We visit the doctor
seeking health. We may hand ourselves and our condition over, confident that
the doctor will make us better. We
thus disengage ourselves from the system. We allow the doctor to do their job:
assess our symptoms and prescribe a course of action. We respond by filling the
script and taking a medication. We then expect results.
In this model, we
totally overlook our own responsibility. We too are responsible for our health
and safety when seeking medical attention. Medication therapies and other
prescriptions for wellness are only as successful as we are at following them
with accuracy. Our accuracy is improved with knowledge. If we know 'what', 'why', 'how', we’ll stay safe and see better results.
When we leave the
doctor’s office, our health and safety are in our own hands. To ensure our
health is improved and safety preserved, we need to be knowledgeable—of our
condition and how we can improve it.
How do we education
ourselves? Communication is key.
It is imperative: Don't just listen, Understand. A doctor can talk at you—tell you
your condition and what therapies or procedures will follow. If you merely
listen you won't understand the deeper, more fundamental ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘how’. More
complete understanding of your health condition and how the prescribed therapy
helps will allow you to follow directions with accuracy, increase the
efficiency of therapies, and safely
improve your health.
Safety is in your
hands. 10% of all hospital admissions are the result of medication
errors, and that's just the beginning. The total annual cost of these errors is $250 - $300 B. Furthermore, 25% of all nursing home admissions are the result of these same errors.
