Navigating the Medical Maze

Now you can! Dr. Brown examines contemporary principles of health practice, how to recognize a doctor's professional bias, the emotional impact of illness on the patient, alternative treatments, and much more.

Navigating the Medical Maze is built around practical advice. But in each chapter, Dr. Brown includes a shaded text box labeled A Christian Perspective. These text boxes explain the relationship between a Christian worldview and the medical issues contained in the chapter. One of Dr. Brown's motivations in providing this information was to help Christians to be more discerning.

Consumers are bombarded with competing health-care suggestions. Too often, decisions are made from emotions, peer pressure, or marketing, rather than through careful investigation. Steven L. Brown guides readers through issues impacting medical choices, weaving a Christian worldview throughout his approach.

Beginning with the positive and negative attributes of medical doctors, Brown examines principles of practice and the effect bias can have on a physician's recommendations. The author also gives readers tools to navigate the world of alternative medicine and work through the emotional impact of illness. A section of frequently asked questions rounds out an insider's view of some of the critical health-care issues of our time.

About the Author: Steven L. Brown (MD, PhD, Columbia University) is clinical associate professor of internal medicine at Texas Tech University and a cardiologist in private practice in Midland, Texas. He has written numerous articles for medical and research journals, has been a presenter at continuing medical education programs for health professionals, and frequently speaks to the public on health issues in seminars, television interviews, and church settings.

Dr. Steven L. Brown's web site says, "As a practicing physician, I see the harm caused by misinformation. I see people who have had unnecessary tests and even surgeries done by unscrupulous doctors. I see people hurt by misinformation about "miracle cures without surgery." Even more insidious is the self-deception that allows us to tell ourselves that our health habits are "not all that bad." If you are over the age of 12, I suspect that you have already thought of someone you know and love who has suffered from deceptions like these. My desire to help people discern reality in medicine led to my book Navigating the Medical Maze. This book gives readers the tools they need to get the best possible healthcare for themselves and their families. It demonstrates how to recognize good and bad doctors. It illustrates the principles that allow us to distinguish between fact and fiction on the internet. It teaches us how to deal with illness in a way that keeps our minds in touch with reality even when our emotions are in turmoil. It does all of this using stories that keep the book both entertaining and easy to understand.

REVIEWS
"Navigating the Medical Maze" addresses many important health care issues that I discuss with my patients every day. It’s conversational and accessible, and yet provides an impressive amount of information and perspective in a compact volume. Dr. Brown weaves a number of compelling stories into his chapters, and also seasons them with spiritual content that is both forthright and insightful. The last three chapters, which deal with some very common and emotional concerns about health and illness, are alone worth the price of the book, which I will encourage my patients to buy—and read. —Dr. Paul C. Reisser, author of the "Focus on the Family Complete Guide to Family Health, Nutrition, and Fitness"
From finding the doctor you need, to picking a medicine that works, to staying healthy, Dr. Brown provides the information you need to maneuver through the medical maze. Full of poignant stories and practical wisdom, this is a map everyone needs to read! -—Dr. David Stevens, CEO of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Thrown into the Medical Maze--9
The Doctor
Steering Clear of Bad Doctors--21
How to Recognize the Best Doctors--31
Support Your Local Doctor--55
The Principles
How Do We Know If a Treatment Works?--71
Does Bias Affect Everyone, Even My Doctors and Me?--95
Avoiding the Traps That Bias Sets for You--107
Alternative Medicine
Is Alternative Medicine Better Than Conventional Medicine?--137
Dying of Natural Causes: Alternative Medicines Aren't Dangerous, Are They?--151
How Can I Tell If the Evidence Is Any Good?--171
What about Other Claims Made by Some Alternative Practitioners?--197
The Patient
How Can I Deal with My Illness?--217
Frequently Asked Questions--235
How Can I Live a Healthy Life?--249

By: Steven L. Brown, Paperback, Brazos Press, 240 pages