- The magic incantation
Say this one, and boom: you’re being engaged:
“I’m the kind of person who likes to understand
as much as I can about my health.
Can I ask some questions?” - “I found this site. What do you think?”
- “How can I talk with other patients?” (Online or off)
- “What will this cost?”
At this writing, hardly anyone knows. Help change that: keep asking. - “Are there any other options?”
“What happens if I choose ‘do nothing’?” - “How strong is the evidence?”
- “What’s your infection rate?”
- “Could I see my chart?”
[or my mother’s / my child’s / my friend’s, if you’re authorized] - “This isn’t right in the chart / didn’t happen / is missing. Please fix it.”
- “What’s the standard of care for my condition?
When was it updated?”
Excerpt from Let Patients Help! A “patient engagement” handbook – how doctors, nurses, patients and caregivers can partner for better care by “e-Patient Dave” deBronkart with Daniel Z. Sands, MD, MPH. All rights reserved. Reproduced here with permission.
