from telling your parents, to finding a medical practitioner, or deciding to terminate a pregnancy. Readers are encouraged to build a support network and to forge a path forward that is comfortable for them, whatever it may be. This text includes a glossary, a For More Information section, and suggestions for additional research to guide students in their reading.
The Hospital: life, death, and dollars in a small American town by
"An intimate, heart wrenching portrait of one small hospital that reveals the magnitude of America's health care crises. By following the struggle for survival of one small-town hospital, and the patients who walk, or are carried, through its doors, The Hospital takes readers into the world of the American medical industry in a way no book has done before. Americans are dying sooner, and living in poorer health. Alexander argues that no plan will solve America's health crisis until the deeper causes of that crisis are addressed. Bryan, Ohio's hospital, is losing money, making it vulnerable to big health systems seeking domination and Phil Ennen, CEO, has been fighting to preserve its independence. Meanwhile, Bryan, a town of 8,500 people in Ohio's northwest corner, is still trying to recover from the Great Recession. As local leaders struggle to address the town's problems, and the hospital fights for its life amid a rapidly consolidating medical and hospital industry, a 39-year-old diabetic literally fights for his limbs, and a 55-year-old contractor lies dying in the emergency room. With these and other stories, Alexander strips away the wonkiness of policy to reveal Americans' struggle for health against a powerful system that's stacked against them, but yet so fragile it blows apart when the pandemic hits. Culminating with COVID-19, this book offers a blueprint for how we created the crisis we're in."
Bad Advice by
A guide to taking on self-appointed activists and quack experts offers hard-earned wisdom on the dos and don'ts of battling misinformation, by a science and public health professional who has been on the frontline for twenty years. Scientists are often unable to package their insights into the neat narratives that the public requires. Enter celebrities, advocates, lobbyists-- people taking advantage of scientists' reluctance to provide easy answers, flooding the media with misleading or incorrect claims about health risks. Offit shares hard-earned wisdom on the dos and don'ts of battling misinformation. He discusses the manias stoked by charlatans and their miracle cures, as well as corrosive, dangerous ideologies such as Holocaust and climate-change denial.
Dying of Whiteness by
"With the rise of the Tea Party and the election of Donald Trump, many middle- and lower-income white Americans threw their support behind conservative politicians who pledged to make life great again for people like them. But as Dying of Whiteness shows, the right-wing policies that resulted from this white backlash put these voters' very health at risk--and, in the end, threaten everyone's well-being. Physician and sociologist Jonathan M. Metzl travels across America's heartland seeking to better understand the politics of racial resentment and its impact on public health. Interviewing a range of Americans, he uncovers how racial anxieties led to the repeal of gun control laws in Missouri, stymied the Affordable Care Act in Tennessee, and fueled massive cuts to schools and social services in Kansas. Although such measures promised to restore greatness to white America, Metzl's systematic analysis of health data dramatically reveals they did just the opposite: these policies made life sicker, harder, and shorter in the very populations they purported to aid. Thus, white life expectancies fell, gun suicides soared, and school dropout rates rose. Powerful, searing, and sobering, Dying of Whiteness ultimately demonstrates just how much white America would benefit by emphasizing cooperation, rather than chasing false promises of supremacy"
Elderhood by
[P]hysician and ... author Louise Aronson's Elderhood is a ... look at a vital but often disparaged stage of life. For more than 5,000 years, "old" has been defined as beginning between the ages of 60 and 70. That means most people alive today will spend more years in elderhood than in childhood, and many will be elders for 40 years or more. Yet at the very moment that humans are living longer than ever before, we've made old age into a disease, a condition to be dreaded, denigrated, neglected, and denied. ... Harvard-trained geriatrician Louise Aronson uses stories from her quarter century of caring for patients, and draws from history, science, literature, popular culture, and her own life to weave a vision of old age that's neither nightmare nor utopian fantasy -- a vision full of joy, wonder, frustration, outrage, and hope about aging, medicine, and humanity itself. Elderhood is for anyone who is, in the author's own words, "an aging, i.e., still-breathing human being.
Growth and Development Across the Lifespan by
Provides introductory coverage of growth and development throughout the lifespan. This title emphasizes normal aspects as well as the problems and health promotion needs of each age and stage of development. It features a health promotion theme structured around "Healthy People 2020" objectives.
Journey Across the Life Span by
"Here's just what you need to effectively care for your patients in the ever-changing world of health care. Elain Polan and Daphne Taylor guide you through the life cycle-from conception to old age-with an emphasis on health promotion, maintenance, and restoration in clinical practice. Easy-to-understand chapters and a full-color presentation offer a complete review of growth and development across the life span."
Out in the Rural by
Out in the Rural is the unlikely story of the Tufts-Delta Health Center, which in 1966 opened in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, to become the first rural community health center in the United States. Its goal was simple: to provide health care and outreach to the region's thousands of rural poor,most of them black sharecroppers who had lived without any medical resources for generations.In Out in the Rural, historian Thomas J. Ward explores the health center's story alongside the remarkable life of its founder, Dr. H. Jack Geiger. A former teenage runaway, through a serendipitous turn of events he was befriended and taken in by the actor and Harlem Renaissance icon Canada Lee. Leewould later loan Geiger money for college, and after stints as a journalist and Merchant Marine, Geiger attended medical school and became a physician.Geiger's personal history brings a profound human element to what was accomplished deep in the Mississippi Delta. In addition to providing medical care, the staff of the Tufts-Delta Health Center worked upstream to address the fundamental determinants of health-factors such as education, poverty,nutrition, and the environment-and ask the question, "What does it take to stay healthy?"Equal parts social history and personal history, Out in the Rural is a story of both community health and of a stranger's kindness and determination to bring health care to areas out of reach. (less)
The Nocturnal Brain by
For Dr. Guy Leschziner's patients, there is no rest for the weary--either in mind or in body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep--and their experiences in trying are the stuff of nightmares. Demoniac hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock's days and nights. Then there are the extreme cases. A woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed, unlocks her car, and drives for several miles before returning to bed. The man who has spent decades cleaning out kitchens while "sleep-eating." The teenager prone to the severe, yet unfortunately nicknamed Sleeping Beauty Syndrome stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness, binge eating, and uncharacteristic displays of aggression and hypersexuality while awake. With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Dr. Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds and explores the many biological and psychological factors that allow us to find the rest necessary to maintain our health and also improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness."--Dust jacket. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep-- and their experiences in trying are the stuff of nightmares. Demoniac hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock's days and nights. Leschziner explores the many biological and psychological factors that allow us to find the rest necessary to maintain our health-- and also improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness.
Nodding Off: The Science of Sleep from Cradle to Grave by
Sleep consumes a third of our lives, yet we tend to only think about it when it's proving a struggle--when a baby is born, if we develop insomnia, or when ageing brings new challenges. The latest research tells us that sleep is essential for learning and memory, for mental health and well-being, and for optimal physical health. It plays a crucial role throughout our waking lives, and our relationship with sleep evolves through our different life stages, from baby to child to teenager and beyond. [This book] leads you on a fascinating journey through the science of sleep. Based on knowledge accumulated over almost two decades as a sleep researcher, Professor Alice Gregory shares real-life stories as well as insightful discussions with other sleep experts. She answers questions such as: Why are certain babies much harder to settle to sleep than others? Why do children experiencing attention deficit hyperactivity disorders often have co-occurring sleep problems? Why do so many adolescents enjoy lying in at the weekends? Are sleep problems an inevitable part of ageing? Why are scientists turning to sleep disorders such as sleep paralysis to try to understand paranormal experience? Throughout there are important tips to help you improve your sleep, allowing you to feel better during the time you're awake. This book is an essential read for anyone considering embracing the zeitgeist of prioritising sleep, and is perhaps even more important for those resisting a rest.
The Dangers of E-Cigarettes by
Health officials have become alarmed at the exploding popularity of e-cigarettes because so much remains unknown about them. The Dangers of E-Cigarettes discusses the scope of the problem, effects of vaping, addiction potential, risks for youth vapers, and regulation issues.
The Detox Cure by
Eliminate avoidable toxins, mitigate the effects of those you can't avoid, and enjoy a longer life with this essential health guide from a pioneer in integrative medicine, Dr. Joe Pizzorno--the author, teacher, practitioner, and founder of Bastyr University, the country's first and largest fully accredited university of natural medicine. Dr. Joe Pizzorno is convinced that lifelong good health rests on two key determinants: your exposure to toxins and your ability to process them in your body. While lifestyle, diet, and genetics all play a major role in well-being, many symptoms of declining health and chronic disease are rooted in toxic overload--our exposure to a barrage of chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, electromagnetic frequencies, and pollution that are the byproducts of modern life. While the human body has an innate capacity to detoxify, it cannot cope with the elevated levels of toxins we are exposed to today. Most alarmingly, this toxic overload has helped transform once rare diseases into epidemics affecting people of all ages. In The Toxin Solution, Dr. Pizzorno provides the proven detox and tailored methods he has developed to heal toxic overload and restore health in just eight weeks. With this essential guide you will learn how to: Avoid toxins in food and the products you use; Mend your gut and prepare for detox; Support your body in releasing the chemicals; Repair some of the damage toxins have caused. Fortunately, our bodies have a tremendous capacity for healing and recovery. With The Toxin Solution you will discover how releasing and avoiding toxins can help you to feel better today--and every day for the rest of your life
The Transplant Imaginary by
In The Transplant Imaginary , author Lesley Sharp explores the extraordinarily surgically successful realm of organ transplantation, which is plagued worldwide by the scarcity of donated human parts, a quandary that generates ongoing debates over the marketing of organs as patients die waiting for replacements. These widespread anxieties within and beyond medicine over organ scarcity inspire seemingly futuristic trajectories in other fields. Especially prominent, longstanding, and promising domains include xenotransplantation, or efforts to cull fleshy organs from animals for human use, and bioengineering, a field peopled with "tinkerers" intent on designing implantable mechanical devices, where the heart is of special interest.
Scarcity, suffering, and sacrifice are pervasive and, seemingly, inescapable themes that frame the transplant imaginary. Xenotransplant experts and bioengineers at work in labs in five Anglophone countries share a marked determination to eliminate scarcity and human suffering, certain that their efforts might one day altogether eliminate any need for parts of human origin. A premise that drives Sharp's compelling ethnographic project is that high-stakes experimentation inspires moral thinking, informing scientists' determination to redirect the surgical trajectory of transplantation and, ultimately, alter the integrity of the human form.
Transplanting Care: Shifting Commitments in Health and Care in the United States by
"The sudden call, the race to the hospital, the high-stakes operation—the drama of transplant surgery is well known. But what happens before and after the surgery? In Transplanting Care, Laura L. Heinemann examines the daily lives of midwestern organ transplant patients and those who care for them, from pretransplant preparations through to the long posttransplant recovery.
Heinemann points out that as efforts to control healthcare costs gain urgency—and as new surgical techniques, drug therapies, and home medical equipment advance—most of the transplant process now takes place at home, among kin. Indeed, the transplant system effectively depends on unpaid care labor, typically provided by spouses, parents, siblings, and others. Drawing on scores of interviews with patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals, Heinemann follows a variety of patients and loved ones as they undertake this uncertain and strenuous “transplant journey.” She also shows how these home-based caregiving efforts take place within the larger economic and political context of a paucity of resources for patients and caregivers, who ultimately must surmount numerous obstacles. The author concludes that the many snags encountered by transplant patients and loved ones make a clear case for more comprehensive health and social policy that treats care as a necessarily shared public responsibility.
An illuminating look at the long transplant journey, Transplanting Care also offers broader insight into how we handle infirmity in America—and how we might do a better job of doing so." (Amazon)
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book: every woman's guide to a heart-healthy life by
In the tradition of Christiane Northrup, a renowned cardiologist integrates emotional and physical well-being in a revolutionary new approach to women's heart health.
As a cardiologist with a specialization in women's heart disease, Dr. Steinbaum has helped thousands of patients resolve their heart issues, and aims to do the same for readers in her inspirational book that will change the way we think about heart health. She guides readers through the risk factors of heart disease, from the traditional physical benchmarks like weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure, to lifestyle habits, emotional awareness, and even the way she sees herself in the mirror--and in the world.
In Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book , readers are shown clear, easy steps on how to maximize heart health. This is a life book that will teach women how to regain control over all aspects of their busy lives, including how to finally achieve:
A heart-healthy diet Heart-supportive exercise Heart-enhancing stress management Heart-filling relationships A sound night's sleep A more satisfying sex life A calm, focused mind A deep level of self care And much, much more.
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book strives to bring forth a new approach to heart-centered healing so that readers everywhere may experience a fulfilling life of health and happiness.
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men's Health by
From the editor of the enormously popular Harvard Men's Health Watch, comes the ultimate, state-of-the-art guide to help men achieve--and maintain--optimum health. Charts & graphs throughout.
Military Mental Health Care: a guide for service members, veterans, families, and community by
Too often American veterans return from combat and spiral into depression, anger and loneliness they can neither share nor tackle on their own. Military Mental Health Care: A Guide for Service Members, Veterans, Families, and Community seeks to aid our troubled, returning forces by dissecting the numerous mental health problems they face upon arriving stateside. Don Philpott and Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott, co-authors with Janelle Hill of the highly successful Wounded Warrior Handbook, detail not only each issue's symptoms, but also discuss what treatments are available, and the best ways for veterans to access those treatments while readjusting to civilian life. In addition, they connect and explain many alarming trends, such as joblessness, poverty and addiction, appearing in our nation's veteran population on a broader scale. PTSD and struggles with anxiety affect far more than veterans themselves, as sobering phenomena like homelessness, suicide, domestic violence and divorce too often become realities for those returning from war. Military Mental Health Care is both a resource for struggling veterans and a useful tool for their loved ones, or anyone looking for ways to support the veterans in their lives.
The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination: Letting Go of Anxious and Depressive Thoughts by
Do you find yourself ruminating about things you can't control? Worrying about those yet-to-complete goals and projects? What about just feeling like you're not the person you want to be? People who worry and ruminate find it difficult to stop anxiously anticipating future events and regretting or rethinking past actions. Left unchecked, this tendency can lead to mental health problems such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder. The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination offers powerful mindfulness strategies derived from Buddhist spiritual practices and proven psychological techniques to help you stop overthinking what you can't control-the future and the past-and learn how to find contentment in the present moment.
Our Bodies, Ourselves by
Hailed by The New York Times as a "feminist classic," and "America's bestselling book on women's health," the comprehensive guide to all aspects of women's health and sexuality, including menopause, birth control, childbirth, sexual health, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health and general well-being.
Six years after the 2005 overhaul of this classic guide to women's health, the 2011 edition focuses on what Our Bodies, Ourselves does best: provide information on women's reproductive health and sexuality; practical information on how find and access health information; and resources, stories, and information to educate women about health care injustices and inspire them to work collectively to address them. This new edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves includes the latest vital information on:
-Changes in the health care system--especially how health care reform affects women and how to get the care you need.
-Safer sex--how to engage in pleasurable, satisfying sexual experiences while protecting your health and the health of your partner.
-Environmental health risks--including minimizing exposure to everyday pollutants that endanger reproductive health.
-Body image--resisting negative media stereotypes and embracing healthier approaches to looking and feeling good.
-Local and global activism--using social media and organizing tactics to build community and advocate for policies that improve women's lives.
-As well as crucial information about gender identity, sexual orientation, birth control, abortion, pregnancy and birth, perimenopause, and sexuality and sexual health as we age.
Together with its companion website, OurBodiesOurselves.org, Our Bodies, Ourselves is a one-stop resource for women of all generations.
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