Becoming an Empowered Patient in 2010

Empowering yourself to make your own conscious health decisions with your doctor and to fight for your life-that's what it's all about! Becoming an empowered patient is the number one best New Year's resolution that patients can make this year. Patient empowerment can be the difference between proper diagnosis and wrongful diagnosis-life and death!

Empowered Patient Tip #1: Skepticism

Many of us can't stand a skeptic-but it pays to be skeptical when it comes to your health. Don't just take one decision from a doctor as the sole (and correct) decision. Be skeptical, ask questions, and seek a second opinion. If your doctor recommends a new treatment, research it and learn all that you can before making a decision. Health decisions are not to be taken lightly and being skeptical about your health is the first step to becoming an empowered patient.

Empowered Patient Tip #2: Understand Your Treatment

Understanding your treatment and the role that you are to play in proper treatment can make a huge difference in the outcome of your health following treatment. If you are starting a new treatment plan, ask your doctor if you can record his instructions about treatment so that you have a hard copy to listen to again in case you have forgotten anything from your appointment. Write down instructions as your doctor delineates them so that you can be sure you are following your treatment plan-110%!

Empowered Patient Tip #3: Rules of Engagement via the Internet

The internet is a vast resource of information that can help you take responsibility for your health care but it is not to be taken lightly. You can learn a lot of important facts on the web but it's up to you to use the facts to your health advantage and not use them improperly. Remember the research rule of thumb-do not believe anything you find on the internet unless it can be found on a high authority site (such as .edu sites) and you find it on at least 3 different high authority sites. Then and only then can you begin to consider truth behind the content.

Do not use the internet as a means of self diagnosis. The internet is a tool that, when used properly, can be helpful in making informed decisions about your health. It should not be used as a first opinion! Your doctor should provide you with a first opinion and a second doctor can provide a second opinion. Then and only then you should begin to research the findings on the internet.

Empowered Patient Tip #4: Get a Patient Advocate

They're free! And they are a great help in understanding the treatment possibilities, outcomes and ways to cope with your health problems because in most cases they have experienced similar situations. Your patient advocate may be from a government source, a non-profit sector or an individual that is educated and experienced in patient care. In the beginning phases of diagnosis and treatment, you may choose a loved one to act as an advocate for your health care. Together, the two of you can learn more, think more and take greater responsibility for your health!