How to Get the Information You Need to Make Informed Healthcare Decisions

Posted on August 9, 2022

Healthcare should be simple. We expect to be treated as a priority and to receive optimal care, resulting in favorable outcomes. Unfortunately, our complex and increasingly overwhelmed, even potentially frightening healthcare system creates the opposite effect – patient confusion, fear and disempowerment often impacting the ability to determine best options when decisions need to be made. Patients are sick, weak, exhausted, confused, overwhelmed, in pain and in need of care. Preexisting. . .

Healthcare should be simple. We expect to be treated as a priority and to receive optimal care, resulting in favorable outcomes.

Unfortunately, our complex and increasingly overwhelmed, even potentially frightening healthcare system creates the opposite effect – patient confusion, fear and disempowerment often impacting the ability to determine best options when decisions need to be made.

Patients are sick, weak, exhausted, confused, overwhelmed, in pain and in need of care. Preexisting healthcare worker shortages that existed prior to the COVID 19 outbreak have been further stressed as physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers experience increased burnout, exhaustion and trauma.[i]

Their job. Your life.

More than ever before the physician/patient relationship been more important to determine effective healthcare decisions. A physician/patient relationship exists when a patient KNOWS - has the faith and confidence the physician understands what is important (to him or her). When that trust exists, informed healthcare decisions occurs and progress is made.

Trust is earned. As patients, most of us are in the habit of being passive instead of being proactively anticipating by preparing for medical care. In so doing, the confusion, helpless, feeling out of place, even intimidated by the healthcare system and those who work within it most often ceases to exist.

The best way to become proactive is to show up and to be prepared for each office, outpatient or hospital physician visit. For those who are not able to do so, a care partner (spouse, other family member, friend or professional patient advocate), someone who is the extra pair of eyes, ears and hands to support their care in a meaningful way, should be present.

Intentionally take a strategic approach.

Preparation should always occur prior to the visit. Get a notebook, dedicated for your or your spouse or other family member’s health and medical care. It should contain:

· Pertinent health information.

health history,

routine and diagnostic test results,

hospitalizations, specialists and other providers that may be involved - (name, dates of visit and outcome)

* Don’t stress if this information is not readily available. Start collecting and recording to be better prepared for the next visit.

· Medication list should include all medications, prescribed and over-the-counter including supplements, along with the frequency (twice a day, etc.) they are taken.

Discontinued medication should also be noted.*

Other information such as: Living Will, POA if one exists, health insurance information, etc.

A designated section for concerns and questions to remember to ask (and the answers you get).

Suggestion: To remind the doctor about the patient (you or a loved one) - goals and outcomes that are anticipated.

During every visit the patient or the care partner needs to understand:

1. The diagnosis.

2. The type of treatment being recommended.

3. Why that particular treatment.

4. How is it the best in this situation or circumstance.

Again, if you don’t understand – ASK and WRITE the responses.

Under “normal” circumstances, a regular or routine office visit – 80% of patients forget what they hear. I was reminded of this last week, while accompanying a client to a first visit to a neurologist. On the surface he seemed aware, easily conversing with and responding to the physician’s questions, and agreeing to next steps. It was not until we were on our way out of the office, when I asked about scheduling the ordered tests, he had no recall of that, and likely other parts of the conversation.

Based on experience, I suspect the forget-what-is-heard percentage is even greater while hospitalized.

Pay attention, speak up. take notes. It’s a lot like putting a puzzle together, one-piece-at-a time.

When feeling overwhelmed by healthcare decisions and details, consider working with a professional patient advocate to help you make sense of test results, medications and the treatment plan.