DermHelpCentral

Patient Resource

The Mission Statement of this useful site states:

The goal of Patient Resource LLC is to empower people who are suffering with life-altering diseases by giving them the most comprehensive and up-to-date guides to treatment and facilities for their disease, free of charge. The information is written for ease of understanding and is offered in printed publications and online at PatientResource.com.

Patient Resource is run by oncologists and may be skewed towards orthodoxy; but it's vetted information that can be a great beginning of one's journey and it is worth perusing.

What Matters To You

This is a helpful WMTY website. The following is from the BC branch website.  This page as a pdf: Download WMTM Questions

From a provider’s perspective, the question “What matters to you?” can be asked in many different ways.

If you are a patient or caregiver, prepare for your health care visits by reflecting on what matters to you. Try putting distracting sounds and thoughts to the side for just a moment. Think about what you are facing right now.

What is the most important thing that comes to mind that you wish your care team knew about you? If you are a family member of a patient, what comes to mind that you want the care team to know about you and your loved one who is being cared for?

You may want to bring written notes to a health care appointment as these can be helpful. And remember, you don’t need to wait to be asked! Take the initiative to tell your health care provider what matters to you.

The Skills You Need for “What Matters To You” Day:
Asking & Listening

• “What are the things that are important to you at the moment?”

• “What are some of the things you would like to achieve as a result of our work together?”

• “What can I do to best support you in your care today?”

• “When you have a good day, what are the things that make it good?”

• “Is there anything else you want to tell me that I haven’t asked you about?”

• “What are your goals and wishes today and how can I help you achieve them?”

What Matters To You?

If your care giver asks “What matters to you?” this is often better than if she or he just asks, What's the matter, today?"

Sosena Kebede, M.D., M.P.H. addresses this topic in short, but helpful, 2016 British Medical Journal essay.

We have devised a queationnaire to start you thinking about this topic.  You can access it at WMTM Form.

Shared Decision Making

Recently, there was an excellent introduction to Shared Decision Making (SDM) in the Medical Journal of Australia.  SDM is a very important concept, and sadly, it is rarely encountered in medical practice at this time.

A useful precis appears in the MJA article:
"Shared decision making enables a clinician and patient to participate jointly in making a health decision, having discussed the options and their benefits and harms, and having considered the patient's values, preferences and circumstances. It is not a single step to be added into a consultation, but a process that can be used to guide decisions about screening, investigations and treatments."

Shared Decision Making:  What clinicians need to know and why should they bother.

Negotiating Fees for Health Care

For some patients, co-pays, office visits, procedures and medications may be unaffordable and/or a hardship.  Insurance companies pay lesser fees for all services than a private patient will. There is almost always room for negotiation -- one just need a stragegy.  "With patients paying more out of pocket for their health care than ever before — in the form of higher co-payments and co-insurance, high deductibles and uncovered and out-of-network treatments — negotiating with doctors and other providers has become commonplace.  But how exactly should you approach these nerve-racking discussions?  See this NY Times article for starters:   A Talk With the Doctor May Help Patients Afford Care.