Killer Cure

In this call for change, Bewley advocates converting the health care system from one that venerates doctors as infallible sources of knowledge to one in which patients are legitimate partners in recovery. She outlines numerous changes doctors can make to improve patient care, from truly listening to patients who have nonstandard symptoms to considering drug choices more carefully and promptly returning phone calls. With a genuine commitment to improving health care, Bewley, who includes useful statistics, references, and a guide for further reading, also offers excellent suggestions to patients: keep your own health records, ask questions, don't revere your doctor. In this well-written if slightly repetitive polemic, the task of reforming the health care system falls primarily to medical professionals, which may be problematic, as doctors will be far less inclined to read Bewley's book. As Bewley points out, health care reform isn't just about controlling costs, it's also about improving overall care.