There’s an old axiom that the most dangerous place to be when you are sick is in a hospital. Hospitals and other health-care settings, such...
Charles B. Inlander
Articles by this author
Making Sense Out of Medical Information
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the difficulty we health-care consumers often have making sense out of medical information. For example, some experts tell us...
Medical Information You Understand
One of the most frequent complaints I hear from medical consumers is that they do not understand what their doctors and other medical professionals are...
Avoiding Medical Debt
A recent poll found that more than 40 percent of Americans have health-care debt. Health-care debt is one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy....
Accessing Your Medical Records
My family physician recently retired. He had been my primary care doctor for 35 years and he had coordinated my overall care very closely. Therefore,...
How to Tell If Your Doc Is a Quack
Trust between patient and doctor is essential, but sometimes you need to be skeptical of a diagnosis or proposed treatment. Whether it’s skullduggery or out-and-out...
Hospital Helpers
Hospital stays are getting shorter and shorter. Thirty years ago, the average stay was seven days. Today, it’s down to 4.5 days and falling. A...
Don’t Go Alone To Your Health Appointments
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on the health-care system. Thousands of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, therapists, and technicians, have retired early,...
Checking on Local Health Care
The quality of a state’s health-care system doesn’t tell the whole story. Sometimes what matters is what is available close to your home. Confirm there’s...
Second Opinions: When, Where, and How?
I’m not telling you anything you didn’t know when I recommend seeking medical second opinions. As studies point out, up to 60 percent of original...
Your Advocate
Seeking Mental Health Services In addition to the tragic loss of life caused by COVID-19, the pandemic has taken an enormous toll on our mental...
Keeping Your Own Medical Record
The longer you live, the more encounters you have with the health care system. After a while, you may forget or get confused about procedures...
