Recommended Reading
There are many excellent patient education and empowerment books currently available. These are some of our favorites and we will be expanding and updating this list regularly. Again, we ask your help by alerting us to books that you have found particularly helpful.
We have divided the books into specific categories to make your search more efficient. Many of the books listed were written and published by individuals from our advocate list and are invaluable resources for the public.
Jump to selected topic:
PATIENT SAFETY
The Empowered Patient: Hundreds of Life-Saving Facts, Action Steps and Strategies You Need to Know
by Dr. Julia A. Hallisy (Paperback – Nov 26, 2007)
After the Error: Speaking Out About Patient Safety to Save LivesSusan McIver PhD & Robin Wyndham RN
The Life You Save: Nine Steps to Finding the Best Medical Care-and Avoiding the Worst
Patrick Malone
You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes- How to Fix Them to Get the Healthcare You Deserve
Trisha Torrey
Fatal Care: Survive in the U.S. Health System
Understanding Patient Safety (LANGE Clinical Medicine)
(LANGE Clinical Medicine) by Robert Wachter (Paperback – Oct 5, 2007)
INTERNAL BLEEDING: The Truth Behind America’s Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes
by Robert M. Wachter and Kaveh Shojania (Hardcover – May 10, 2005)
To Do No Harm: Ensuring Patient Safety in Health Care Organizations (J-B AHA Press)
(J-B AHA Press) by Julianne M. Morath RN MS, Joanne E. Turnbull PHD, and Lucian L. Leape (Hardcover – Dec 29, 2004)
Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
by Committee on Quality of Health Care in America and Institute of Medicine (Hardcover – Jul 18, 2001)
Cautious Care: A Guide For Patients: When You Know More Insider Info, You’ll Get Better Care
by Carolyn Oliver M.D. (Paperback – Dec 9, 2008)
The Essential Patient Handbook: Getting the Health Care You Need – From Doctors Who Know
by M.D. Alan B. Ettinger and M.D. Deborah M. Weisbort (Paperback – Aug 10, 2004)
Protect Yourself in the Hospital: Insider Tips for Avoiding Hospital Mistakes for Yourself or Someone You Love
by Thomas A. Sharon (Paperback – Sep 17, 2003)
The Savvy Patient’s Tool Kit: Your Comprehensive Guide to Better Health Care
HEALTHCARE REFORM
Who Killed Health Care?: America’s $2 Trillion Medical Problem – and the Consumer-Driven Cure
by Regina Herzlinger (Hardcover – Jun 1, 2007)
A Second Opinion: Rescuing America’s Health Care
Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis
by Tom Daschle, Jeanne M. Lambrew, and Scott S. Greenberger (Paperback – Aug 18, 2009)
Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes that Kill and Injure Millions of Americans
by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh (Hardcover – May 2003)
INTERNAL BLEEDING: The Truth Behind America’s Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakesby Robert M. Wachter and Kaveh Shojania (Hardcover – May 10, 2005)
To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System
by Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine, Linda T. Kohn, and Janet M. Corrigan (Hardcover – April 15, 2000)
The Best Practice: How the New Quality Movement is Transforming Medicine
by Charles Kenney (Hardcover – Jul 21, 2008) – Bargain Price
Sick: The Untold Story of America’s Health Care Crisis—and the People Who Pay the Price
by Jonathan Cohn (Paperback – May 6, 2008)
Curing Health Care: New Strategies for Quality Improvement
by Donald M. Berwick, A. Blanton Godfrey, and Jane Roessner (Paperback – Oct 15, 2002)
Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much
by Maggie Mahar (Hardcover – May 9, 2006)
First Do No Harm: The Cure for Medical Malpractice
Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America
by Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Victor Fuchs (Paperback – May 26, 2008)
Market-driven Health Care: Who Wins, Who Loses In The Transformation Of America’s Largest Service Industry
by Regina Herzlinger (Paperback – April 30, 1999)
If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently
Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results
by Michael E. Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg (Hardcover – May 25, 2006)
Health Care Meltdown: Confronting The Myths and Fixing Our Failing System
by Robert H. LeBow and C. Rocky White (Paperback – Jul 10, 2007)
America’s Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone
by J. Patrick Rooney and Dan Perrin (Hardcover – May 2, 2008)
The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care
Health Care Reform Now!: A Prescription for Change
by George C. Halvorson (Hardcover – Aug 17, 2007)
Crisis of Abundance: Rethinking How We Pay for Health Care
by Arnold Kling (Paperback – May 25, 2008)
Accountability: Patient Safety and Policy Reform (Hastings Center Studies in Ethics)
(Hastings Center Studies in Ethics) by Virginia A. Sharpe (Hardcover – Sep 7, 2004)
Secrets Revealed By A Medical Collector, The Patient’s Guide to Avoiding Bankruptcy
by Barbara Gail Kimberlin-Murphy (Paperback – Dec 11, 2008)
The Treatment Trap: How the Overuse of Medical Care Is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It
by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh
Demanding Medical Excellence: Doctors and Accountability in the Information Age
by Michael Millenson
MEDICAL ERRORS/INFECTIONS
The Life You Save: Nine Steps to Finding the Best Medical Care-and Avoiding the WorstPatrick Malone
Medical Errors and Medical Narcissism
Medical Error: What Do We Know What Do We Do (Michigan Forum on Health Policy)
(Michigan Forum on Health Policy) by Marilynn M Rosenthal and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe (Hardcover – Jul 1, 2002)
After Harm: Medical Error and the Ethics of Forgiveness
by Nancy Berlinger (Paperback – Sep 13, 2007)
First, Do No Harm
The Patient’s Guide to Preventing Medical Errors
by Karin Janine Berntsen (Hardcover – Oct 30, 2004)
Wrongful Death: A Memoir (Norton Paperback)
(Norton Paperback) by Sandra M. Gilbert (Paperback – Mar 1, 1997)
Silent Medical Errors: How to Keep You and Your Family Safe in the Healthcare System
by Kathleen Motacki (Paperback – Oct 20, 2008)
Nothing About Me Without Me: A Practical Guide forAvoiding Medical Errors
by M.D. and Linda Richards, R.N., M.B.A. Melinda Ashton (Paperback – Jul 6, 2006)
Navigating the Healthcare Maze: What You Need to Know
Medication Errors
The Patient’s Guide to the Complete Medical Examination and the Prevention of Medical Errors
by Sheldon Cohen (Paperback – Mar 28, 2007)
Patient Power: How to Protect Yourself from Medical Error
by Richard N. Podell and William Proctor (Paperback – Jul 16, 1996)
Taking a Stand
Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes that Kill and Injure Millions of AmericansBy Rosemary Gibson
Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe
PATIENT EMPOWERMENT
The Empowered Patient: Hundreds of Life-Saving Facts, Action Steps and Strategies You Need to Knowby Dr. Julia A. Hallisy (Paperback – Nov 26, 2007)
You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes- How to Fix Them to Get the Healthcare You DeserveTrisha Torrey
How to Survive Your Doctor’s Care
You: The Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment (Paperback) (Large Print)
by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (Paperback – Feb 10, 2006)
I Need an Operation…Now What? A Patient’s Guide to a Safe and Successful Outcome
by Thomas R., M.D. Russell, and Thomson Healthcare/American College of Surgeons (Paperback – Jan 1, 2008)
The Life You Save: Nine Steps to Finding the Best Medical Care-and Avoiding the Worst
by Patrick Malone (Paperback – Jul 6, 2009)
Hospital Stay Handbook: A Guide to Becoming a Patient Advocate for Your Loved Ones
by Jari Holland Buck (Paperback – Nov 1, 2007)
How to Get Out of the Hospital Alive: A Guide to Patient Power
by Sheldon P. Blau and Elaine Fantle Shimberg (Paperback – Jul 2, 1998)
Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer
by Shannon Brownlee (Paperback – Sep 2, 2008)
3 (Three) Secrets Hospitals Don’t Want You to Know: How to Empower Patients
by Dr. Mark E Meaney (Paperback – April 1, 2007)
Second Opinions: Eight Clinical Dramas of Decision Making on the Front Lines of Medicine
by Jerome Groopman (Paperback – Feb 27, 2001)
How to Survive Your Hospital Stay: The Complete Guide to Getting the Care You Need–And Avoiding Problems You Don’t (Lynn Sonberg Books)
(Lynn Sonberg Books) by Gail Van Kanegan and Michael Boyette (Paperback – Jan 15, 2002)
Sick Girl Speaks!: Lessons and Ponderings Along the Road to Acceptance
by Tiffany Christensen (Paperback – Oct 4, 2007)
The Savvy Patient: How to Get the Best Health Care (Capital Cares)
(Capital Cares) by Mark Pettus (Paperback – Oct 2004)
AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You–Or Someone You Love–a Devastating Diagnosis
by Jessie Gruman (Paperback – Jan 23, 2007)
Working with Your Doctor: Getting the Healthcare You Deserve (Patient-Centered Guides)
(Patient-Centered Guides) by Nancy Keene (Paperback – Jul 29, 1998)
Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life
by Nancy L. Snyderman M.D. (Paperback – Feb 24, 2009)
What You Don’t Know Can Kill You: A Physician’s Radical Guide to Conquering the Obstacles to Excellent Medical Care
by Laura W. Nathanson (Paperback – May 8, 2007
A Sea of Broken Hearts: Patient Rights in a Dangerous, Profit-Driven Health Care System
by John James Ph.D (Paperback – Jul 12, 2007)
108 Days
A Promise Fulfilled: One Couple’s Journey Through Misdiagnosis, Breast Cancer and Advocacy
by William C Thiel (Paperback – April 15, 2007)
Navigating the Healthcare Maze: What You Need to Know
What’s Wrong with Me? The Frustrated Patient’s Guide to Getting an Accurate Diagnosis
by Lynn M. Dannheisser and Jerry M. Rosenbaum (Paperback – Mar 3, 2005)
Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America’s Healthcare System
by Davis Liu and M.D. (Hardcover – Dec 29, 2007)
Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe
PHARMACEUTICALS
Death by Prescription: A Father Takes on His Daughter’s Killer – the Multi-Billion Dollar Pharmaceutical Companies
the Multi-Billion Dollar Pharmaceutical Companies by Terence Young (Hardcover – Mar 28, 2009)
Selling Sickness: How the World’s Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients
by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels (Paperback – Jun 22, 2006)
The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It
by Marcia Angell (Paperback – Aug 9, 2005)
Drugs: From Discovery to Approval
Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs
by Melody Petersen (Paperback – Mar 3, 2009)
Inside the FDA: The Business and Politics Behind the Drugs We Take and the Food We Eat
by Fran Hawthorne (Hardcover – Feb 25, 2005)
What the Drug Companies Won’t Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn’t Know: The Alternative Treatments That May Change Your Life–and the Prescriptions That Could Harm You
by Michael T. Murray (Hardcover – Jun 30, 2009)
COMMUNICATION
Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About MeThe Life You Save: Nine Steps to Finding the Best Medical Care-and Avoiding the WorstPatrick Malone
Top 5 Questions to ask Your Doctor: Important questions your doctor wants you to ask about your medical conditionJames Sutton RPA-C, Sagar Nigwekar MD
Sorry Works!: Disclosure, Apology, and Relationships Prevent Medical Malpractice Claims
by Doug Wojciezac
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for talking about broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior
by Kerry Patterson
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know
What to Ask the Doc: The Questions to Ask to Get the Answers You Need
How to Talk to Your Doctor: Getting the Answers and Care You Need (The Best Half of Life)
by Patricia Agnew
Impact of Communication in the Healthcare Field:: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals
by Carol J. Taylor, et al.
MEDICAL PROFESSION
Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance
Incidental Findings: Lessons from My Patients in the Art of Medicine
Bedside Manners: One Doctor’s Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and Healer
by David Watts, MD
How Doctors Think
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science
The House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital
Intern: A Doctor’s Initiation
When Doctors Become Patients
Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality (Vintage)
END-OF-LIFE
How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter
Notes from the Waiting Room: Managing a Loved One’s End-of-Life-Hospitalization (includes Choosing End-of-Life Care Without Hospitalization)
by Bart Windrum
