The Indiana book launch for Sick of Doctors Then Do Something About It: A Prescription for Patient Empowerment took place the same day President Barack Obama signed into law sweeping legislative changes to America’s health care system in a ceremony at the White House on March 23. Those attending our health care forum noted that the country needs to continue to discuss health care reform no matter what side of the political spectrum we stand. But even more importantly, no matter what happens with health care legislation, we discussed how we must responsible advocates for our own health.
My main mission with the health care conversations I’m conducting is for all of us to have the tools to care for ourselves and our families better and for us to be as healthy as we can be. We owe that to ourselves and to our loved ones.
Communication is at the heart of good medicine. That seems like common sense, but it’s not. Many people are intimidated by their physicians and don’t always understand the information they are given.
At our forum, Dr. Richard Feldman and Dr. Howard Harris agreed it’s as much of the patients’ responsibility to ensure good communication as it is the physician’s. They are absolutely right.
To do that, we first must spend as much time looking for a physician as we spend looking for the right car. We have to understand that a good primary care physician is our best asset, and we must be able to talk to that person. Both physicians noted that regrettably, in our changing healthcare system, physicians don’t have the time they once did to spend with patients. They suggested that patients be prepared with the information they want to discuss about their health when they come into the doctor’s office. They also must be focused and make sure they stay on topic and not overwhelm their doctor will too much information.
Remember that the physician patient relationship is a relationship that goes two ways. Let’s hold up our end of the relationship by being responsible health care advocates to ourselves.