Review of Surviving the Business of Healthcare
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WZ2019
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- Latest Review: Surviving the Business of Healthcare by Barbara Galutia Regis PA-C
Review of Surviving the Business of Healthcare
[Following is a volunteer review of "Surviving the Business of Healthcare" by Barbara Galutia Regis PA-C.]
In her book Surviving the Business of Healthcare, Barbara Galutia Regis talks about disconnects in healthcare systems in the USA and the rest of the world. The book starts with the writer’s journey of progression, diagnosis, and treatment of a rare form of skin cancer called “amelanotic nodular melanoma.” Regis explains that she has been a physician assistant for over 20 years and is following in the footsteps of three generations in the family. She uses the phrase “cradle to grave” to explain her role and emphasizes the importance of seeking the right primary care physician. The book has nearly 30 small chapters and a different topic for each chapter. The usual pattern is that Regis starts with a scenario and relates it to her dad’s time. Her dad’s journey is always titled “A glimpse into our not-so-sleepy town,” which was Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, and only had two doctors at that time, her dad being one of the two. In this way she proves the point that medicine from the `60s `70s and early `80s was very different from what it is today; she explains that at that time it was personal, and it was your life.
This small book is packed with knowledge; the book starts with Regis’s journey with cancer, her dad’s journey as a doctor, and her journey as a physician assistant. Regis then covers the major aspects of healthcare, including choosing the right physician and advocating for one’s self. She explains different professions in inpatient and outpatient environments, hospital admissions, and emergency plans, as well as health insurance, and saving money through rebates. She also bravely discusses issues that are not often talked about; for example, elder abuse, ethical problems in the field, malpractice in medicine, and the impact of the media. Physician’s satisfaction and physician’s shortages are also discussed, all while reviewing the dad’s role as a health professional in between.
Overall, I found this book enlightening on many things, some, I didn’t have much information about before, for example, models like Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO), High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HAS). I also learned about the role of a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), the difference between prescribed vs non -prescribed medications vs supplements, and the right place to buy them. I would say that the editors did a good job as well as I didn’t find any grammatical errors or editing flaws in this book.
Although the book was generally a good read, there were a few things that made the book less enjoyable. I felt Regis talked about her journey more than necessary and that made the book seem more like an autobiography with knowledge of healthcare as a secondary gain. Another thing that I found questioning was that the only thing Regis compared modern healthcare to the old one was from her parent’s experience and a small town she used to live in. It raises the question of whether her examples can be generalized to a bigger population. I also felt that Regis wasted words on unimportant things; for example, she wrote about how her parents raised her which seemed unnecessary for a professional book like this. Whereas she could have explained some of the topics in more detail; for example, rebates, which was not explained in detail.
For these reasons, I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I gave this rating because despite all these flaws I learned a lot from this book that can help me understand the healthcare practice including the importance of health insurance and ways to get insurance at a discounted rate, handling emergencies, elder abuse, and ways to prevent it and the media scam and avoiding it. The tips provided will aid me in choosing a better healthcare provider, making informed decisions on how to choose better health care plans as well as choosing the right medication.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about the healthcare system regardless of age, gender, or career.
******
Surviving the Business of Healthcare
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In her book Surviving the Business of Healthcare, Barbara Galutia Regis talks about disconnects in healthcare systems in the USA and the rest of the world. The book starts with the writer’s journey of progression, diagnosis, and treatment of a rare form of skin cancer called “amelanotic nodular melanoma.” Regis explains that she has been a physician assistant for over 20 years and is following in the footsteps of three generations in the family. She uses the phrase “cradle to grave” to explain her role and emphasizes the importance of seeking the right primary care physician. The book has nearly 30 small chapters and a different topic for each chapter. The usual pattern is that Regis starts with a scenario and relates it to her dad’s time. Her dad’s journey is always titled “A glimpse into our not-so-sleepy town,” which was Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, and only had two doctors at that time, her dad being one of the two. In this way she proves the point that medicine from the `60s `70s and early `80s was very different from what it is today; she explains that at that time it was personal, and it was your life.
This small book is packed with knowledge; the book starts with Regis’s journey with cancer, her dad’s journey as a doctor, and her journey as a physician assistant. Regis then covers the major aspects of healthcare, including choosing the right physician and advocating for one’s self. She explains different professions in inpatient and outpatient environments, hospital admissions, and emergency plans, as well as health insurance, and saving money through rebates. She also bravely discusses issues that are not often talked about; for example, elder abuse, ethical problems in the field, malpractice in medicine, and the impact of the media. Physician’s satisfaction and physician’s shortages are also discussed, all while reviewing the dad’s role as a health professional in between.
Overall, I found this book enlightening on many things, some, I didn’t have much information about before, for example, models like Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO), High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HAS). I also learned about the role of a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), the difference between prescribed vs non -prescribed medications vs supplements, and the right place to buy them. I would say that the editors did a good job as well as I didn’t find any grammatical errors or editing flaws in this book.
Although the book was generally a good read, there were a few things that made the book less enjoyable. I felt Regis talked about her journey more than necessary and that made the book seem more like an autobiography with knowledge of healthcare as a secondary gain. Another thing that I found questioning was that the only thing Regis compared modern healthcare to the old one was from her parent’s experience and a small town she used to live in. It raises the question of whether her examples can be generalized to a bigger population. I also felt that Regis wasted words on unimportant things; for example, she wrote about how her parents raised her which seemed unnecessary for a professional book like this. Whereas she could have explained some of the topics in more detail; for example, rebates, which was not explained in detail.
For these reasons, I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I gave this rating because despite all these flaws I learned a lot from this book that can help me understand the healthcare practice including the importance of health insurance and ways to get insurance at a discounted rate, handling emergencies, elder abuse, and ways to prevent it and the media scam and avoiding it. The tips provided will aid me in choosing a better healthcare provider, making informed decisions on how to choose better health care plans as well as choosing the right medication.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about the healthcare system regardless of age, gender, or career.
******
Surviving the Business of Healthcare
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
