|
2011 SEASON |
|
 |
All Those Medicines
Prescription v. Non-prescription. Over-the-Counter.
Analgesics. Antibiotics. N-Saids. Those are just some of the
descriptions of the many medicines available to patients today. The
descriptions and names of the medicines can be confusing - and
potentially dangerous - if misused. What basic information should
patients know about medicines? How does a physician determine which
medicine to prescribe for a patient? What questions should patients
ask when prescribed a medicine? Are children’s medicines different
from adult medicines? And what should be the relationship between
physician, patient, and pharmacist?
|
 |
Impaired Driving: Medical
Perspectives
Driving a motor vehicle safely requires skill, attentiveness,
and knowledge of motor vehicle rules and regulations, among other
qualifications. As our population ages, concern has risen about the
ability of older drivers. Yet conditions other than age can affect
how one drives. What are the medical conditions that can lead to
impaired driving? How dangerous can they be? What are the
responsibilities of the patient and the physician with regard to
those conditions? And what is the role of state motor vehicle
departments with respect to the medical conditions of patients who
drive?
|
|
Home
Health Care
Health care services provided in the home are dramatically
increasing, and will continue to do so as the population ages and as
pressure builds to control health care costs. In Massachusetts, home
health services reach 150,000 people through 160 agencies.
Nationally, about eight million Americans require some type of
medical care in the home. What kinds of services can be provided in
the home? Who is eligible to receive these? Who provides these
services? And how effective are they in providing care and
controlling health care costs?
|
 |
Epilepsy: The Seizure
Disorder
Epilepsy is the third most common
neurological disorder in the United States, after Alzheimer’s
disease and stroke. The condition affects nearly three million
Americans, with some 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Half of
all patients are children. Characterized by seizures of
various kinds, epilepsy can impede learning, behavior, and memory
and seriously affect development. It can be debilitating to the
patient and cause great disruption in families. What are the causes
of this condition? How is it treated? Can it be prevented?
How, specifically, does it affect patients? And what is the
prognosis for a patient who has such a condition?
|
 |
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 19
million new infections from sexually transmitted disease occur every
year, making STDs the most commonly reported infectious diseases in
the country. STDs are estimated to cost the U.S. health care system
about $16 billion annually, and can cause serious long-term health
consequences. Left untreated, STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea
can lead to infertility, and many STDs increase the risk of HIV.
|
 |
Prescription Drug Abuse
(JANUARY, EPISODE 74)
The abuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem in
the United States. While most people take prescription drugs
responsibly, an estimated 48 million people or 20 percent of the
population age 12 and older have used them for nonmedical reasons in
their lifetimes. The elderly are vulnerable to abuse and misuse
because they are prescribed more medications, but abuse by young
people is alarming, with nearly two million youth age 12-17 abusing
painkillers and other prescriptions. What is causing this behavior?
What are the health effects of such abuse? What preventive or
treatment programs are available to address this? And what
roles can physicians, patients, and family members play in
curtailing this behavior?
|
|
