Your health isn’t just your doctors’ responsibility. Showing a willingness to be healthy is also necessary. As patients, we must do our part by being conscious of what we eat, drink and do to handle our health conditions. Our accountability extends to our willingness to ask for an accurate diagnosis.
Your Rights as a Patient
Communication With Your Doctor
Communication, as they say, is a two-way street. Your doctor cannot help you if you do not disclose full information about your health. Likewise, your physician should never withhold information from you. Ensure that you and your doctor are communicating properly. Certain healthcare-related apps accommodate such a collaborative relationship.
Refuse Medical Treatment That You’re Not Comfortable With
This may seem obvious, but sometimes, as patients, we must constantly remind ourselves that we can reasonably refuse medical treatment and if possible, ask for an alternative.
A Second Opinion
Getting a second opinion is fully optional, but you have the right to do so nonetheless. When planning to get a second opinion, you should also keep in mind that you must have all your medical records on hand to show your new physician, as this serves as the ‘dependent’ variable on which the whole point of a second opinion lies.
Your Responsibilities as a Patient
Maintain Good Health Habits
As the primary custodians of your body, it is your responsibility to keep it healthy and functioning. Doctors advise and prescribe medication, but it is ultimately the patient’s actions that influence their health, namely what they eat or drink, or how often they exercise. Help your doctor and yourself by maintaining healthy habits.
Give Your Doctors the Right Information
A physician cannot help you if you withhold important details about your condition. Giving vague, insufficient or sometimes false information has dire consequences for your well-being, as an incorrect diagnosis can do more harm than the initial health issue. No matter how trivial or embarrassing such information may be, give it to your doctor.
Show Respect
The people who practice medicine are responsible for the lives of many people. Sometimes they suffer stress, work overload, and burnout, all just to help patients with their ailments. Respect your time with your physician, not just to them but to their other patients.
When you know your rights and responsibilities, more impactful healthcare can be achieved. There are a lot of tools that you can build around healthcare, like mobile medical apps for patients. Such tools allows you to control your own medical history.
Recent Comments