What you don’t know could kill you.
As the demands for quick results from lab testing increases, so do the dangers of misdiagnosis.
When your doctor orders blood tests or lab work, what happens? According to Dr. Ralph Giorno, the routine mishandling and inaccurate procedures mean you, as the patient, are not getting the correct information or proper care.
Dr. Giorno attributes the systematic degradation of standard healthcare to four factors:
A trend in centralizing laboratory work as a means to maximize profit, pressure for immediate turnaround time means workers are hurrying through testing, facilities lack hands-on training and leadership accountability in producing accurate testing results, and there is no standardization in the laboratory industry.
“One of the major problems I have addressed in this book,” wrote Giorno, “is that doctors are not taking a global approach to patient evaluation when they consider lab tests. Only when patients start to take up front responsibility will the bad outcomes from over-diagnosis, over-testing and over-treatment start to be reduced.”
Giorno’s frustration with his own industry is evident. His unabashed tone brings to light his dissatisfaction with the detached trend in medical care, and provides statistical facts that prove doctors could be doing more to ensure the quality of care bestowed on patients.
BLOOD TRAILS calls out the medical community to clean up (literally) its act. But an unanticipated symptom is that it leaves the reader (the patient) feeling disempowered. When facing serious illness or disease, we hope to be able to trust our healthcare provider and want to believe we are an integral part of the cooperative effort in the treatment. This element of mistrust could potentially interfere with the effectiveness of care. Yet, in this matter such a belief runs the risk of coming off naïve. Nevertheless, the resounding message for proactive measures is clear albeit overwhelming for the common patient. Giorno reminds us that we own our lab results, adding: “it is your right and responsibility to question the results and to seek additional second opinions from other experts in the field.” A second opinion is a terrific defense in advocating for your health but often requires resources. Yes, we own our blood work, but what are we supposed to do with it?
The general concerns of this book are clear and no doubt valid. It’s the nuts and bolts of what the typical reader is supposed to do with new information that leaves the reader with little more than undirected concerns and fear. It is a stark account reiterating the importance of self-advocating. The message conveyed in this book will resonate with those who already have suspicions of the accuracy and quality of care patients receive. We can’t change the system, but we can exercise caution, we can place more emphasis on prevention, we can demand full explanations concerning lab results, and we can be vigilant about seeking second opinions or alternative care. That, in and of itself, is a healthy dose of reality indeed.
BLOOD TRAILS will ignite awareness on the importance of being more direct in the desire for quality care.
~ IndieReader.