Do you know how well your kidneys are functioning? Primary care physicians may be failing to diagnose kidney problems in women soon enough.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more likely to go undiagnosed in women than men, says Maya Rao, MD, of Columbia University.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, warning signs of CKD include high blood pressure, puffiness around eyes, and swelling of hands and feet. Other signs include frequent urination, particularly at night, and painful or difficult urination. Tests may show blood or protein in the urine. Around 19 million Americans are affected by CKD.
Rao’s paper, being presented at the …read more

Lately, I’ve been reading about a concept called “medical homes”.
Essentially, a primary care physician is being paid extra to coordinate a patient’s care through routine visits, screenings, specialists and hospitalizations.
According to this story about the medical home on ABC News:
The concept aims to change rushed doctor’s appointments and fragmented specialist care by creating patient care “teams,” which could include nurse practitioners, nutritionists or other medical staff. Medical homes also offer longer office hours, electronic medical records and same-day appointments.
The idea is that patients would turn to a trusted adviser, either the doctor or another team member, for preventive and routine …read more