Quality of life
Thank you for the article “Aging out of health care? Ever-increasing costs prompt some doctors to ask if a patient can be too old for a lifesaving but expensive procedure” (Chicagoland Health & Family, Nov. 30). It was extremely relevant, timely and courageous.
Technology and drugs are keeping many people alive far too long and with little or no thought to the quality of that life. As a senior myself, I am determined to make responsible choices in this regard.
I hope to see more attention given to this issue. Good job, editor.
— Candace Bishop, Lombard
Medical marijuana
I hope that during the 2012 election season Americans hold President Barack Obama accountable for his administration’s inability to follow through on campaign promises in terms of medical cannabis and cannabis policy in general. During the campaign to the White House, Obama stated like others before him that he would allow states to pursue medical cannabis laws on their own without federal interference; unfortunately, though, more medical cannabis dispensaries have been raided under his administration than under his predecessor.
Despite growing violence south of our border due to our failed drug war and the increasing racial disparities in drug sentencing, the Obama administration has done nothing to lead our country out of this injustice.
For those who feel that cannabis should remain illegal, please look into the absurdity on how cannabis became illegal in the first place. For those who feel that cannabis should be legal, please get involved in the upcoming political season and express your views in a polite, educated and professional manner.
— Dan Linn, executive director, Illinois chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws, Chicago
Choosing a doctor
I am a medical malpractice defense attorney. Regarding “Doctor profiles popular online: More than 750,000 hits for state database of malpractice payouts, criminal records” ( News, Nov. 27), I believe more information is better than less. Therefore, if you want to make sure your physician is not a convicted criminal, this information as part of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s website would be useful.
However, if you want to do what you can to convince yourself that your physician is qualified and experienced to care for you, knowing whether he or she has been sued for malpractice or has made an indemnity payment to a patient (or the patient’s family) will not answer this question. This question is also not answered by knowing that your doctor was fired at some point in time — without more information.
Payment by a doctor in a medical negligence case is not proof of medical negligence. There are many factors that go into the decision of whether to settle a malpractice claim (too many to discuss in this short space).
Doctors, like all humans, make mistakes. However, I have yet to run into one who actually intended to harm his or her patient.
If you really do want to make sure your doctor is qualified to care for you, I would suggest that you begin by asking your doctor (or potential doctor) questions such as where he or she went to medical school, whether he or she completed a residency or a fellowship and whether he or she is board-certified. I would also ask some questions about his or her experience in caring for patients with your particular medical needs.
This type of information is likelier to help you make an informed decision about whether to continue care with a particular physician than knowing whether your doctor has made a payment in connection with a medical malpractice lawsuit.
— Miguel A. Ruiz, Chicago
The death of Maggie Daley is sad for the city of Chicago, which will miss her advocacy. She is one of about 40,000 who will have died in the United States in 2011 of breast cancer. Like Mrs. Daley, metastatic breast cancer will account for most of those deaths. Yet this advanced breast cancer receives only about 3 percent of the money allocated to breast cancer research.
Much needs to be learned about the metastatic process before these deaths become preventable. Research is slowed by lack of funding, the amount of time university and some private researchers must spend seeking funding rather than doing research, and the competitive and, therefore, private work done by big pharmacy. Cancer is complicated, and research needs support and cross-pollination of ideas!
Chicago has great breast cancer resources. How wonderful it would be if those resources could be provided greater funds, with links to one another, and a greater focus on studying metastasis, perhaps in memory of Maggie Daley.
— Pamela J. Breakey, metastatic breast cancer patient and advocate, Dowagiac, Mich.
