Patient Educate Thyself

You are a patient. You are the most important "link in the health care chain". You, patient, keep your health care chain strong. You are the strongest link. Stay up to date on your medical conditions through your health care providers, and through yourself.

Patient education is part of your job. It is up to you to seek out information and knowledge about staying well, preventing disease, and managing disease you currently live with daily. Make a list of your medical conditions, and all medicines you take. Make a list of medical conditions that run in the family. Study your lists.

Read about your medical conditions and those that run in the family. On your next doctor appointment ask your doctor for more information especially in writing. Talk with your doctor. Discuss any tests that you feel would help you in detecting and managing your conditions.

Know all you can know, patient, so you can "be all you can be".