Get Involved
It isn't difficult for us to spot flaws. As human beings, it may be second nature for us to spot the blemishes in others or the faults in the systems around us. Anywhere we look, we can see a need for change. Our healthcare system is no different. Although America's federal spending for healthcare reached upwards to 1.1 trillion dollars in 2018, there are still many things that are imperfect (Tax Policy Center, 2019).
Our experiences with healthcare professionals are the same way. There will be caregivers that care little or areas of public health that you believe deserve a much greater deal of attention than they are given. Part of being an empowered patient is making your voice heard and advocating for the changes that are most meaningful for you. Change does not happen on the sidelines. It happens when we get into the game and play our part as empowered patients.
The Role of Politics
The government is one of the largest sponsors of medical research (Parrott, 2009, p. 127, para. 2). Roxanne Parrott writes that political priorities have measurable effects on what medical research gets funded, which impacts the welfare of citizens. What we can do as citizens and patients is follow the political candidates running for offices and educate ourselves on their stances on healthcare. Is public health a concern of theirs? What medical research do they support? After that, VOTE! Our votes count and matter greatly. If we want to see change, voting is just one way to make our voices heard.
Patient Advocacy
Whether you think so or not, most people really want to know what you think. Those who are part of medical associations, industry groups, and their lobbyists all come to us— the "patients" or "consumers" (Parrott, 2009, p. 136). Patient's voices being heard on medical panels have the power to change the tones about a grant application. Whether you are advocating for social support with cancer patients, environmental health and air quality, mental health support among junior high students, or anything else, your contribution is needed and your experience is what will impact the future decisions and legislation that are being decided for today.
The best way to begin is by searching the websites of organizations that are important to you. By a simple web search of your topic, you can find a plethora of non-profit, educational, and government websites that are advocating for a chosen cause. Be sure to find reliable websites. These websites should end with .org, .gov, or .edu to indicate that they are from a government, educational, or non-profit institution.
Here are some starting points for topics such as cancer, diabetes, mental health, environmental health, highway and traffic safety, disaster relief, to give a few. There are hundreds of groups for hundreds of topics that contribute to public health. If there is a need, there is a website and organization that is gathering support from empowered patients like you.
Explore some of these links and many more. Dive into the websites of these organizations to learn about the resources they offer. Find a friend or family member who supports what you support and get involved together.
Community Involvement
Many healthcare organizations offer community-wide services for the public good. More times than not, the services they offer are completely volunteer-based and provide free seminars to educate the public and promote health. I have cousins who work for the American Red Cross where they recently installed smoke detectors into hundreds of homes across communities for their Sound the Alarm campaign. This lead to over 500 lives saved in their Bloomington, IN area so far. Events such as this require volunteers and fundraisers to help make a difference.
This is only one example of the countless community services provided for us. Contributing to the cause or taking advantage of the services given are ways of becoming engaged and empowered patients. Your local city, county, state, and federal health organizations will share on their websites about upcoming events. Check your local health centers, your town's website, and even the posters and flyers hanging in your local coffee shops to see what events are taking place near you. Facebook and social media pages are also excellent sources of trending events.
Becoming empowered patients means taking personal responsibility for our own health and contributing to the greater good of public health everywhere. Find one topic that you want to speak out for and make it a goal this month to find one way to get involved. It could be a blood drive, awareness walk for sexual assault, or taking place in clinical trials near you. Play your role today and make your voice heard.
Our experiences with healthcare professionals are the same way. There will be caregivers that care little or areas of public health that you believe deserve a much greater deal of attention than they are given. Part of being an empowered patient is making your voice heard and advocating for the changes that are most meaningful for you. Change does not happen on the sidelines. It happens when we get into the game and play our part as empowered patients.
The Role of Politics
The government is one of the largest sponsors of medical research (Parrott, 2009, p. 127, para. 2). Roxanne Parrott writes that political priorities have measurable effects on what medical research gets funded, which impacts the welfare of citizens. What we can do as citizens and patients is follow the political candidates running for offices and educate ourselves on their stances on healthcare. Is public health a concern of theirs? What medical research do they support? After that, VOTE! Our votes count and matter greatly. If we want to see change, voting is just one way to make our voices heard.
Patient Advocacy
Whether you think so or not, most people really want to know what you think. Those who are part of medical associations, industry groups, and their lobbyists all come to us— the "patients" or "consumers" (Parrott, 2009, p. 136). Patient's voices being heard on medical panels have the power to change the tones about a grant application. Whether you are advocating for social support with cancer patients, environmental health and air quality, mental health support among junior high students, or anything else, your contribution is needed and your experience is what will impact the future decisions and legislation that are being decided for today.
The best way to begin is by searching the websites of organizations that are important to you. By a simple web search of your topic, you can find a plethora of non-profit, educational, and government websites that are advocating for a chosen cause. Be sure to find reliable websites. These websites should end with .org, .gov, or .edu to indicate that they are from a government, educational, or non-profit institution.
Here are some starting points for topics such as cancer, diabetes, mental health, environmental health, highway and traffic safety, disaster relief, to give a few. There are hundreds of groups for hundreds of topics that contribute to public health. If there is a need, there is a website and organization that is gathering support from empowered patients like you.
Explore some of these links and many more. Dive into the websites of these organizations to learn about the resources they offer. Find a friend or family member who supports what you support and get involved together.
Community Involvement
Many healthcare organizations offer community-wide services for the public good. More times than not, the services they offer are completely volunteer-based and provide free seminars to educate the public and promote health. I have cousins who work for the American Red Cross where they recently installed smoke detectors into hundreds of homes across communities for their Sound the Alarm campaign. This lead to over 500 lives saved in their Bloomington, IN area so far. Events such as this require volunteers and fundraisers to help make a difference.
This is only one example of the countless community services provided for us. Contributing to the cause or taking advantage of the services given are ways of becoming engaged and empowered patients. Your local city, county, state, and federal health organizations will share on their websites about upcoming events. Check your local health centers, your town's website, and even the posters and flyers hanging in your local coffee shops to see what events are taking place near you. Facebook and social media pages are also excellent sources of trending events.
Becoming empowered patients means taking personal responsibility for our own health and contributing to the greater good of public health everywhere. Find one topic that you want to speak out for and make it a goal this month to find one way to get involved. It could be a blood drive, awareness walk for sexual assault, or taking place in clinical trials near you. Play your role today and make your voice heard.
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