It seems to happen almost every day – you hear about the results of a new medical research study. Sometimes the results of one study seem to disagree with the results of another study.
It’s important to be critical when reading or listening to reports of new medical findings. Some questions that can help you
How well you and your doctor communicate with each other is one of the most important parts of getting good health care. Being prepared can help you make the most of your visit, whether it is in person or through telehealth. Here are some things you can do to make the most of your appointment:
Make
As a patient, you have certain rights. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as the right to get a copy of your medical records, and the right to keep them private. Many states have additional laws protecting patients, and health care facilities often have a patient bill of rights.
An important patient right
You can help prevent medical errors by being an active member of your health care team. Research shows that patients who are more involved with their care tend to get better results. To reduce the risk of medical errors, you can:
Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns. Take a relative or friend
You’ve probably seen your chart at your doctor’s office. In fact, you may have charts at several doctors’ offices. If you’ve been in the hospital, you have a chart there, too. These charts are your medical records. They may be on paper or electronic. To keep track of all this information, it’s a good
Palliative care is treatment of the discomfort, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. It provides relief from distressing symptoms including:
Pain
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Constipation
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Problems with sleep
It can also help you deal with the side effects of the medical treatments you’re receiving.
Hospice care, care at the end of life, always includes palliative care.
The field of ethics studies principles of right and wrong. There is hardly an area in medicine that doesn’t have an ethical aspect. For example, there are ethical issues relating to
:
End of life care: Should a patient receive nutrition? What about advance directives and resuscitation orders?
Abortion: When does life begin? Is it ethical to terminate
What is health literacy?
Health literacy involves the information that people need to be able to make good decisions about health. There are two parts:
Personal health literacy is about how well a person can find and understand the health information and services that they need. It is also about using the information and services to make
Planning for the end of life can be difficult. But by deciding what end-of-life care best suits your needs when you are healthy, you can help those close to you make the right choices when the time comes.
End-of-life planning usually includes making choices about the following:
The goals of care (for example, whether to use
Why do I need to evaluate health information?
Health information is easy to find. But finding reliable health information takes a little effort. Some of the health information you get from newspapers, magazines, books, TV, the Internet, and social media is up to date and trustworthy. But some is not. That’s why it’s important to evaluate