Trisha Torrey
All Activity by Trisha Torrey RSS
Every patient's advocate: 10 empowerment tips for your refrigerator door
Posted on CNY Life on January 31, 2012, 5:35AM
Best advice for getting the medical care you deserve. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: How to fact-check health care reform claims during 2012 campaign
Posted on CNY Life on January 17, 2012, 4:02AM
Easily searchable, independent websites analyze political statements for truth. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Chances in health care system mean it's vital to establish a strong relationship with primary care provider
Posted on CNY Life on January 03, 2012, 4:42AM
It's your most important health resolution for 2012. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Organ donation is the ultimate gift
Posted on CNY Life on December 20, 2011, 6:26AM
You may believe you can't be a donor, but you are probably wrong. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Check out health-related charities before you donate
Posted on CNY Life on December 06, 2011, 7:22AM
Not all charitable foundations are equal. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Healthy travel tips for the holidays
Posted on CNY Life on November 22, 2011, 6:00AM
Plan for disruptions to routine. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Can you really save money with a high-deductible health insurance plan?
Posted on CNY Life on November 08, 2011, 6:03AM
The more medical care you require, the less likely a high deductible plan will save you money. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Medicare open enrollment means it's time to figure it out
Posted on CNY Life on October 25, 2011, 6:44AM
Resources can help you sort through all the options. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: How to get the most out of your doctor's appointment
Posted on CNY Life on October 11, 2011, 7:08AM
We should make the best use of limited time by preparing ahead of our appointments. Full story »
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At 'report card' time, a reminder to hospitals to treat patients like their own loved ones
Posted on CNY Life on September 13, 2011, 6:21AM
Despite bright spots, all hospitals show room for improvement. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Don't let your medical test results fall through the cracks
Posted on CNY Life on August 30, 2011, 6:17AM
Study found that 7 percent of results that went unreported to the patient caused additional problems. Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Be informed before you give consent
Posted on CNY Life on August 16, 2011, 6:03AM
Don't be afraid to ask questions before signing Informed Consent. Full story »
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Can patients know too much about their medical needs?
Posted on CNY Life on August 02, 2011, 6:22AM
Doctors can get insulted when patients think they're experts after Googling their condition. Full story »
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Why July is a terrible month to need health care
Posted on CNY Life on July 05, 2011, 6:54AM
Many medical professionals are on vacation, and newly graduated medical students have just started working. Full story »
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How to find a doctor who's willing to consider alternatives
Posted on CNY Life on June 21, 2011, 7:09AM
We patients don't really care what a therapy is called or who developed it. We just want something that works. Full story »
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How to purchase prescription drugs online, safely
Posted on CNY Life on June 07, 2011, 6:12AM
Websites can help you compare drug prices, find verified sites. Full story »
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Every patient's advocate: Beware of what your doctor doesn't know
Posted on CNY Life on May 24, 2011, 8:45AM
If patients visit the wrong specialist, he may not know enough about the basics in other fields to help. Full story »
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Hospitals rated for patient satisfaction
Posted on CNY Life on May 10, 2011, 10:33AM
Medicare's reimbursements to hospitals will be partially dependent on patient satisfaction scores. Full story »
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The Internet and your doctor: How to get the best from both worlds
Posted on CNY Life on April 26, 2011, 6:52AM
We patients have taken self-diagnosing on the Internet to such an extreme that some doctors call it 'cyberchondria.' Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Getting the most from your doctor, the web
Posted on CNY Life on April 25, 2011, 6:15PM
Your shoulder aches and you're short of breath. Or your skin breaks out with itchy bumps. Or your head feels like it's in a vise. So what do you do? Many of us start with the Internet. Later we call the doctor to make an appointment, acknowledging that it's probably nothing ... but yes, there's a possibility it's serious. That... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Need surgery? Take responsibility to avoid infection
Posted on CNY Life on April 12, 2011, 5:06AM
Here are some tips to prevent infection in hospitals. Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: How to avoid misinformation online
Posted on CNY Life on March 29, 2011, 3:18AM
Eighty percent of us are turning to the Internet for health and medical information, according to the most recent Pew Internet study. Unfortunately, not everyone is finding good, credible information. Instead, what many of us are finding isn't useful, and may even be wrong and dangerous. Too many individuals and businesses are more interested in separating us from our money,... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Technology multiplies mistakes in medical records
Posted on CNY Life on March 15, 2011, 4:32AM
Medical record mistakes can lead to wrong treatment, duplicated tests, billing mistakes, even medical identity theft. Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Medical news requires getting past the headlines
Posted on CNY Life on March 01, 2011, 4:19AM
"Berries May Ward Off Parkinson's Disease" (WebMD.) "Studies show that for kids' ear infections, antibiotics work better than waiting" (The Washington Post.) "Eat your blueberries! They may cut risk of diabetes and high blood pressure" (Orlando Sentinel.) "Musical Exercise Program Cuts Falls in Elderly" (WebMD.) What do each of these headlines have in common? Several things: First, they catch our... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: A hospital safety packing list
Posted on CNY Life on February 15, 2011, 4:34AM
Hospitals can be dangerous places. Yes, we patients usually enter the hospital expecting to leave in better shape than when we went in. But being hospitalized exposes us to dangers we don't usually deal with at home. We lose control of our bodies. People we don't know take charge of everything that happens to us. We may be loopy from... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Doublecheck new-to-the-market drugs
Posted on CNY Life on February 01, 2011, 3:24AM
Before a new drug can be prescribed, it must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. To approve a drug, the FDA requires clinical trials to establish that a high enough percentage of the people who took it, benefited in the way they were supposed to. Regardless, not all approved drugs turn out to be good for patients.... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Be a healthcare tattletale
Posted on CNY Life on January 18, 2011, 3:14AM
Hundreds of thousands of Americans die annually from medical errors. Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Trusting your gut to improve your care
Posted on CNY Life on January 04, 2011, 4:59AM
Do you have a sixth sense? You know -- that inner feeling, that nagging idea in your head, that thing you "just know" that won't go away? That's intuition, which provides you with information that may not be quantifiable, but can certainly be useful to us patients when we experience health problems. Intuition happens when our unconscious minds try... Full story »
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Every Patient's Advocate: Holiday gifts for empowered patients
Posted on CNY Life on December 21, 2010, 12:39AM
It's that time of year when we scramble to find the perfect gift for someone we care about. Here are some very different ideas for giving your talents as an empowered patient: The gift of time: When a loved one has health challenges, but difficulty with anything like transportation (to or from appointments), research (doesn't use the Internet) or decision-making... Full story »
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Who would be your health care advocate?
Posted on CNY Life on November 23, 2010, 12:33AM
Imagine you suffer chest pains and are swept off to the hospital emergency room. The pain medicines leave you too groggy to make good decisions. Or, difficult symptoms result in a diagnosis that leaves you stunned. You leave the doctor's office remembering very little of what you've been told. Or, you've begun to find it confusing to keep track... Full story »
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