Becker’s Hospital Review recently reported there are eight steps patients can take on their own that can lead to better care and outcomes. Becker’s culled the steps from Laura Landro’s “The Informed Patient” column for The Wall Street Journal. Steps include:
1. Do your own research on your condition
2. Express healthy skepticism about your diagnosis because diagnostic errors are common
3. Tell your doctor everything, including things like recreational drug use and use of herbal supplements
4. Get recommended treatments and screenings
5. Ask for the test results because they sometimes get lost in the shuffle
6. Do not be afraid to ask about medications or if a clinician has washed their hands
7. Follow instructions for prescriptions and home care
8. Keep track of your own medical records
Access the Becker’s Hospital Review
As a Medicare consumer, family member and/or caregiver, we invite you to visit our Web site for information to improve or maintain your health. We are building a collection of resources on a variety of health topics.
We aspire to make healthcare in our region the best in the nation. To do so, we need your help! We want to assist you in becoming more confident about making healthcare decisions and participating more fully in your healthcare. In addition, it is extremely important to have the consumer ‘voice’ as we are making decisions about care given. We are hosting the Great Plains Learning and Action Network as a way to share information, learn from one another and offer education and resources. We invite you to join our Learning and Action Network today to learn more and get involved.