What is Patient Empowerment?
How often have you left a doctor's visit having only a slight clue about the next steps for your treatment? What about those stacks of paperwork and patient forms with small text and untranslatable medical jargon? Have you ever visited an urgent care, the emergency room, or a simple check-up and not known what things to bring up with your doctor? Have you ever explained your symptoms, but felt like your caregiver could care less? Have you ever felt intimidated about leading the conversation with your healthcare provider, so much so that you've adopted the 'don't speak unless you're spoken to' principle for every visit? Do you ever feel like you have little to no control over the decisions that are made about your health?
If so, you are not alone. I've been there too. In one way or another, we have all been there. For many decades, these interactions have been the norm. We keep quiet and assume that somebody with a medical degree will make all the decisions for us. There's little dialogue and an archive of unanswered patient questions in every medical interaction. However, this social norm is not only ineffective but it is also costly.
The lack of patient involvement in health decisions has been proven to lead to unsatisfactory treatment, low self-efficacy, and a perceived "lack of control" over one's health. We as patients have more control over our health than we could imagine, and give ourselves credit for. Let's unpack the term empowered patient its influence on our health care.
Defining Patient Empowerment
Patient empowerment, or being an empowered patient, is defined by the European Patients Forum as "a process that helps people gain control of their own lives and increases their capacity to act on issues that they themselves define as important". Part of being an empowered patient includes self-awareness, confidence, preparedness, coping skills, and a basic understanding of health information. It involves taking an active role in health decisions.
Sounds great, doesn't it? The problem is, most of us are not equipped to make proper health decisions in line with our goals.
My goal is to give you the resources to become an empowered patient. We all have it in us, but we need the proper tools. Follow my blog series as we learn practical ways that we can take control of our health and experience the most effective treatment.
If so, you are not alone. I've been there too. In one way or another, we have all been there. For many decades, these interactions have been the norm. We keep quiet and assume that somebody with a medical degree will make all the decisions for us. There's little dialogue and an archive of unanswered patient questions in every medical interaction. However, this social norm is not only ineffective but it is also costly.
The lack of patient involvement in health decisions has been proven to lead to unsatisfactory treatment, low self-efficacy, and a perceived "lack of control" over one's health. We as patients have more control over our health than we could imagine, and give ourselves credit for. Let's unpack the term empowered patient its influence on our health care.
Defining Patient Empowerment
Patient empowerment, or being an empowered patient, is defined by the European Patients Forum as "a process that helps people gain control of their own lives and increases their capacity to act on issues that they themselves define as important". Part of being an empowered patient includes self-awareness, confidence, preparedness, coping skills, and a basic understanding of health information. It involves taking an active role in health decisions.
Sounds great, doesn't it? The problem is, most of us are not equipped to make proper health decisions in line with our goals.
My goal is to give you the resources to become an empowered patient. We all have it in us, but we need the proper tools. Follow my blog series as we learn practical ways that we can take control of our health and experience the most effective treatment.
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