Treatment Decision Making 101
It's time to decide how your medical problem will be treated, and it's your responsibility to make that decision. Consider these aspects of decision making to make the best choice for yourself.
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Readers share their stories about using intuition to make medical decisions.
When it comes time to make difficult medical decisions, learning to identify and trust your intuition may go a long way toward making the right one. But how do you separate intuition from wishful thinking?
You feel lousy and want to stay home. But your big presentation is today, or you need the hours. Should you go to work anyway, or is it time to call in sick?
Health fraud is bilking millions of dollars from unsuspecting patients every year in the United States. Quacks, false advertising and counterfeit drugs are not only expensive, but they may be dangerous, too.
Informed consent is a concept that requires patients to understand the risks and benefits of any test, procedure or treatment a doctor recommends and a patient agrees to. Empowered patients need to understand just what they are agreeing to.
Empowered patients know that it is their responsibility to make their own treatment decisions, referring to their doctors, but understanding outside influences.
When we are faced with making difficult treatment decisions for a new diagnosis, it's difficult to be objective, removing the emotion from the decision. Following these steps will help you make that objective decision.
Empowered patients understand that their participation on their own healthcare team, in collaboration with others, is a vital aspect of finding their best medical outcomes.
Once you and your doctor have decided which treatment will work best for you, it's up to you to follow through, complying with those decisions.
Physicians cite non-compliance as one of the major reasons a patient doesn't get well or find an improvement in his health. Learn the reasons for non-compliance.
