Consumer Critique: Surviving Your Doctors

I recently had the opportunity to review the book Surviving Your Doctors: Why the Medical System is Dangerous to Your Health and How to Get Through Alive. The book, despite having a title that may make it seem extreme, is actually very well-written.

The premise of the book is that the amount of medical malpractice has gotten out of control, and compares it to the flight industry - if a jumbo jet was crashing every day, there'd be changes, but the equivalent number of patients die from medical mistakes each day, with very little news. It's written by a doctor, so it's not just someone who's anti-conventional medicine writing this.

The book is divided into three sections, covering every day health issues (such as insurance and the ER), major and chronic conditions (such as pregnancy and cardiac issues), and hospital stays (including surgery and tests). There is also a short fourth section that looks at the future of medicine.

I found his advice very easy to read. I already do implement much of it, and am fortunate to have very caring, attentive medical professionals for my family (and no major conditions, so we're rarely in hospitals). Some advice I don't plan to follow, but that's the point of advice - you take what's useful to you.

The book covers every area of medical care, yet is a fairly short book for the amount of information it holds. It's available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle editions. Don't let the scare-tactic title throw you off - it is a cohesive, informative book.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of "Surviving Your Doctors" to facilitate this review.