Friday, July 5, 2013

Advocating for yourself

Once upon a time, people would go the doctor, and trust that they were getting the most informed, best treatment option, and expected to recover from what ailed them. Today, things are much different. As a patient--and let's face it, we are ALL patients at some point in our lives--we must become our own advocate for health care. We can longer afford to trust in the knowledge and expertise of our doctors, not because our physicians are failing us, but because doctors are no longer allowed to learn and practice medicine they way they did 50 years ago. With the creation and growth of for-profit health insurance companies which now have unprecedented power in determining the course of treatment a physician may prescribe, we are at the mercy of doctors schooled in ways that predispose them to "treat & street," and insurance companies that frequently authorize only the cheapest and most relied upon testing and treatments--regardless of how outdated or inappropriate they might be for any individual patient.

Now, this post is not intended to blast doctors OR insurance companies. I am simply stating a truth, albeit an ugly truth. The consequence of this truth is that YOU must be your own best advocate for the care and treatment that fits you best. This means educating yourself about your condition(s) and researching all the various treatment methods available so that you can have an intelligent discussion with your doctor when deciding how to address your health concerns.

For those of us with thyroid issues, in particular, we are faced with not only family physicians that have too little experience in endocrinology to truly understand the scope of the many faces of thyroid dysfunction, but also specialists in endocrinology that have been trained to focus--and treat patients--solely on lab tests. We cannot leave our health and our quality of life in the hands of someone who only has 5 minutes to talk to us, and who has a majority of patients that aren't willing to challenge the status quo of testing and treatment.

I read as much as I can get my hands on. I read blogs, discussion forum threads, medical journal articles, and information on websites dedicated to thyroid issues because I refuse to continue forward on the blind faith that my doctor is correct in their judgement that the tests show "normal" lab values, therefore I must not have a thyroid issue any longer, when I know how bad I still feel from day to day. The more I read, the more I realize that I can't rely only on my doctor to do what is best for ME.

It's not easy to challenge doctors because we are taught our whole lives to have great respect for the people that dedicate so much of their own lives in time and training to become doctors. But we must take the time and make the effort to advocate for ourselves, no matter how uncomfortable that might feel. It is not disrespectful to ask questions, to request explanations, and to explore different ideas. Any doctor that gets offended that you are asking for more information is perhaps a doctor that you don't need to see anymore. And if you are in a position where there is no other option, and this doctor is the only one you can see, then I say BE PERSISTENT.

I've made a habit of bringing articles with me, having lists of questions written out, monitoring and reporting my changing symptoms, and keeping careful track of my medication schedule whenever I see my doctor. This allows me to feel empowered, to show that I'm not just jumping on the latest trendy treatment bandwagon, and that I've done my research to validate my questions and concerns. I have found that this greatly eases the discomfort of questioning my doctor's recommendations, and also shows her that I am well-informed and involved in my treatment.

It's not enough to be the patient that walks in, sits down and says, "Make me feel better." You need to be the  patient that walks in, sits down, pulls out the folder with copies of articles and information, and poses questions and concerns thoughtfully. You might be thinking, "Oh, I'm not that organized, I could never do that," but it's not complicated at all, and really doesn't take too much time. Besides, even if it IS complicated or takes time, we are talking about YOUR health. Isn't it worth a little time and effort to get the best treatment available to you?

I can't promise you that taking these steps will magically make your condition improve, or somehow  make an unwilling doctor suddenly hop on the advocacy train with you. But I can promise you that the more educated you are about your condition and treatment options, and the more you push to have intelligent, informed discussions with your physicians, the better your chances are that you will feel better faster, heal more quickly, and develop a relationship with your doctor where you are partners in managing your health.