At PHM, we regard patient confidentiality as sacrosanct. Yet the impact of excellence on health care is best demonstrated through case examples. The examples below are based on actual PHM patient experiences, with name, gender, and other identifying information altered in each case to protect patient confidentiality.
Health Monitoring
A rising PSA and two episodes of losing consciousness is reason for concern in any 66-year-old man, but Tom had an additional issue with which to grapple: he had been spending most of his time in Europe and wanted to be treated by US-based physicians. Moving back to the US would have significantly impaired his lifestyle, so that was the option of last resort.
The PHM physician team stepped in and took charge immediately. They collected his medical records, reviewed his entire clinical profile and health history, and presented Tom with a comprehensive plan to manage his care. All follow-up evaluations and exams with world-class specialists were arranged and coordinated by the PHM team; they discussed the details of the case with the specialists before and after each visit, and collectively determined the next steps.
Fortunately, the team concluded that Tom's rising PSA and fainting episodes required additional evaluation but not immediate intervention. He spent a few days at one of his homes in the United States, during which all of the needed follow up testing was conducted.
He has since returned to Europe and stays in regular contact with his PHM physician who monitors his health and makes periodic refinements to his care plan. Because of the strong PHM support system, Tom is confident that the best medical care available is just a phone call away.
Coordinating Care
Sixty-two year old Katherine had been treated by top specialists for her Parkinson’s disease and diabetes for many years, yet she continued to develop complications. Her family was unable to resolve conflicting advice from the different specialists about how best to manage her multiple conditions and were concerned that none of the specialists had all of the information they needed as there was no centralized resource to help coordinate her care.
The PHM physician team took a step back and assessed her case as a whole. Maximizing effects from the Parkinson’s drugs requires careful controlling over the timing and dosages delivered, yet Katherine was living alone and had only a visiting nurse to provide home-based care. After being provided with proper training and education by the PHM team about the importance of keeping to dosing schedules, the nurse was able to deliver the level of care Katherine required. Within a short time, Katherine was sleeping through the night, her Parkinson’s symptoms were better controlled, and her diabetes stabilized.
The team then went on to confer with each of her specialists about discontinuing some of her medications so as to maximize benefit from the ones needed most. After PHM got Katherine’s neurologist and endocrinologist to talk with each other more frequently, they were better equipped to understand the other’s concerns and to optimize plans for her care.
Katherine now has the energy to go out each day and enjoy her time with family and friends. With the PHM team behind her every step of the way, Katherine’s health – and her quality of life – have improved dramatically.
Immediate Intervention
As a health-conscious 54-year-old woman, Helene stayed at the top of her game in managing her high cholesterol with the help of her local physician and participated in an executive health program that provided an intensive battery of diagnostic tests on an annual basis.
During one of these exams, a colonoscopy identified a suspicious growth suggestive of colon cancer. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis, and Helene had a small tumor successfully removed. However, a follow up CT scan of her chest revealed lung cancer – a new diagnosis apparently unrelated to the colon cancer.
Helene was one of the rare few who had been diagnosed with two distinct cancers within a short period of time, and found it increasingly difficult to figure out how to proceed. For each type of cancer, the specialist had his or her own opinion, leaving Helene lost in a world of conflicting recommendations. The executive physical program was not equipped to provide the ongoing coordination and follow-up that her dual diagnoses required. Thus, she was unable to get the different specialists to work collaboratively to develop a cohesive plan.
Within days of contacting PHM, the team had collected and exhaustively reviewed Helene’s medical records, conducted research on the latest findings in the medical literature and offered a detailed and integrated diagnostic and treatment plan. New scans were obtained and interpreted with specific relevance to her unique clinical situation. The PHM team drew upon its established relationships with world-class specialists to schedule appointments for Helene with two leading specialists in one day. By the end the day, the path was set and the road ahead was clear.
The PHM team discussed a wide variety of treatment options with Helene, including conventional treatments, state-of-the-art research protocols, and even alternative medicine options, and together, they set upon the appropriate course of action. With her PHM physician acting as central coordinator, Helene has established an effective partnership among all of her doctors and is confident that her treatment plan will provide the best possible outcome.