To get the best care and the best outcome, play an active role in your health care.

Many people think that being a patient isn’t about doing. It’s more about being done to: being poked and prodded, receiving a diagnosis and prescription, waiting to get better.

It’s true that only a doctor can do many of the things necessary to make you well. But for the best health care results, you need to take an active role as a patient.

Managing your health or your family’s health can seem like a second job, especially when chronic illness is involved. So here’s a job description to guide you.

“A Team Player”
To get the health care you want and need, have a top-notch health care team that includes your physician, your pharmacist, and others. Then work with them as an active partner.

The key to your team is “the best primary care physician you can find,” write Kevin J. Soden, M.D., and Christine Dumas, D.D.S., in their book Special Treatment: How to Get the Same High-Quality Health Care Your Doctor Gets. They compare the primary care physician (PCP) to a head chef overseeing the kitchen staff in a fine restaurant. This central team member coordinates all aspects of your care and helps you avoid errors and unnecessary treatments.

How can you put together a winning team?

• To find a good PCP, contact a local hospital and ask for a referral list of available physicians, Drs. Soden and Dumas suggest. Then ask the person you talk to, “Where do you go for your own medical care, and why?” Hospital employees often have inside knowledge about local doctors.
• Check the Web to learn if the doctors high on your list are licensed in your state, board certified, or have had disciplinary actions against them. Try sites such as www.docboard.org or www.healthgrades.com.
• Once you’ve picked a doctor, try to nurture a good relationship with the office manager and head nurse at the doctor’s office.
• Choose a single pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions. This ensures the pharmacist knows you and your health needs better, reducing the risk for medication errors. Your pharmacist is also a good source of advice about medications, supplements, even managing chronic health conditions.

“Proactive, Not Reactive”
An important role of the patient is to practice prevention, not wait until illness or injury strikes to start investing in health. Among the keys:

• Take up a program of regular physical activity and healthy eating.
• Get recommended health screenings.
• Call your doctor’s office to find out test results. Don’t wait for the office to call you.

“Shows Good Judgment During a Crisis”
It’s 4 a.m. You have chest discomfort and trouble breathing. Should you call for an ambulance—or wait until you feel better and go back to sleep? These are possible symptoms of a heart attack, and the decision you make could change your life.

If you suspect you might be having a heart attack or stroke, don’t wait more than five minutes to call 911 or your emergency response number.

Several potentially serious problems and symptoms call for immediate transport by ambulance. They include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness for any reason, severe abdominal pain, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side), vomiting blood, and a sudden, severe headache with no clear cause.

In the emergency room, speak up about symptoms like these. This is no time to be stoic or shy, Mark C. Pettus, M.D., writes in The Savvy Patient. The doctors and nurses have to understand what’s going on with you.

“Communicates Clearly and Openly”
Your doctor can’t recognize all your symptoms and concerns just by feeling your pulse. It’s your job as a patient to be open about your expectations and needs. Here are some tips:

• Before the visit, write down your health concerns in order of their importance to you. Bring up the most important ones first with your doctor. Don’t hesitate to mention any sign or symptom that troubles you. Your doctor needs this information to make an accurate diagnosis.
• Ask the doctor to explain anything you don’t fully understand.
• Repeat back to your doctor all advice and instructions. This will help you remember what’s said and will let your doctor know if you need more explanation.

“An Informed Decision-Maker”
Any health care issue is likely to present you with several treatment options. For the best results:

• Ask the right questions when a medical test is recommended. What are the risks of this test? Is it likely that its results will change my treatment options? Are we likely to do anything different based on the results? How much will it cost, and will my insurance cover it?
• Include what Drs. Soden and Dumas call the “single most important question” to ask a doctor who recommends a specific action. “If your mother or your child had a similar problem,” you should ask, “what medical options would you give to them?”
• Consider getting a second opinion.

It’s all part of the job: asking the questions, heeding the answers, and actively managing your health.

Resources for Patients
The Savvy Patient: The Ultimate Advocate for Quality Health Care.
In this book, a doctor offers expert advice on how to navigate the health care system. By Mark C. Pettus, M.D. Herndon, Va.: Capital Books, 2004, $19.95.

The Empowered Patient: Hundreds of Life-Saving Facts, Action Steps and Strategies You Need to Know. Advice from a dentist with handson experience in staying protected as a patient and health care consumer. By J.A. Hallisy, D.D.S. San Francisco: Bold Spirit Press, 2008, $25.95.

Special Treatment: How to Get the Same High-Quality Health Care Your Doctor Gets. This book delivers highly practical “inside information” on how to get the care you deserve. By Kevin J. Soden, M.D., M.P.H., and Christine Dumas, D.D.S. New York: Berkley Publishing, 2003, $15.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, www.ahrq.gov (click on “Consumers & Patients”). This Web site offers lots of free information on staying healthy, finding medical care that is high quality and safe, and managing various health conditions.

Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions: Self-Management of Heart Disease, Fatigue, Arthritis, Worry, Diabetes, Frustration, Asthma, Pain, Emphysema, and Others (third edition). This book offers great advice from the pros for anyone with a chronic health condition. By Kate Lorig, R.N., Dr.P.H., and others. Palo Alto, Calif.: Bull Publishing, 2006, $18.95.

By Polly Turner, a feature writer for Vitality.

© StayWell Custom Communications. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from StayWell Custom Communications.