PART 1 | OVERWHELMED BY CHOICES
Awash in Information, Patients Face a Lonely, Uncertain Road
By JAN HOFFMAN
The modern patient copes with the blessing and burden of receiving a superabundance of information, often several treatment options and the right to choose among them.
• Patients Turn to Support Groups and E-Mail
PART 2 | A LOSS OF DIGNITY
In the Hospital, a Degrading Shift From Person to Patient
By BENEDICT CAREY
Within the medical system, the small courtesies of life are often neglected precisely when they are needed most.
PART 3 | ENDLESS DELAYS
Sick and Scared, and Waiting, Waiting, Waiting
By GINA KOLATA
Waiting has long been part of medicine, but health care researchers say the problem has only gotten worse.
• Health Minutes Video: Gina Kolata on Endless Delays
PART 4 | SICK AND ALONE
Alone in Illness, Seeking Steady Arm to Lean On
By JANE GROSS
People who live alone can end up being their own quarterbacks at a particularly vulnerable time.
• Where to Get Help in Planning for Illness
PART 5 | THE PAPER MAZE
Treated for Illness, Then Lost in Labyrinth of Bills
By KATIE HAFNER
Millions of Americans find themselves devoting enormous amounts of time and energy to sorting out their medical bills.
• Helping Patients Decode the Bill | Graphic
PART 6 | THE MONEY TRAP
When Health Insurance Is Not a Safeguard
By JOHN LELAND
Many families, even ones with insurance, do not realize how vulnerable they are to high medical costs until the bills arrive.
• When Illness Packs a Financial Punch
PART 7 | GOING FIRST CLASS
For a Retainer, Lavish Care by 'Boutique Doctors'
By ABIGAIL ZUGER
A new breed of "concierge" doctors are lavishing time and attention on patients in exchange for a yearly cash retainer.
PART 8 | THE AMATEUR PHARMACISTS
Young, Assured and Playing Pharmacist to Friends
By AMY HARMON
Confident of their abilities and skeptical of psychiatrists, a sizable group of people are deciding on their own what drugs to take.
• Finding Information Online From Peers and Professionals
PART 9 | DIFFICULT DOCTORS
When the Doctor Is in, but You Wish He Weren't
By GINA KOLATA
In an era where doctors are spending less time with each patient, some physicians are blatantly ignoring their requests.
• Readers Respond
PART 10 | ILL AND AT WORK
When a Worker's Health Crisis Deteriorates Into a Job Crisis
By LISA BELKIN
How an employee is treated after becoming a patient is determined by things like workplace culture and the boss's sensitivity.
PART 11 | THE ETHICS OF HOPE
Doctors' Delicate Balance of Keeping Hope Alive
By JAN HOFFMAN
Efforts are being made across the medical community to grapple with the language and ethics of hope.
PART 12 | OPTING OUT
When Trust in Doctors Erodes, Other Treatments Fill the Void
By BENEDICT CAREY
In ways large and small, millions of people are taking active steps to venture outside the mainstream of traditional health care.
PART 13 | SICK IN A STRANGE LAND
Recourse Grows Slim for Immigrants Who Fall Ill
By NINA BERNSTEIN
In the last decade, more and more immigrants are delaying care or retreating to bootleg drugs and unlicensed practitioners.
PART 14 | BEYOND FRUIT COCKTAIL
For Hospital Menus, Overdue Surgery
By KIM SEVERSON
When you're sick, you want tasty, comfort food. But only recently have hospitals, driven by patients' complaints, started to provide it.
