A Patient’s Journey with Heart Failure

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Q & A with Mary Knudson Mary Knudson, a patient, health journalist and author, shares a glimpse into her journey with heart failure. Mary Knudson was diagnosed with heart failure in 2003. She knew something wasn’t quite right.  She became very short of breath and fatigued from walking from one room to another in her home. After being diagnosed with heart failure, she was frightened.  “I thought the diagnosis…

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Top Stories About Patients, Doctors and Nurses

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Here are a few of the top Healthin30 posts that focus on patients, doctors and nurses.  Thank you for your insightful comments and for posting them on Facebook and Twitter. The Patient, the Most Important Part of the Medical Team Are patients the most important part of the medical team?  Find out what the experts think. Full Post […] Rules of Patient Engagement: How to Deeply Connect with Empathy…

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The Patient, the Most Important Part of the Medical Team

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA (A follow-up post to “When Doctors and Nurses Work Together.”) Do you feel that patients are the most important part of the medical (health care team)? In a recent post on Healthin30, “When Doctors and Nurses Work Together” I wrote about the team-based approach for caring and treating patients, and it addressed the relationship between nurses, doctors, patients and the importance of a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to patient care….

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Share Your Insightful Thoughts, Readers Comments on Empathy Post at KevinMD

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA In my recent post published on KevinMD, “Deeply connect and engage your patients with empathy,” I would like to thank the readers for their insightful comments. The first comment is from Winslow Murdoch, a primary care physician who wholeheartedly believes that empathy is essential; however due to the real world frustrations with insurers etc., he writes, he left his practice.  Now he practices patient centered medical home concierge medicine…

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