ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF: the starter kit

[HUGE DISCLAIMER HERE: This post is not intended to make anyone feel bad about not having the time, energy or resources to “take control” of your healthcare! Things like sorting through your medication list or organizing your medical records can feel absolutely impossible (and honestly, ridiculous) if you are in the middle of a crisis or just received a heavy diagnosis. If the idea of tackling some of the items listed below make you want to crawl under a rock, it’s okay. This is exactly why I started ATLAS. Everyone needs someone in their corner during difficult seasons. If you would like help getting started with this process, please schedule a discovery call with me to see if I can help with some of the barriers and burdens you are facing. For the rest of you…read on! ]

After fifteen years of working in healthcare I have an important truth to share with you:

NO ONE IS GOING TO CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH MORE THAN YOU.

Not your doctor, chiropractor, or cousin who happens to be a nurse. There are some amazing, caring, bend-over-backwards to help you people working in healthcare (and some not-so-amazing ones too), but unless one of them is your mother….they are simply not going to be able to care about you (or the 20 other patients they will see that day) the way you care about yourself. A simple way to care and advocate for yourself is to make the MOST of your provider appointments!

Listen, we’ve all had the experience of skidding into an appointment at the last minute with no med list, 10 things currently bothering us, and a vague memory of the advice they gave us last time (that we just never quite got around to following). Taking a few minutes ahead of a visit to prepare and decide what is a priority for you can make a huge difference in making a visit worth it . Take charge of your health! No one cares quite like you!

Here are a few helpful tips. Yes, this may take 10 to 15 minutes to put together, but it can save you from so much confusion and frustration on the back end.

1. Keep track of the medications you are taking currently….this includes all over the counter meds and herbals/ supplements. Keep it with you in your wallet or vehicle.

• See my free, customizable medication tracker HERE (click the blue "TEMPLATE" button on the top right corner to make your own)

2. Know how to access your medical records. They are YOUR medical records. Electronic medical charts are very common today and can be accessed online once your medical provider gives you a log-in. Ask the nurse or receptionist if this is an option - in my experience they have more interaction with this process than physicians

3. Bring a list of the top 1-3 (ONE to THREE….NOT thirteen!) things you want to address - take notes on the answers given. This can be a great reference for you when your memory starts to get fuzzy on the details

• NOTE: This does not mean you should gloss over or leave out symptoms you are having! This is just a suggestion to be specific about what issues can be addressed in a single visit and express it! If you don’t say what your priority is, you may find that it is not addressed with the time or attention you were expecting.

Final note:

It can be really really hard to take charge of your own healthcare experience….especially if you are there because of a chronic illness or life altering diagnosis. And getting organized isn’t a cure-all. But the more that you engage with your healthcare, the more comfortable you will become making it work for you instead of feeling like its just happening to you. Because NO ONE IS GOING TO CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH MORE THAN YOU!

Krista@atlasadvocates.com