Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
The health system is changing, and if you haven’t noticed – there are some positive and negative things happening that ultimately impact patient care and health outcomes. Modern medicine is really interesting. It is dynamic and innovative as we have enhanced and expanded our ability as a society to diagnose, prevent and treat medical problems from top to bottom in the body.
Quality patient care is essential for people to have improved quality of life, better health
outcomes and longer life expectancies. And though policy and regulation changes take longer to influence and impact, there are personal and independent steps patients can take to better advocate for themselves and their loved ones.
Here are three recommendations that patients should consider to improve their ability to
advocate for themselves and their health.
1 – Understand not all doctors are the same, and you can switch if you want to.
For those with insurance, there is usually a doctor’s name on the health insurance card who is your designated or assigned PCP or primary care physician. You may have been with this person for years or never met this person. depending on your situation. But you do NOT have to stick with the person who is on your card. You do not have to stay with the person who you call your primary care physician if that person is not addressing your concerns or meeting your needs.
There is power and building a relationship with your doctor. It is not recommended that you
stay where you do not want to get care because that ultimately impacts your patient care and health care access. If you do, you might not express all your concerns to the doctor or you may even avoid making an appointment all together. So, remember, not all doctors the same, and you can switch if you want to.
2 – Always have a medication list with assigned medical problems.
You are your patient story and no one can tell about your experiences like you can. So, knowing your own medical problems and what medications you are or are not taking is very important for your ability tounderstand and advocate for yourself. Ask your doctor or pharmacy to print out a list of your medications. Practice the exercise of assigning all of your medications to medical problems, and the ones you cannot match up are questions you should ask at your next appointment.
3 – Keep documentation.
For every form you have a doctor sign, whether medical leave or accommodation, you should have a copy for yourself. Yes, medical offices are supposed to keep documentation, but having it yourself helps with easy access and reference when you might need to prove your documentation or replicate it.
Additionally, keep your lab and imaging reports as often as possible. You might not know what everything means, but your doctor can give you a summary at the time of service. In the future you will be able to share that information directly with your next doctors and care team. You will be able to know what should be shared if you ever transition care to another doctor, medical office or system.
There are many things to help you advocate for yourself. Remember, you are your own person and have the ability to access and maintain good doctor-patient relationships and medical information. You never know what is going to happen to your health. So, having a doctor you want to see and accessible information will always be a major benefit to your health outcomes, quality of life and life expectancy.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at
Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com. Feel free to submit health questions to Dr Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
