If you’ve ever gone on a trip, even if it was just to grandma’s house for the weekend, you’ve probably wondered about what you should pack in your bag. What’s the weather going to be like? Do I need my raincoat? Should I pack my black shoes or my brown shoes? Did I pack my toothbrush? Preparing for a trip can take hours, sometimes days to make sure you have everything you need.
Doctors and patients need to work together for quality care.
Now, apply this preparation to a doctor’s visit. When was the last time you were at the doctor? Did you spend as much time preparing for your appointment as you did getting ready for your trip? Unfortunately, many people would answer no. Most people forget to or don’t know that they should spend time getting ready for a doctor’s appointment. By taking time to prepare yourself, you are taking the first step in what is called creating “quality health care.”
Quality health care is ensuring that a patient (you) gets the best health care possible for his or her needs by: getting care that is safe and that works, being able to talk to your doctor, asking questions, receiving the proper treatment and medicines, and understanding your condition.
According to Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q), a national initiative dedicated to improving the health care system for everyone, regardless of gender, disability, race, income level, education level, or social status should receive equal care.
So, as a patient, what can you do? Become what AF4Q considers an “engaged patient” by doing the items listed below.
- Before you see the doctor, do your research. Make sure your doctor is in a practice that is best for you and that is best for handling your condition.
- Seek care when you need it by going to the doctor when you are first showing signs of an illness. Delaying seeing the doctor can make the illness more severe and harder to treat.
- Make sure your doctor knows that you want to be included in the decision making process about your condition. The doctor knows what’s best for you medically, but you know what is best for you and your lifestyle.
- Remember that honesty is always the best policy. Be honest with your doctor because you want the doctor to be honest with you.
- Make sure you understand what the doctor told you. If you don’t understand what he or she said, ask the doctor to explain it in plain language, or in written instructions.
- Don’t be afraid or intimidated to ask questions or voice concerns about medicines or any issues. By opening a line of communication with your doctor, you are letting him or her know that you are also interested in improving your health care. Some questions that AF4Q suggest patients ask their doctors are:
- What are the side effects of this medication?
- How confident are you that this will help?
- When can I expect to see a change while taking this medicine?
- What can I do to manage my condition?
By preparing for appointments, discussing your condition, and becoming an “engaged patient,” improved quality health care could be just around the corner.
For more information on this topic or to find resources and fillable tip sheets, visit forces4quality.org.
This is one of the many ways to ensure you’re healthy. Find other resources and opportunities to improve your health and lifestyle by calling Living Well With A Disability’s™ hotline at 1-877-865-4893.