101 Ways To The Best Medical Care

I just had an opportunity to read an interesting book titled "101 Ways To The Best Medical Care" written by Charlotte E. Thompson, MD.

The subtitle is "The medical guide that could save your life". Since patients don't have transparency in healthcare quality information and there are so many medical quality issues, that statement may be true for some readers. If you have to be admitted to the hospital, have a challenging clinical issue or simply "fall through the cracks"; your life could be at risk. Each patient needs to take an active role in their care to protect their health and safety. Books like this one can give patients some ideas to consider.

The book is very wide ranging; covering topics from clinical issues (doctors, hospitals, emergencies) to Insurance (medicare, overseas) to administrative (medical records, etc.). While not every chapter will apply to each person, it is likely that many chapters will be useful to most patients.

The chapters on finding a different doctor, getting the best care and becoming informed were very useful. The chapter on hospital care was also a gem - warning of teaching hospitals, nursing shortage and what patients should do.

Given the breadth of the book it isn't surprising that I would take a different approach or view on some of the advice. While I agree that using the yellow pages to find a doctor won't give you any useful quality information; I'm not sure asking friends will be much better. Quality information needs to come from qualified and trusted sources. I always recommend checking federal and state websites when available.

And the statement "you usually get what you pay for" on page 8 is definitely not what I have found in my research on healthcare quality and pricing. At best there is no definitive link between cost of care and quality of care; and some evidence draws the opposite conclusion: higher quality care can cost less than poor quality care. See Health Affairs just this Month- Hospital Quality And Intensity Of Spending: Is There An Association?

While I see a few things differently, I congratulate Dr. Thompson on her efforts and her book. It has some great advice that should help many patients.

Healthcare Blue Book In The News

There is an interesting article in the Tennessean on Nashville based healthcare start ups. See all the articles here.

We were pleased to be included.

Here is part of the story :

Healthcare Blue Book: Making the most of cost comparisons

By Getahn Ward • The Tennessean • May 17, 2009

For years, Kelley Blue Book has been a go-to source for car buyers and sellers who want to gauge the value of vehicles.

Dr. Jeffrey Rice and Bill Kampine hope their Healthcare Blue Book becomes the same type of resource for consumers seeking information on prices of competing health services.

At healthcarebluebook.com, consumers can compare “fair” cash prices that they would expect to pay out-of-pocket for a range of procedures and medical services within their ZIP codes. The company also targets employers with a customized version where employees can see what each provider gets paid and how they rate on quality. The idea is to help patients decide where to seek care.
“It’s to help consumers find the right care from the right provider at the right price,” said Kampine, a co-founder of Healthcare Blue Book.

Companies such as Healthcare Blue Book hope to ride growing interest in more transparency in health care.


Launched in January, Healthcare Blue Book is the latest startup venture for Rice and Kampine. They worked together at CareSteps, a company that’s now part of Healthways, which helped consumers understand their health risks and get care according to evidence-based guidelines.

Healthcare Blue Book gets its revenues through advertising on its free site, including from health-care providers. It charges employers a fee for its customized program.

Rice, the company’s chief executive officer, said the Web site is especially helpful for consumers with high deductibles or limited medical plans that place more of the financial responsibility on them. “If you don’t ask before you get your care, you may be charged three or four times more than the fair price,” he said.

Danielle Gilbert, a Nashville resident enrolled in a high-deductible plan recently used Healthcare Blue Book to get the fair market price for an MRI related to a leg injury. She has started calling around to find a provider willing to accept that price. “If you’re willing to spend a little extra time, it’s a great service,” Gilbert said.