To make the most of available health care options, people should actively participate in their health care. Active participation in the health care process by patients includes:
Visiting a doctor or other health care professional regularly recommended depending on age and health status
Obtaining appropriate preventive care
Communicating effectively with health care professionals either directly or via a patient-identified family member or surrogate
Remaining watchful for signs of ill health or bodily changes (for example, a change in the color of a mole, unanticipated weight change, or detection of a lump in a breast or testis)
Keeping a record of personal medical information including lists of medications, allergies to medications, and immunizations
Learning about health care issues (including how care and medications can be paid for)
Becoming familiar with technology to participate in telemedicine when appropriate
In certain countries, signing advance directives, including a health care power of attorney and living will, and documenting preferences regarding organ donation. These documents should be available in case of emergency
For people with specific disorders, active participation also means monitoring their own health. For example, for people with hypertension, this would mean regularly measuring their blood pressure, and for people with diabetes this would mean regularly measuring their blood sugar level.
Good communication—open, honest sharing of information—with doctors and other health care professionals is crucial because it leads to better health care. With good communication, doctors better understand the problems a person is having, and the person better understands how problems can be treated. Good communication also fosters trust and confidence between the doctor and the person, making the person more likely to follow the treatment regimen.
Reliable information on the internet (see Researching a Disorder) can help people learn about their health and conditions and can enhance their relationship with their health care professional. Bear in mind, though, that, although the internet provides a huge volume of information, the accuracy of that information varies widely. Therefore, communication between people and their health care professionals is essential to understanding how information obtained from the internet relates to a person's specific health condition.
