R&L Logo R&L Logo
  • GENERAL
    • Browse by Subjects
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Chases's Calendar
  • ACADEMIC
    • Textbooks
    • Browse by Course
    • Instructor's Copies
    • Monographs & Research
    • Reference
  • PROFESSIONAL
    • Education
    • Intelligence & Security
    • Library Services
    • Business & Leadership
    • Museum Studies
    • Music
    • Pastoral Resources
    • Psychotherapy
  • FREUD SET
Cover Image
eBook
share of facebook share on twitter
Add to GoodReads

The Myths of Modern Medicine

The Alarming Truth about American Health Care

John Leifer

The American health care system is terminally ill. It is astonishingly expensive, remarkably variable in quality, and incapable of stemming the rising tide of chronic illness in our population. Yet, the majority of Americans believe it is the best system in the world and cling to the belief that, far from ailing, it delivers care superior to those of countries across the globe.

The system has obliged us by providing an elaborate set of myths and misconceptions about American health care that significantly shape our beliefs. These myths keep us blissfully ignorant about the true quality, safety, and value of the care we receive. This ignorance has a price: it leads us to draw erroneous conclusions about our conditions, fail to properly evaluate potential treatment options, and rarely question our providers’ competency.

The Myths of Modern Medicine looks at the real issues contributing to the dysfunction of our healthcare system and how these issues affect the care we receive. The book, based upon John Leifer’s 30 years of immersion in the healthcare industry, challenges some of our most commonly held misperceptions about this vitally important industry. Leifer strips away the elaborately constructed myths that conceal the ugly underbelly of healthcare and lays bare the truth about an industry that serves special interest groups far better than it serves its patients.
A survival guide for anyone entering the healthcare system, this timely work helps consumers better research provider competency; ask the right questions to evaluate potential treatment options; and communicate the information that will help yield the right treatment decisions. Several studies have shown patients today have only about a 50 percent chance of getting the generally accepted best treatment for their conditions. This book helps consumers increase these odds with step-by-step directions on how to interact more productively with their doctors and become true partners in making what may be the most crucial decisions of their lives.
  • Details
  • Details
  • Author
  • Author
  • TOC
  • TOC
  • Reviews
  • Reviews
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 304 •
978-1-4422-2596-1 • eBook • September 2014 • $50.00 • (£38.00)
Subjects: Health & Fitness / Health Care Issues, Self-Help / General
John Leifer worked for more than 30 years with the major factions comprising healthcare delivery in the United States, including some of the nation’s leading hospitals. Most recently, he served as a senior vice president for a 10-hospital system in the Midwest. Leifer founded and published The Leifer Report, a healthcare publication that featured contributors ranging from President Bill Clinton to Newt Gingrich. He has written extensively on healthcare issues and has been published in newspapers and magazines, such as Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & HealthNetworks, Washington Monthly, and The Kansas City Star. Leifer has also been profiled in several prominent magazines, including Money and Fortune.
Introduction
Myth 1: The United States boasts the best health care in the world.
Myth 2: Shopping for health care is like shopping for a car: You base your decisions on good information.
Myth 3: Medical interventions are based upon scientific evidence of positive outcomes regarding best practices. As a result, patients receive precisely the care they need.
Myth 4: Where one chooses to receive care will have no bearing on their treatment options, outcomes, or cost.
Myth 5: All physicians are created equal.
Myth 6: There’s no better place to be when you are ill than the hospital.
Myth 7: The prescription I was given is safe, proven, and effective.
Myth 8: I’m just the patient. I’m not part of the problem.
Myth 9: My insurance company’s first concern is my health.
Myth 10: When all else fails, at least the system will allow me to die with dignity.
Epilogue
Bibliography
Policy makers and industry leaders should read the book for Leifer’s big-picture view of the issues.
— The Kansas City Star


Perhaps the greatest merit of . . . [this] book is the hope that they will create meaningful discussions among those less intimately familiar with the health care system, flaws and all. Additionally, the [book] will speak to those caring for an elderly family member. The [book does] serve a valuable purpose. Readers of this journal may want to [give this as a gift] to those less well versed in health care. They explain what must seem an odd reluctance on the part of those more deeply immersed in health care to scrutinize health-related recommendations and to rethink the inclination to seek treatment for every risk or condition.
— Health Affairs


In this profoundly important book, John Leifer exposes the underbelly of American medicine—the greed, arrogance, and failures that permeate our health care system at all levels. A must-read for those of us receiving care, as well as those giving it, The Myths of Modern Medicine will open every consumer’s eyes and alert providers that we are on to their less-than-stellar practices. But Leifer does not just expose the problems; he offers viable and realistic solutions including steps consumers can take to protect themselves from shoddy medicine. This is a must-own book for anyone interested in their health care and those who provide it.
— Charles B. Inlander, consumer health advocate, best-selling author, commentator and founding president of the People’s Medical Society


John Leifer's book identifies and then destroys comfortable, commonly held beliefs about the effectiveness of the US healthcare system. [It is] a provocative must read for anyone interested in improved system outcomes and their own well-being. This passionate contribution should reignite an overdue post Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) conversation. While addressing the 'truths' of the system, the author offers a handy, comprehensive guide to assist consumers in taking affirmative steps to improve their own health and healthcare outcomes.
— Roderick L. Bremby, former secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment


White House officials argue that healthcare in the United States is very sick. They have created a bloated bureaucracy tasked with addressing its problems. Just in the nick of time, John Leifer's new book, The Myths of Modern Medicine, comes along and identifies not only the foundational myths obscuring the true nature of our health system's illness but a more pragmatic and less expensive solution...dealing with the real issues. Precisely the book we have long needed. Easy to read, hard to take, but just the treatment we needed and just in time!
— Richard Hastings, president and CEO emeritus, Saint Luke's Health System


The Myths of Modern Medicine

The Alarming Truth about American Health Care

Cover Image
eBook
Summary
Summary
  • The American health care system is terminally ill. It is astonishingly expensive, remarkably variable in quality, and incapable of stemming the rising tide of chronic illness in our population. Yet, the majority of Americans believe it is the best system in the world and cling to the belief that, far from ailing, it delivers care superior to those of countries across the globe.

    The system has obliged us by providing an elaborate set of myths and misconceptions about American health care that significantly shape our beliefs. These myths keep us blissfully ignorant about the true quality, safety, and value of the care we receive. This ignorance has a price: it leads us to draw erroneous conclusions about our conditions, fail to properly evaluate potential treatment options, and rarely question our providers’ competency.

    The Myths of Modern Medicine looks at the real issues contributing to the dysfunction of our healthcare system and how these issues affect the care we receive. The book, based upon John Leifer’s 30 years of immersion in the healthcare industry, challenges some of our most commonly held misperceptions about this vitally important industry. Leifer strips away the elaborately constructed myths that conceal the ugly underbelly of healthcare and lays bare the truth about an industry that serves special interest groups far better than it serves its patients.
    A survival guide for anyone entering the healthcare system, this timely work helps consumers better research provider competency; ask the right questions to evaluate potential treatment options; and communicate the information that will help yield the right treatment decisions. Several studies have shown patients today have only about a 50 percent chance of getting the generally accepted best treatment for their conditions. This book helps consumers increase these odds with step-by-step directions on how to interact more productively with their doctors and become true partners in making what may be the most crucial decisions of their lives.
Details
Details
  • Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
    Pages: 304 •
    978-1-4422-2596-1 • eBook • September 2014 • $50.00 • (£38.00)
    Subjects: Health & Fitness / Health Care Issues, Self-Help / General
Author
Author
  • John Leifer worked for more than 30 years with the major factions comprising healthcare delivery in the United States, including some of the nation’s leading hospitals. Most recently, he served as a senior vice president for a 10-hospital system in the Midwest. Leifer founded and published The Leifer Report, a healthcare publication that featured contributors ranging from President Bill Clinton to Newt Gingrich. He has written extensively on healthcare issues and has been published in newspapers and magazines, such as Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & HealthNetworks, Washington Monthly, and The Kansas City Star. Leifer has also been profiled in several prominent magazines, including Money and Fortune.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
  • Introduction
    Myth 1: The United States boasts the best health care in the world.
    Myth 2: Shopping for health care is like shopping for a car: You base your decisions on good information.
    Myth 3: Medical interventions are based upon scientific evidence of positive outcomes regarding best practices. As a result, patients receive precisely the care they need.
    Myth 4: Where one chooses to receive care will have no bearing on their treatment options, outcomes, or cost.
    Myth 5: All physicians are created equal.
    Myth 6: There’s no better place to be when you are ill than the hospital.
    Myth 7: The prescription I was given is safe, proven, and effective.
    Myth 8: I’m just the patient. I’m not part of the problem.
    Myth 9: My insurance company’s first concern is my health.
    Myth 10: When all else fails, at least the system will allow me to die with dignity.
    Epilogue
    Bibliography
Reviews
Reviews
  • Policy makers and industry leaders should read the book for Leifer’s big-picture view of the issues.
    — The Kansas City Star


    Perhaps the greatest merit of . . . [this] book is the hope that they will create meaningful discussions among those less intimately familiar with the health care system, flaws and all. Additionally, the [book] will speak to those caring for an elderly family member. The [book does] serve a valuable purpose. Readers of this journal may want to [give this as a gift] to those less well versed in health care. They explain what must seem an odd reluctance on the part of those more deeply immersed in health care to scrutinize health-related recommendations and to rethink the inclination to seek treatment for every risk or condition.
    — Health Affairs


    In this profoundly important book, John Leifer exposes the underbelly of American medicine—the greed, arrogance, and failures that permeate our health care system at all levels. A must-read for those of us receiving care, as well as those giving it, The Myths of Modern Medicine will open every consumer’s eyes and alert providers that we are on to their less-than-stellar practices. But Leifer does not just expose the problems; he offers viable and realistic solutions including steps consumers can take to protect themselves from shoddy medicine. This is a must-own book for anyone interested in their health care and those who provide it.
    — Charles B. Inlander, consumer health advocate, best-selling author, commentator and founding president of the People’s Medical Society


    John Leifer's book identifies and then destroys comfortable, commonly held beliefs about the effectiveness of the US healthcare system. [It is] a provocative must read for anyone interested in improved system outcomes and their own well-being. This passionate contribution should reignite an overdue post Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) conversation. While addressing the 'truths' of the system, the author offers a handy, comprehensive guide to assist consumers in taking affirmative steps to improve their own health and healthcare outcomes.
    — Roderick L. Bremby, former secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment


    White House officials argue that healthcare in the United States is very sick. They have created a bloated bureaucracy tasked with addressing its problems. Just in the nick of time, John Leifer's new book, The Myths of Modern Medicine, comes along and identifies not only the foundational myths obscuring the true nature of our health system's illness but a more pragmatic and less expensive solution...dealing with the real issues. Precisely the book we have long needed. Easy to read, hard to take, but just the treatment we needed and just in time!
    — Richard Hastings, president and CEO emeritus, Saint Luke's Health System


ALSO AVAILABLE

  • Cover image for the book How Covid Crashed the System: A Guide to Fixing American Health Care
  • Cover image for the book Foot in Mouth Disease: Musings of an Unfiltered Physician
  • Cover image for the book Plagues, Politics, and Policy: A Chronicle of the Indian Health Service, 1955-2008
  • Cover image for the book Hypertension and You: Old Drugs, New Drugs, and the Right Drugs for Your High Blood Pressure
  • Cover image for the book Gender and the Social Construction of Illness, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book The ICU Guide for Families: Understanding Intensive Care and How You Can Support Your Loved One
  • Cover image for the book Avoiding Medical Errors: One Hundred Rules to Help You Survive Mistakes by Doctors and Hospitals
  • Cover image for the book The Slippery Slope of Healthcare: Why Bad Things Happen to Healthy Patients and How to Avoid Them
  • Cover image for the book Privatization and the New Medical Pluralism: Shifting Healthcare Landscapes in Maya Guatemala
  • Cover image for the book Age through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for the Elderly in a Multicultural Society
  • Cover image for the book Military Mental Health Care: A Guide for Service Members, Veterans, Families, and Community
  • Cover image for the book The Truth About Big Medicine: Righting the Wrongs for Better Health Care
  • Cover image for the book Establishing a Healthcare Emergency Response Coalition
  • Cover image for the book Empowering Resilience: Improving Health Care Delivery in War-Impacted African Countries
  • Cover image for the book The Second Sickness: Contradictions of Capitalist Health Care, 2nd edition
  • Cover image for the book Queen of the Professions: The Rise and Decline of Medical Prestige and Power in America
  • Cover image for the book Lives at Risk: Single-Payer National Health Insurance Around the World
  • Cover image for the book The Manner Born: Birth Rites in Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • Cover image for the book Professional Ethics in Health Care Services
  • Cover image for the book Hooked: How Medicine's Dependence on the Pharmaceutical Industry Undermines Professional Ethics
  • Cover image for the book Recent Reforms in the Swedish Health Care System: Implications for the Swedish Welfare State
  • Cover image for the book Health Care Half-Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality
  • Cover image for the book Improving Medical Outcomes: The Psychology of Doctor-Patient Visits
  • Cover image for the book Medicine on the Periphery: Public Health in Yucatán, Mexico, 1870–1960
  • Cover image for the book The Battle Over Health Care: What Obama's Reform Means for America's Future
  • Cover image for the book It's Enough to Make You Sick: The Failure of American Health Care and a Prescription for the Cure
  • Cover image for the book Otherwise Law-Abiding Citizens: A Scientific and Moral Assessment of Cannabis Use
  • Cover image for the book Hard Yakka: Transforming Indigenous Health Policy and Politics
  • Cover image for the book It’s All about Nutrition: Saving the Health of Americans
  • Cover image for the book How Covid Crashed the System: A Guide to Fixing American Health Care
  • Cover image for the book Foot in Mouth Disease: Musings of an Unfiltered Physician
  • Cover image for the book Plagues, Politics, and Policy: A Chronicle of the Indian Health Service, 1955-2008
  • Cover image for the book Hypertension and You: Old Drugs, New Drugs, and the Right Drugs for Your High Blood Pressure
  • Cover image for the book Gender and the Social Construction of Illness, Second Edition
  • Cover image for the book The ICU Guide for Families: Understanding Intensive Care and How You Can Support Your Loved One
  • Cover image for the book Avoiding Medical Errors: One Hundred Rules to Help You Survive Mistakes by Doctors and Hospitals
  • Cover image for the book The Slippery Slope of Healthcare: Why Bad Things Happen to Healthy Patients and How to Avoid Them
  • Cover image for the book Privatization and the New Medical Pluralism: Shifting Healthcare Landscapes in Maya Guatemala
  • Cover image for the book Age through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for the Elderly in a Multicultural Society
  • Cover image for the book Military Mental Health Care: A Guide for Service Members, Veterans, Families, and Community
  • Cover image for the book The Truth About Big Medicine: Righting the Wrongs for Better Health Care
  • Cover image for the book Establishing a Healthcare Emergency Response Coalition
  • Cover image for the book Empowering Resilience: Improving Health Care Delivery in War-Impacted African Countries
  • Cover image for the book The Second Sickness: Contradictions of Capitalist Health Care, 2nd edition
  • Cover image for the book Queen of the Professions: The Rise and Decline of Medical Prestige and Power in America
  • Cover image for the book Lives at Risk: Single-Payer National Health Insurance Around the World
  • Cover image for the book The Manner Born: Birth Rites in Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • Cover image for the book Professional Ethics in Health Care Services
  • Cover image for the book Hooked: How Medicine's Dependence on the Pharmaceutical Industry Undermines Professional Ethics
  • Cover image for the book Recent Reforms in the Swedish Health Care System: Implications for the Swedish Welfare State
  • Cover image for the book Health Care Half-Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality
  • Cover image for the book Improving Medical Outcomes: The Psychology of Doctor-Patient Visits
  • Cover image for the book Medicine on the Periphery: Public Health in Yucatán, Mexico, 1870–1960
  • Cover image for the book The Battle Over Health Care: What Obama's Reform Means for America's Future
  • Cover image for the book It's Enough to Make You Sick: The Failure of American Health Care and a Prescription for the Cure
  • Cover image for the book Otherwise Law-Abiding Citizens: A Scientific and Moral Assessment of Cannabis Use
  • Cover image for the book Hard Yakka: Transforming Indigenous Health Policy and Politics
  • Cover image for the book It’s All about Nutrition: Saving the Health of Americans
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linked in icon NEWSLETTERS
ABOUT US
  • Mission Statement
  • Employment
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Statement
CONTACT
  • Company Directory
  • Publicity and Media Queries
  • Rights and Permissions
  • Textbook Resource Center
AUTHOR RESOURCES
  • Royalty Contact
  • Production Guidelines
  • Manuscript Submissions
ORDERING INFORMATION
  • Rowman & Littlefield
  • National Book Network
  • Ingram Publisher Services UK
  • Special Sales
  • International Sales
  • eBook Partners
  • Digital Catalogs
IMPRINTS
  • Rowman & Littlefield
  • Lexington Books
  • Hamilton Books
  • Applause Books
  • Amadeus Press
  • Backbeat Books
  • Bernan
  • Hal Leonard Books
  • Limelight Editions
  • Co-Publishing Partners
  • Globe Pequot
  • Down East Books
  • Falcon Guides
  • Gooseberry Patch
  • Lyons Press
  • Muddy Boots
  • Pineapple Press
  • TwoDot Books
  • Stackpole Books
PARTNERS
  • American Alliance of Museums
  • American Association for State and Local History
  • Brookings Institution Press
  • Center for Strategic & International Studies
  • Council on Foreign Relations
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
  • Fortress Press
  • The Foundation for Critical Thinking
  • Lehigh University Press
  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
  • Other Partners...