Patients & Families
As a healthcare consumer, you are one of the most powerful forces driving improvement in healthcare. Consumers who make informed choices and are engaged in their own care not only experience better health outcomes, they also help reward doctors, hospitals and health plans that deliver better care and service.
It's important for you to take an active role in your own care. Learn more about your own condition and the best way to treat it. Become educated about care standards that are based on the most current science—and see how well your physician is performing against those standards. Develop a partnership with your physician. Ask questions, share your medical history, and make sure you understand and know how to follow the doctor's recommendations.
There's also a lot you can do on your own, like watching what you eat, exercising and managing stress. When you concentrate on wellness and improve your overall health, you are more able to successfully handle an illness and less likely to develop a chronic medical condition.
