How to Navigate the Healthcare System
By Trisha Torrey, About.com Guide
- Conducting Research and Making Decisions
- Drugs, Prescriptions and Staying Safe
- Your Medical Records
- When You Need Someone to Assist You
Conducting Research and Making Decisions
Once you've been given a diagnosis, or if you are having trouble getting one, it may be difficult to understand everything you've been told. Once you begin taking control of the information, you will begin to feel more in control of your situation. These best practices will help you get your arms around the decision-making tasks in front of you.
- Understanding Informed Consent
- Internet Health Resources - How to Research and Find Credible Health Information
- Using the Library for Health and Medical Research
- Taking Responsibility for Making Your Medical Decisions
- How to Make Objective Medical Treatment Decisions
- What Do They Mean by "Evidence Based Medicine"?
- How to Find a Doctor Online
- How to Set Up News Alerts to Keep You Abreast of Medical Research Results
- Using Health Website Symptom Checkers
- Using Medical Studies and Headlines to Improve Your Care
- Using Drug Ads to Benefit Your Health
- How to Talk to Your Doctor About Alternative or Complementary Medicine
Drugs, Prescriptions and Staying Safe
From over-the-counter to prescription drugs, or those we receive during chemo or other treatments, drugs can be miracles or cause us to get sicker. We patients need to know how to use them safely and understand the importance of compliance -- the rules of following the instructions we are given.
- The Right Prescription for Your Medical Problem
- Double Checking Your Written Prescriptions
- How to Identify a Pill, Tablet or Capsule
- What are Generic Drugs?
- How Do Prescription Drug Errors Occur?
- Compliance: Following Through on Treatment Decisions
- Counterfeit Drugs in Our Legal Drug Supply
- Save Money on Prescription Drugs
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Supplements, Herbals and More
Your Medical Records
From the moment you have your first appointment with a doctor, right through every test, treatment and follow-up, records of all aspects of your care are kept. Empowered patients understand the importance of these records, what role they play, the need for keeping copies of records, and why it makes sense to check for, and correct, errors.
- Keeping Your Family Medical History
- A Tool to Help You Record Your Family History
- HIPAA Privacy and Security
- 10 Myths About HIPAA Privacy and Security
- Correcting Errors in Your Medical Records
- Electronic Medical Records and Personal Health Records
- How Your Credit Score May Affect Hospital Care
- The Medical Information Bureau May Be Keeping Tabs on You
- What are CPT Codes and How Do They Affect Your Care?
When You Need Someone to Assist You
When you are sick or hurt, it's difficult to manage your journey through the healthcare system. Making appointments, remembering everything the doctor has told you, reviewing pros and cons of treatment options, making decisions, reconciling medical bills -- there's a lot in front of you, and you may decide you need the assistance of others who are available to make that journey easier to manage.
