SE5:EP3 Patient Empowerment. How to Work With Your Doctor To Get The Best Care

How often do we complain that we didn't get the outcome we wanted from our doctor's visits?

Sometimes that is justified. What is essential for us is that whatever life stage we are in we get heard, validated and appropriately supported. Part of that process is advocating for ourselves and helping our doctors to help us.

So I was delighted when I connected with Dr Ann Hester, a board-certified internal medicine physician with over 25 years of direct patient care experience. Her passion for empowering patients started in medical school when she organized health fairs and wrote patient information literature. 

Her book Your Family Medical Record: An Interactive Guide to Getting the Best Care was published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2000. In November of 2022, she published Patient Empowerment 101: More than a book, it’s an adventure!

Dr Hester also has a website for her new book, patientempowerment101.com, which allows readers to take online quizzes, watch engaging video clips, and download fillable forms about their symptoms and personal medical records.

In our conversation, we discussed important questions that apply whether we are in perimenopause or struggling with another condition

• Why do I need a personal copy of my health records?
• How do I help my doctor help me?
• How can I find the doctor who is right for me?
• Should I trust health technology?
• How can I prepare in advance for a doctor’s visit?
• Are there ways to decrease all the tests and procedures my doctor orders?
• What’s the best way to think through my symptoms?

I encourage you to check out Dr Hester's book https://www.amazon.com/Patient-Empowerment-101-More-adventure/dp/B0BMXQTZJB and https://www.patientempowerment101.com/ and follow her on Linkedin and Facebook

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