The Essential Patient Handbook

Alan B. Ettinger, M.D. is Chief of the Division of Epilepsy and Electroencephalography, Department of Neurology, at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, and director of the Huntington Hospital Seizure Monitoring Program in Huntington, New York. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, President of the Long Island Epilepsy Foundation Professional Advisory Board, and has published widely in medical journals and textbooks on the topic of epilepsy||Deborah M. Weisbrot, M.D. is Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center at Stony Brook, NY. Dr. Weisbrot has focused her clinical and research work in the areas of anxiety and aggression, and the psychiatric aspects of medical illness in children and adolescents

Preface; How to Use This Book. The Medical Evaluation Process and Developing Your Own Medical Record. What are You Complaining About? - The Chief Complaint ; Make Your Mark in History - Your History of Present Illness (HPI); Your Specific Symptoms; Blast From the Past - Your Past Medical History; All in the Family - Your Family History; Put Yourself to the Test - Your Prior Diagnostic Workup; Current and Prior Treatments; Beyond the Facts and Figures - Your Psychosocial History ; Your Current and Future Health; Did We Forget Anything? - The Review of Systems; Let's Get Physical - The Physical Examination; Testing Patients, Not Your Patience - Future Tests and Procedures; Putting it all Together - How the Doctor Arrives at the Diagnosis; To Waste Time or Not Waste Time, That is the Question - The Follow-up Visit and Specific Diagnoses. Special Situations. Your Child's Medical History; The Psychiatric Consultation for Adults and Children; Preparing the Medical Evaluation for Patients with Impaired Thinking; Whose Life is it Anyway? - Preparing Advance Directives. Questions for the Doctor. Not Asking About Test Results Is Out of the Question; Questions About Your Diagnosis and When to Get a Second Opinion; If You Don't Ask Questions About Your Medications, You Are Asking for Trouble; Surgery and Others Procedures Are Not a Cut and Dry Matter; Don't Compliment a Doctor Who Won't Discuss Complementary Medicine; Call of the Wild or Don't Get Excited When You Call Your Doctor. Other Useful Information. Don't Go Out of Your Mind When You Go Out Of Network - Understanding Medical Insurance Plans; You Don't Have to Be a Doctor to Get a Medical Education - Ignorance is NOT Bliss When It Comes to Your Health; Doctors: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Don't Let Difficult Doctors Get On Your Case; Feelings You May Have When You See the Doctor; Read this BEFORE You Go to the Hospital; Final Thoughts. Appendices; Completed History Form Example; Common Medical Errors Related to Testing; Differential Diagnosis; Medication Categories.