Table 1. Demographic Data Age 0 – 9 5 10 – 14 8 15 — 19 20 20 – 29 41 30 – 39 10 40 – 49 23 50 – 59 28 60 – 69 39 70 – 79 39 80 – 84 12 85 – 89 14 > 90 2 Male = 97 Female = 115 Trans = 1 (87 yo woman with confusion) New Patient 34 Returning Patient 188 Table 2. HA Questions Are you worried a lot about a particular health problem? Y N Do you tend to worry about your health in general? Y N Have you ever … Continue reading
Abstract: Health Anxiety is a common affliction of patients seeking medical attention, yet many physicians are unaware of it. We surveyed 222 consecutive patients in a dermatology practice in Massachusetts and found that upwards of 49% self-reported some level of health anxiety, suggersting that it appears to be pandemic in the dermatology population of patients. Keywords: health anxiety, dermatology, Massachusetts, actinic keratoses, cryotherapy, survey,, Tyrer Introduction Patients see doctors with varying degrees of concern regarding their health. Some, require tests or treatments. A subset of patients have severe health anxiety (HA) and cannot be reassured by tests, procedures or pharmaceuticals but may be helped (at least temporarily) by a sympathetic … Continue reading
by David J. Elpern and Mariah L. Ferrara Abstract: We have documented the access to dermatology care in the Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Of the six dermatologists practicing in the area only two accept Medicaid patients and for one of these, the wait for an appointment was over six months. Our data show unequal access to dermatologic care in Western Massachusetts Keywords: dermatology, access to care, Medicaid, dermatologist, medical insurance. Berkshires, Massachusetts, cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen Introduction: It is clear to Medicaid recipients nationwide that they have difficulty in obtaining health care from large numbers of private practitioners There are many reasons for this, but chief among them is that physicians are … Continue reading
The Business of Medicine: Old paradigm and new I wish I was a young buck looking for my first job. Recently, I received an email promoting a new position: Hi Dr. …, Hope this email finds you well! I’m contacting you regarding a Dermatology Opening in [a scenic rural area] Please see below for details and send CV if interested. Seeking a BE/BC Dermatologist to join its medical staff. Join the most trusted hospital in the area due to its highly trained physician staff and its arms-length affiliation with the University of [X] Hospital in {Y]. The community itself is an attractive university town located in the Foothills of the redacted … Continue reading
seen every day in medical offices Health Anxiety: lurking in plain sight All practitioners will learn useful information from this article. Excerpts “Many patients, despite how much they would like to, cannot do what we would like them to do: ‘stop worrying.’” As physicians, we see a few such people every day. Health Anxiety seems to be epidemic (perhaps, endemic) in our communities, yet it is poorly recognized. “People with health anxiety do not ask relief from somatic symptom, but rather only desire freedom from worry about disease. A key component of health anxiety is rumination, so that patients cannot stop thinking about a disease once the thought has come … Continue reading
