You, the Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment »

MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D., is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and cofounder and originator of the very popular RealAge.com website. He is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic and health expert of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

MEHMET C. OZ, M.D., is also a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of The Dr. Oz Show. He is professor and vice chairman of surgery at New York Presbyterian-Columbia University and the director of the Heart Institute.

Everyone needs to become a smart patient. In fact, in the worst cases, your life may even depend on it. Number one bestselling authors and doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz have written this indispensable handbook to help everyone to get the best health care possible -- by making everyone into their own medical detective.

Witty, playful, at times offbeat, but always authoritative, You: The Smart Patient shows you how to become your own medical sleuth, tracing your medical family tree and wending your way through the pitfalls of any health care situation. Written in conjunction with the health care community's leading oversight group, The Joint Commission, the book shows readers in clear, easy steps how to take control of their own health care and deal with all matters that may come up when facing a medical case: from choosing the right doctor, hospital, and insurance company to navigating prescription drugs, specialists, treatment options, alternative medicine, pain management, or any problem that might arise.

Accessible, humorous, and filled with information that you need, You: The Smart Patient is a book for every patient and all those dealing with a loved one's medical issues.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Paul H. Keckley, PhD(Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
Description:This is a book written for consumers to assist in their navigation of the health system, particularly their interactions with physicians and hospitals.
Purpose:To assist consumers in navigating the health system, the authors set out to provide a simple framework consumers can use to select doctors and hospitals and be attentive to treatment options and the system's safety and quality challenges. This is a highly worthwhile contribution to the literature available to consumers, written at a level anyone can understand.
Audience:The grammatical style suggests a consumer could comprehend the content at the 4th to 5th grade level, roughly consistent with writing accessible to consumers in Readers Digest and USA Today. The authors and editors have done a tremendous job of explaining otherwise complex concepts in simple terms.
Features:The book is primarily focused on self-care and ways consumers might choose between treatment options (including alternative/nonconventional therapies) and select doctors and hospitals. Though light on content about insurance and missing references to citations that could clarify/add depth to the authors' comments, this is nonetheless an excellent book worthy of reading by a consumer.
Assessment:This is a well written book on target for the consumer audience new to any understanding of the health system.

Introduction: Why You Need to Be a Smart Patient

The Smart Patient Quiz

1. Getting to Know You

Let's discover the juicy secrets about the person who controls your health: you

2. Finding Dr. Right

How to find that gem of a doctor who'll make your life easier — and longer

3. Let's Play Operation!

You're having surgery? Use these insider tips you'll need to sail safely through the OR

4. Prescription Drugs

Take two and pray you're still here in the morning

5. How to Case a Hospital

Use an expert's eye to find the best hospital for your specific goals — and learn why one size does not fit all

6. Have a Happily Humdrum Hospital Stay

Only $2,900 a night and free sponge baths — what a deal! Just make sure you check out...

7. Why You Should Always Get a Second Opinion

Whose life is it, anyway?

8. Just What Gives You the Right?

You have rights, you know. Here's how to use them

9. Considering the Alternatives

On pins and needles about acupuncture and herbs?

Here's what you need to know about alternative medicine

10. Take Control of Your Health Insurance

It's your most important — and expensive — health resource. Are you wasting it?

Appendix 1 Glossary: Medical Jargon Explained

Appendix 2 Sample Forms: Your Health Journal,

Living Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care,

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order

Appendix 3 Resources

Acknowledgments

Index