Non-Compliant Patients and the AMA

This is a note traveling the e-mail forwarding loop that I believe is worthy of sharing - for those of you who don't have that 1 or 2 obnoxious friends who believe every e-mail is meant to be forwarding. ;-) FYI - It wasn't an obnoxious friend who shared this one with me, though this wasn't the first on in my inbox.  It was a friend who knows my interest in such topics.  And, this friend also sent me the most user friendly version of the e-mail.

****Begin Email*****
"The following is page 102 of 134 pages of the American Medical Association's Annual Meeting Report. Essentially, physicians are requesting a "code" enabling them to identify, label, and recognize "non-compliant" (READ: "autonomous") patients. (Bold emphasis added.)


SOURCE: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/475/refcomg.pdf

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Resolution: 710 (A-09)
Introduced by: Michigan Delegation
Subject: Identifying Abusive, Hostile or Non-Compliant Patients
Referred to: Reference Committee G

(J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, Chair)

Whereas, Many patients are becoming more abusive and hostile toward physicians for many reasons not limited to the economy, increasing co-pays and deductibles, unreasonable expectations and demands, a lack of instantaneous cure, arrogance and/or the belief that they “own” their physicians; and

Whereas, There are decreasing numbers of physicians both in primary care and specialties especially in terms of access; and

Whereas, Increasing noncompliance with treatment can reflect negatively on physicians during black box audits by insurance companies and oversight governmental agencies; and

Whereas, Abusive, hostile, and noncompliant patients result in increasing office resources adding to office overhead and added stress on all of the office personnel, which can lead to potential ill health; and

Whereas, The stress of dealing with ungrateful patients is adding to the stress of physicians leading to decreased physician satisfaction; and

Whereas, Any complaint to any oversight investigative regulatory body leads to uncompensated expenditure of time, resources, and monies to defend physicians or the “guilty until proven innocent” principal; and

Whereas, Physicians need to own the data to simplify patient collection and identification to defend themselves as well as alert outside investigating agencies to the potential nature of the patient’s records; therefore be it

RESOLVED: That our American Medical Association ask its CPT Editorial Panel to investigate for data collection and report back at Annual 2010 meeting: 1) developing a modifier for the E&M codes to identify non-compliant patients and/or 2) develop an add-on code to E&M codes to identify non-compliant patients. (Directive to Take Action)

Fiscal Note: Staff cost estimated at less than $500 to implement.
Received: 05/06/09" *****end e-mail*****

Be ye not ungrateful, or you may find those physicians who are already impossible to communicate with getting even more impossible because of the Code 666 attached to your file - since you were ungrateful when you went to the last MD, who didn't do anything but empty your pocketbook.  It's a shame we can't all be sheep led to the slaughter I guess.  Another reason we just don't do MDs unless we need to save someone from bleeding to death or set a bone. 

 

Topical Yeast Infection

It was a long, hot, sweaty summer, as usual. It wasn't last summer, and it isn't the one coming. It was actually 2007. I found that any time I went outside to work, I sweated. When I sweated, a burning, itching rash would present itself at the same location my bra strap wanted to sit. I can only tell you how uncomfortable this is, but you can't imagine unless it has happened to you. It would be akin to sticking your hand in a nest of fire ants, and leaving it there. Most of that summer I sat inside, not knowing what to do for this torture. Jay suggest Gold Bond powder. That would soothe, but not eliminate the problem. Summer went, and cooler temperatures came. But, I would still notice some itching and rash on occasion.

Well, 2008 summer came with a vengeance, as they all do here, and it started again. Somewhere inside me, an answer rose up. I'd actually love to take credit for the genius thought, but am sure it was the Holy Spirit in response to my prayers of pain. YEAST. We'd been fighting yeast, and winning, with Ross - mostly respiratory. But, I had never imagined that yeast might be my enemy too. A quick test would be to dilute some Grapefruit Seed Extract and wipe it on the affected area. If it was yeast, it should reduce, if not eliminate, it. IT DID!! I did this a couple more times over the next week, and then just completely forgot about my personal nightmare.

Summer 2009 is quickly approaching. It brought it to mind when I noticed I was sweating from the excessive humidity. I decided that this was an overdue post to my health blog. I have reason to believe I'm not the only person in the world who suffers from topical yeast infections. We may think they are bacterial, or allergic reactions, but they may just be yeast.

Yeast is very easily treated with Grapefruit Seed Extract. You can find it at http://www.iherb.com - Nutribiotic is the brand. If you have never ordered there before, use coupon code KES097 to get $5 off your first time order. I prefer the liquid, since direct application in diluted form is quick, easy and makes it less necessary to take more pills. But, you can take it in pill form and it is effective. We use a 10 drops to 6 oz of water dilution rate. You can mix up more or less depending on your need. For a douche, I actually triple the GSE in the dilution.

We've also recently discovered that our youngest daughter's frequent breakouts are actually yeast acne. She noticed that sugar increased breakouts, so stopped doing so much sugar. I put 2 and 2 together and came up with yeast. She started taking 2 GSE pills at night before bed, then a probiotic pill in the morning before breakfast, and her acne has improved tremendously. She even ran out of her Clinique cleanser, and the acne is still improving.

Ross's frequent throat infections were also yeast, treated with diluted GSE gargle.

So, yeast is more than an internal enemy. It is also a topical enemy. Next time that strange rash gets you down, think yeast, and try some GSE wipe. It may not help, but it won't hurt to try. If it does help, you know you are battling Yeast.