Synopses & Reviews
“Every once in a while a book comes along that rocks the foundations of an established order that's seriously in need of being shaken. The modern American hospital is that establishment and Unaccountable is that book.”—Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated
Dr. Marty Makary is co-developer of the life-saving checklist outlined in Atul Gawande's bestselling The Checklist Manifesto. As a busy surgeon who has worked in many of the best hospitals in the nation, he can testify to the amazing power of modern medicine to cure. But he's also been a witness to a medical culture that routinely leaves surgical sponges inside patients, amputates the wrong limbs, and overdoses children because of sloppy handwriting. Over the last ten years, neither error rates nor costs have come down, despite scientific progress and efforts to curb expenses. Why? To patients, the healthcare system is a black box. Doctors and hospitals are unaccountable, and the lack of transparency leaves both bad doctors and systemic flaws unchecked. Patients need to know more of what healthcare workers know, so they can make informed choices. Accountability in healthcare would expose dangerous doctors, reward good performance, and force positive change nationally, using the power of the free market. Unaccountable is a powerful, no-nonsense, non-partisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken healthcare system.
Review
"A searing insider's look at what really goes on behind the scenes at major hospitals and how implementing simple steps toward transparency can empower patients and dramatically improve the culture and safety of health care…. A galvanizing book full of shocking truths about the current state of health care."—Kirkus Reviews "This thought-provoking guide from a leader in the field is a must-read for M.D.s, and an eye-opener for the rest of us."—Publishers Weekly
Review
A New York Times Bestseller
"A startling revelation of the dysfunction deeply embedded in the very culture of American medical practice, problems that health care reform scarcely begins to address."—Peter Boyer, senior correspondent for Newsweek
"A searing indictment from the inside, arguing that the modern health-care industry, unlike almost every other, doesn't disclose its performance or pricing practices to the public and keeps under wraps information about mistakes and substandard quality.”--Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal
“Makarys diagnosis is dangerous, damaging secrecy; his therapy is radical transparency…. [Makarys] argument is powerful…. [he] makes a strong case that the system we have is a disaster for patients.”--Trine Tsouderos, Chicago Tribune Printers Row
"A very readable, thought-provoking book that will be of interest to health-care consumers, providers, and legislators. The problems pointed out and the solutions suggested deserve to be part of a national discussion."— Richard Maxwell, Porter Adventist Hospital Library, Denver, Library Journal
"Makarys book makes it perfectly clear that data transparency not only allows people to make informed decisions about their health but also nudges hospitals and physicians to be more vigilant and efficient."—Tony Miksanek, Booklist
"You will be a wiser health consumer for reading this book."—Michael E Johns, M.D., Chancellor, Emory University
"This thought-provoking guide from a leader in the field is a must-read for M.D.s, and an eye-opener for the rest of us."—Publishers Weekly
"Unaccountable is a gripping story about whats wrong with the American healthcare system and what we might do to make it better."—Peter Pronovost MD, PhD, Executive Vice-President, Johns Hopkins Hospital
"Every once in a while a book comes along that rocks the foundations of an established order that's seriously in need of being shaken. The modern American hospital is that establishment and Unaccountable is that book."—Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated
"A galvanizing book full of shocking truths about the current state of health care."—Kirkus Reviews
Review
A New York Times Bestseller
"A startling revelation of the dysfunction deeply embedded in the very culture of American medical practice, problems that health care reform scarcely begins to address."—Peter Boyer, senior correspondent for Newsweek
"A searing indictment from the inside, arguing that the modern health-care industry, unlike almost every other, doesn't disclose its performance or pricing practices to the public and keeps under wraps information about mistakes and substandard quality.”--Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal
“Makarys diagnosis is dangerous, damaging secrecy; his therapy is radical transparency…. [Makarys] argument is powerful…. [he] makes a strong case that the system we have is a disaster for patients.”--Trine Tsouderos, Chicago Tribune Printers Row
"A very readable, thought-provoking book that will be of interest to health-care consumers, providers, and legislators. The problems pointed out and the solutions suggested deserve to be part of a national discussion."— Richard Maxwell, Porter Adventist Hospital Library, Denver, Library Journal
"Makarys book makes it perfectly clear that data transparency not only allows people to make informed decisions about their health but also nudges hospitals and physicians to be more vigilant and efficient."—Tony Miksanek, Booklist
"You will be a wiser health consumer for reading this book."—Michael E Johns, M.D., Chancellor, Emory University
"This thought-provoking guide from a leader in the field is a must-read for M.D.s, and an eye-opener for the rest of us."—Publishers Weekly
"Unaccountable is a gripping story about whats wrong with the American healthcare system and what we might do to make it better."—Peter Pronovost MD, PhD, Executive Vice-President, Johns Hopkins Hospital
"Every once in a while a book comes along that rocks the foundations of an established order that's seriously in need of being shaken. The modern American hospital is that establishment and Unaccountable is that book."—Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated
"A galvanizing book full of shocking truths about the current state of health care."—Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Surgeon Ruggieri tutors readers on the economic forces that make the surgical theater tick. Ruggieri is a fine storyteller, which is a good thing, for although he peppers the book with dramatic anecdotes from his practice, his real exploration focuses on the financial side of the medical equation... Top-shelf instruction on the mechanics of the medical economy.”—
Kirkus Reviews
“A vital conversation about money in medicine that we have not had, but desperately need to have. A deeply personal and powerful analysis with sweeping implications for addressing waste in medicine. Dr. Ruggieri challenges why healthcare continues to have an expensive carve-out to the same accountably principles that govern other industries. He offers serious ways to cut waste and increase value by making medicine more patient-centered, more efficient, and more transparent.”—Marty Makary MD, Johns Hopkins surgeon and author of Unaccountable
Praise for Confessions of a Surgeon
“Honest and angry, this cutting memoir by a midcareer surgeon feels like an act of penitence.”—Booklist
“Looks hard at a profession that is changing in ways that Ruggieri does not always find to be positive…[a] look into a corner of medicine we seldom see.”—Providence Journal
Synopsis
Dr. Marty Makary is co-developer of the life-saving checklist outlined in Atul Gawande's bestselling The Checklist Manifesto. As a busy surgeon who has worked in many of the best hospitals in the nation, he can testify to the amazing power of modern medicine to cure. But he's also been a witness to a medical culture that routinely leaves surgical sponges inside patients, amputates the wrong limbs, and overdoses children because of sloppy handwriting. Over the last ten years, neither error rates nor costs have come down, despite scientific progress and efforts to curb expenses. Why?To patients, the healthcare system is a black box. Doctors and hospitals are unaccountable, and the lack of transparency leaves both bad doctors and systemic flaws unchecked. Patients need to know more of what healthcare workers know, so they can make informed choices. Accountability in healthcare would expose dangerous doctors, reward good performance, and force positive change nationally, using the power of the free market. Unaccountable is a powerful, no-nonsense, non-partisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken healthcare system.
Synopsis
A New York Times Bestseller
Synopsis
“Every once in a while a book comes along that rocks the foundations of an established order that's seriously in need of being shaken. The modern American hospital is that establishment and Unaccountable is that book.”—Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated Dr. Marty Makary is co-developer of the life-saving checklist outlined in Atul Gawande's bestselling The Checklist Manifesto. As a busy surgeon who has worked in many of the best hospitals in the nation, he can testify to the amazing power of modern medicine to cure. But he's also been a witness to a medical culture that routinely leaves surgical sponges inside patients, amputates the wrong limbs, and overdoses children because of sloppy handwriting. Over the last ten years, neither error rates nor costs have come down, despite scientific progress and efforts to curb expenses. Why? To patients, the healthcare system is a black box. Doctors and hospitals are unaccountable, and the lack of transparency leaves both bad doctors and systemic flaws unchecked. Patients need to know more of what healthcare workers know, so they can make informed choices. Accountability in healthcare would expose dangerous doctors, reward good performance, and force positive change nationally, using the power of the free market. Unaccountable is a powerful, no-nonsense, non-partisan diagnosis for healing our hospitals and reforming our broken healthcare system.
Synopsis
A New York Times Bestseller
Synopsis
Why is surgery so expensive?
Surgeon Paul A. Ruggieri reveals little-known truths about his professionand the hidden flaws of our healthcare systemin this compelling and troubling account of real patients, real doctors, and how money influences medical decisions behind the scenes. Even many well-informed patients have no idea what may be contributing to the cost of their surgery. With up-to-date research and stories from his practice, Ruggieri shows how business arrangements among hospitals, insurance companies, and surgeons affect who gets treatmentand whether they get the right treatment. Pulling back the curtain from the hospital bed, he explains how to safeguard ones own health (and finances), and how America can make surgery more affordable for all without sacrificing quality care.
About the Author
Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. is a surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a professor of Health Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He is a regular medical commentator for CNN and FOX News, and appears weekly on a wide variety of programs to discuss health topics. He is a leading patient-safety researcher and led the World Health Organization effort to develop ways to measure healthcare quality. He tweets @DrMartyMD. He lives in the Baltimore/DC area.