Being Your Own Healthcare Advocate

The plain and simple truth is, you need to be an advocate for your own health. Your healthcare team works for You, and you are an important part of that team. You are the only one that possesses the intimate knowledge that we have of our own bodies. This is why it’s so vitally important that we learn to work in conjunction with our team of healthcare providers and add our own expertise to theirs.

As patients, we put a lot of trust in our health care providers and believe that they hold the answers to our problems, and the antidotes to our ailments. We expect to go to our doctors with problems and leave with a solution to cure us. In some cases this model definitely works. But as humans we are complex beings and a quick fix rarely actually works to resolve our underlying issues, especially in relation to chronic disease.

And it is important to seek out different types of providers. We are all so unique and our health is impacted by many factors such as our genetics, personal history, diet and lifestyle, stress levels, and overall satisfaction with life.  No single healthcare provider is going to have all the necessary skills or knowledge to address all of your health care needs.

Healthcare is becoming more complex and specialized. Aging populations, and the increase of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease have encouraged medical professionals to adopt a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to health care.

Recognizing the ‘whole’ person in the prevention and treatment of disease may allow for more effective interventions and better outcomes. However, in General Practice, with only 10 minutes allocated per consultation, time constraints may sometimes make this difficult to achieve.

Healthcare is a team effort. Each healthcare provider, as a member of your team, has a special role. Some team members are doctors or technicians who help diagnose disease. Others are experts who treat disease or care for your physical and emotional needs. Ideally, as you communicate with your providers, they communicate with each other about the types of treatments they are using and any significant changes in your condition. This communication is important because it helps the members of your team understand what treatments are helping you, and which ones are less effective.

What’s a Healthcare Team?

A multidisciplinary team is a group of healthcare professionals with different specialties who work with you to improve and maintain your health. The different members of your healthcare team focus their treatment on the issues in which they specialize.

This approach to health is commonly known as Holistic Health care. Holistic healthcare focuses on the complete person, physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, in the management and prevention of disease, and to maintain good health.

Any healthcare professional you see becomes a member of your team. They may include:

• Doctors, Physician Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners

• Surgeons and Specialists

• Nurses

• Complementary Health Providers (Massage Therapists, Hypnotists, Acupuncturists, Reiki practitioners, etc.)

• Psychologists and Psychiatrists

• Pharmacists

• Dentists

• Technologists and Technicians

• Therapists and Rehabilitation Specialists

• Emotional, social and spiritual support providers

• Administrative and support staff

• Community health workers and patient navigators

How to Be a Really Great Self-Advocate

Ask Questions

As we mentioned, your primary care provider has an average of 10 minutes per patient. They are under a lot of pressure to fit your care into a tiny amount of time. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still people. It is the provider’s responsibility to explain things in plain language, but sometimes it may still be unclear. It is on you as the patient to ask questions when you don’t understand something. If you don't understand, they will stop and explain it to you.

If you don’t understand something, ask  "What does that mean?" when something a doctor says goes over your head. If you don’t ask, they may just assume that you understood what they meant.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask providers to consider your own observations. It allows them to say, 'I hadn't really thought of it that way, maybe that's true,' or it allows them to say, 'that bone isn't connected to that bone, so probably not.'"

Be Prepared

The average patient has three issues he or she wants to address during an office visit. Because time with the provider is limited, it helps to make a list of the most important issues to cover and take it with you. If you have something that's really scaring you, it's best to get that on the table early on.

Avoid bringing up things at the last minute, as you're walking out the door: "Oh, and by the way, I'm having chest pain." At that point the doctor can't do anything but tell you to make another appointment, or to go to the emergency room, as the case may be.

Communicate Concerns and Desires

Communication means asserting yourself if you have a problem with the care you're getting, or if there's an issue you want your doctor to consider.

Your out-of-pocket costs, for example, may be a concern. Nearly 46 million Americans lack health insurance, and even those who are insured end up paying about one-third of what they spend on health care out-of-pocket. In almost all cases physicians have good options available to assist patients who are burdened by their out-of-pocket costs.

In almost all cases providers have good options available to assist patients who are burdened by their out-of-pocket costs. You provider may know about financial assistance programs or other resources to help you pay your bill. Or they may be able to send you home with prescription drug samples. You might also find out that a less expensive treatment option could potentially work just as well as a newer and pricier option.

In addition, be sure to tell your providers if you are open to using Complementary Therapies. Complementary therapies are used alongside conventional medical treatments. Many complementary therapies concentrate on relaxation and reducing stress. They can help to reduce symptoms of disease,  calm your emotions, relieve anxiety, and increase your general sense of health and well being to feel better and may improve your quality of life. Some are also considered “first-line” treatments for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

The Role of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a complementary therapy that works well with traditional medical care. There is a huge amount of evidence that hypnosis helps with these symptoms. It can also help with depression, anxiety and stress, which makes the treatment of other conditions more effective.

Hypnosis is the introduction of a deeply relaxed state with increased suggestibility. Once in this state, clients are given therapeutic suggestions to encourage changes in behavior or relief of symptoms. For example, in a treatment to stop smoking a hypnotist might suggest that the client will no longer find smoking pleasurable or necessary. Hypnosis for a patient with arthritis might include a suggestion that the pain can be turned down like the volume of a radio. Many hypnotists teach their clients self-hypnosis techniques, allowing them to put themselves into a hypnotic state and give themselves suggestions.

Hypnosis is an effective tool for rapidly creating real and lasting change. It differs from other forms of therapy in that changes are made directly in the subconscious mind by means of suggestion, eliminating unwanted emotional states, habits, and behaviors at their source.

The primary uses of hypnosis are in anxiety, in disorders with a strong psychological component (such as asthma and irritable bowel syndrome), and in conditions that can be modulated by levels of arousal (such as pain). They are also commonly used in programs for stress management.

Hypnosis can also be used to help with pain control and to overcome habits, such as smoking or overeating. It can improve the success of other treatments for many conditions, including:

• Phobias, fears, and anxiety

• Sleep disorders

• Depression

• Stress

• Post-trauma anxiety

• Grief and loss

There is good evidence from randomized controlled trials that both hypnosis and relaxation techniques can reduce anxiety, particularly that related to stressful situations such as receiving chemotherapy. They are also effective for panic disorders and insomnia, particularly when integrated into a holistic model of care.. Hypnosis has also been found to enhance the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for conditions such as phobia, obesity, and anxiety.

If you have questions about using hypnosis as a part of improving your health, or maintaining your healthy lifestyle, send us an email or give us a call. We are happy to talk with patients and providers about the benefits of hypnosis.⬛