Posted on 01/26/2015 12:38:22 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
(Newser) Seniors had better brace themselves: Some US hospitals are now administering the "death test," which estimates their chance of dying over the next 30 days. Invented in Australia, the test weighs 29 different criteria—including blood pressure, respiratory rate, and medical history—to determine whether hospitalization is worthwhile or the patient should return home or go to a hospice, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The idea is to prevent needless and expensive procedures while allowing patients to spend their last days with loved ones. "Most terminally ill people want to die at home, but in fact three quarters end up dying in acute hospitals, often after intrusive, expensive and ultimately pointless medical procedures," says study author Magnolia Cardona-Morrell, the Independent reports.
The test also aims to take pressure off doctors and nurses to prolong patients' lives "at all costs," the Telegraph reports. "I had lots of nurses and doctors standing there saying, 'We have been waiting for a tool like this for years, when can we start using it?'" says Cardona-Morrell, whose work was presented recently at a US medical conference. "To me that is an indication there is a need out there." She says the test takes just five or ten minutes, and helps doctors have a more "transparent" conversation with patients. Called CriSTAL, it's now being tested to see if it would have predicted the future of patients who have since died. Then it may be used in more hospitals. (In related news, a study says those who feel younger than their age will live longer.)
I will say that I am very concerned about what health care will be like if we continue down this road. Liberal policies certainly want to destroy the relationship between a physician and a patient. They want the relationship to be patient to government.
Seniors should go to a Catholic hospital (but make sure it’s still Catholic).
That was before Blue Cross got a hold of it.
Based on some of my recent bills, the two tests would have been hammered from $65 down to about $11 each, for a total of $20+2*11 = $42, of which $20 would have been my copay.
Of course, my actual bills had much higher numbers, but my bottom line was still $20. This is why I said, "Sure," when my doc thought he heard something through his stethoscope.
isn’t there a way to record that ?
We could have CrowdDiagnostic that lets the public diagnose your condition. It could be a thing.
maybe not.
I was kidding. That is quite disturbing.
After nearly three frustrating years, Carly was desperate for answers. She was clearly suffering from a serious medical condition, but nearly two dozen doctors, countless medical tests and over $100,000 in medical bills still could not tell her what was wrong. Carly had once been a vibrant, healthy teenager, but now she could barely get out of bed. Her symptoms and the emotional stress were pushing her and her family to the breaking point.Finally, after a rare opportunity to consult with a top-notch interdisciplinary team of medical experts from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Carly received an answer: "Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency" (FXPOI) - a rare genetic mutation found in just one of every 15,000 people. Even more astounding, the treatment of Carly's condition involved a simple hormone patch, which effectively eliminated all of her symptoms in less than one month.
Prior to her diagnosis, Carly was starting to wonder whether her life was already over. Today, Carly is fully recovered, with a new family of her own, and she is actively achieving all of her personal and professional goals.
I've no idea if they're worth anything. But they're not the government, they are part of the dreaded private sector, so we'll know if they are still around after a few years.
a rare genetic mutation found in just one of every 15,000 people.
Something even less common among teens and young adults than that
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