Fall 2014
PMH STORY by Allan R. Kelly, MD, FACP
The patient was an elderly gentleman whose daughter was his caregiver. He lived in a rural area, and most of his care had been provided by rural doctors. He was hospitalized, and the PMH doctor was asked to visit. During the consultation, staying in touch via a few cell calls, the patient’s illness and needs were tracked.
Soon thereafter the patient was discharged home. The patient’s daughter requested that the PMH doctor continue to care for her father at home, despite the distance. The PMH doctor asked the daughter what value she saw in this extra cost. She said that after decades of trying to coordinate her father’s care, she had never before had the personal cell phone number of a physician. She found it so unusual, so helpful, that even though she might not be able to bring her father to see the PMH doctor on a regular basis, just knowing that she could consult by telephone when needed was valuable to her.
We hope that all doctors will embrace the idea of direct, open, and convenient communication between themselves and their patients. As our motto says, it’s “like having a doctor in the family.”, a doctor you can call when you need to, when there are questions, and when there is illness. A direct relationship can promote better outcomes for patients and their families.
Of course, there will always be limits. Doctors need to sleep and have time to do their work. But it is not a burden to offer the same direct communication to our subscribers as we would to family, neighbors, or old friends. This is part of the PMH subscription, a premium valuable to patients and families.
ANXIETY, EXERCISE, AND YOGA by Allan R. Kelly, MD, FACP
Researchers reported on the effect of exercise on anxiety. Participants in the study were randomized into three groups. One group would only stand, another would walk, and the third would jog gently or walk quickly on a treadmill for ten minutes.
NUTS, CORN, AND POPCORN IN DIVERTICULOSIS by Robert H. Kelly, MD, FACP
Diverticula, or the little pouches that form along the wall of the colon, measuring from a few millimeters to 2.0 centimeters in size, are part of aging. Rarely seen before the age of 40, by the age of 70 they are common. They are a normal part of the colon after the age of 60, a condition called diverticulosis.
EXERCISING FOR HEALTH by Allan R. Kelly, MD, FACP & Robert H. Kelly, MD, FACP
Exercise improves health. Recent reports continue to confirm that sedentary adults over the age of 50 have a fourfold increased risk of death over the course of study compared with adults who pursue moderate physical activity.
FOOTBALL SEASON by Robert H. Kelly, MD, FACP
Data were published several years ago looking at NFL football players’ cardiovascular risk factors. Compared to the normal population of average risk individuals, men 25-37 years of age, there were some striking differences that suggested football players were an unhealthy lot: body mass index was higher, waist size higher, and blood pressure higher.
PMH QUOTATIONS Fall 2014
“The fact is that in order to have the privilege of doing this job, we may have to miss dinner once in a while to take care of someone who got sick. . .”
Victoria Johnson, MD, NEJM 2013; 369:2279
“. . . the relief and comfort given to an aged patient often effect the prolongation of life if only by restoring the willingness to live.”
Alfred Worcester, MD, JAMA 2014; 312:1159