Challenge the Status Quo: Why You Must Be Your Own Health Advocate in Today's "Sick-care" System

Unlock the Secret to Transforming Your Healthcare Experience!

Have you ever wondered how you can take control of your healthcare journey?

In this must-listen episode of the 2% Solution, I reveal how you can become your best health advocate.

Through my gripping personal journey with a chronic autoimmune condition, I share actionable steps to empower yourself in the healthcare system. Discover how to stay informed, ask the right questions, and make decisions that truly benefit you.

We’ll dive into the common hurdles within the medical system, from deciphering complex medical jargon to the crucial need for second opinions. This episode is bursting with tips and insights to help you navigate your health journey with confidence and clarity.

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Transcript

Dai Manuel: 0:06

Hello Wellness Warriors, welcome back to another episode of the 2% Solution. I'm your host, diamond Well, and today we're exploring the topic of empowerment. Are you your own best health advocate? We'll discuss what it means to be your own advocate, the difficulties we encounter within the medical system and how to take control of your health. Get ready, because this episode is going to be engaging but also, I hope, very informative for you. From my own experiences navigating the healthcare system, I can tell you that being your own health advocate is essential. Today, we'll explain why this is and how you can become your own health advocate is essential. Today, we'll explain why this is and how you can become your own best advocate.

Dai Manuel: 0:50

To start, what does it mean to be your own health advocate? Well, the American Hospital Association defines health advocacy as taking an active role in your health care. It involves staying informed, asking questions and, most importantly, making decisions that are right for you. However, all that being said, it's not always easy, is it? Many of us feel overwhelmed by the medical system, struggle to understand complex medical info and often feel like we're just another number. The National Patient Advocate Foundation recognizes that these are common challenges for many patients. So why is it crucial to be your own advocate. Knowledge, as they say, is power. The Mayo Clinic states that educated patients make better health decisions. Knowing your condition and treatment options empowers you to make choices that benefit your health. Being your own advocate also leads to better health outcomes. National Institutes of Health studies show that patients who actively participate in their health care tend to have better results. Overcoming obstacles like fear of questioning doctors or lack of access to info that's critical doctors or lack of access to info that's critical. Remember, you have the right to understand your health and make informed, educated decisions. Now let's discuss the actual, practical steps to becoming your own best health advocate. Number one you got to educate yourself, understanding your health condition, your treatments, options. It's crucial. Use reliable online sources like medical websites, journals, etc.

Dai Manuel: 2:35

I know for myself when I was first diagnosed with my chronic autoimmune condition if you've heard in past episodes, it's autoimmune neutropenia really big word harder to spell than to say and you know, when I was diagnosed with that condition, even then they weren't confident that they could give me a diagnosis. They would often say you know your condition's behaving as if right, so it's like it seems like this. We're not 100% sure if it is, but you know what. We'll treat it like it is and we'll see what happens. I sort of feel like a bit of a guinea pig in the system at times, but it's an autoimmune condition.

Dai Manuel: 3:13

We don't know a lot about immunity and how our systems work and have it. The nice thing is when you meet a medical practitioner that actually says you know, I just don't know, but I'm here to support you and I'm going to help you find out. That's what I want to hear more of. I don't know. The last time I had someone say that to me in our medical system. Anyways, I digress. So, rather than waiting for somebody else to give you all the answers, become your own best educator and start to seek the answers. And sometimes it's learning to ask the right questions which leads me to number two communicating effectively. Don't hesitate to ask your health care providers questions. Don't hesitate to ask your healthcare providers questions.

Dai Manuel: 4:03

The American Medical Association highlights that effective communication is vital for good healthcare. Make sure to clearly describe your symptoms, inquire about the treatment options and seek second opinions if necessary, and I believe it's often necessary. I mean, we put a lot of faith in one individual and there still is the human element. I don't care where Chachi, pt and all this other AI stuff's at, yet it's okay. I know there's a lot of positive reasons for AI et cetera, and it's going to probably help a huge amount of the screening side of things. At the end of the day, we still have to deal with people, and people make mistakes. As long as they're open with talking about it and acknowledging where the risk may be, it allows us also, when being advocates for our own health, to make good decisions. So seek second opinions, third opinions, if absolutely necessary. It's your life and you know, trust your instincts. And then, number three, organize your health info.

Dai Manuel: 5:11

This is one thing I'm absolutely amazed at, and I think it's a big problem that a lot of people are out there looking to create a good solution, for we're seeing this sort of especially here in Canada. We're seeing this effort in consolidating medical information. I mean, it's a big problem in a lot of government, especially in a lot of developed countries that have experienced a lot of growth, especially with technologies, and they haven't been able to keep up with the infrastructure requirements to support some of the technologies, and so there's this fracturing of a lot of stuff, right? What I mean by that is. I've been someone that's been in the medical system, you know, both as a patient but also as someone that's been actually trying to support other family members through that journey I can tell you it's confusing as all heck, but trying to find information is not an easy process, you know. One office or one specialist might have the information. Getting that information shared in a way that's efficient is where a lot of the bottleneck is, and I'm hoping and I know there is a lot of great digital companies out there that are looking to consolidate it and make it work for all of us much more effectively. But until we have a system that's like bulletproof, it makes it stupid easy, or maybe they put a chip in us that tracks all that stuff for us.

Dai Manuel: 6:30

You got to take accountability into your own hands. Keep a record of your medical details prescriptions, appointments. Personal health record can significantly help manage your health. Personal health record can significantly help manage your health. So if you don't have that info organized, hey, that might be a great place to start. All right, so let's talk about some real life examples.

Dai Manuel: 6:53

I once knew someone who took control of their health journey. You know, by educating themselves and their condition, they actually got to a place where they were almost as well-read as the doctor that they were seeing for the help with their condition and as they started to ask better and better questions, it actually helped the doctor be more accountable to the patient to the patient, because it also created this greater amount of communication, because the doctor felt that they could fully communicate what was going on in a way that the patient now could better understand the intricacies of the condition as well. Because I do agree, you know this autoimmune neutropenia like I guess, to be fair, you know, was I a bit naive? Yeah, I was naive. When I was first diagnosed. I'm like, okay, great, what do I got to do? Or what do I got to take to make this go away? Right, and and I remember the hematologist trying to explain, it's not quite so simple, but you know, again, my first time dealing with something like that personally, you know my own health, I just had no point of reference and so I think a lot of us are in that situation. We just don't have these points of reference and that's okay. No-transcript. But to try to avoid the fear response or the Dr Google response, right, the deep rabbit holes of trying to figure stuff out on our own. It's okay, as long as we can learn to speak effectively and communicate in a way, and ask the right questions, just really be there to be our own advocate. Better things can happen.

Dai Manuel: 8:33

I know the gentleman that I mentioned earlier when he really took it upon himself to start documenting everything, I mean every time he spoke to a specialist, every time he was given a certain opinion or a prognosis or diagnosis. He was very quick to document it all, to the point that you know it made it very simple for him to be able to travel to see other specialists and to be able to get them caught up to speed extremely quickly, to the point that when he wanted to seek out a very specific type of stem cell therapy which was only offered in Mexico, he was able to literally make that happen in a matter of weeks and it literally saved his life. And it was because he took it upon himself, his own advocacy, kept his own records. It was easy for him to get down there, say this is exactly where things are at. Here's everything that you need. Everything was digitized like it was. Just you know what good on that individual. I think we can all learn from that.

Dai Manuel: 9:32

Do we treat our own health with that same sort of priority and commitment? I can be honest I'll admit I don't always deal with my own health, so there's lots of room for improvement. It's common to feel like a victim in the healthcare system, but this mentality is not productive. This perspective, this mindset the American Psychological Association notes that this mindset, specifically, can lead to feelings of helplessness and create great deals of feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. It's vital to shift to an empowered mindset. Resilience and self-efficacy are your best tools. Believe in your ability to manage your health, taking small, consistent steps towards gaining control over your health journey. That concludes today's episode of my Wellness Warriors. Remember, being your own health advocate is about taking control of your health journey. Stay educated, communicate effectively and remain hypervigilant when it comes to being organized with your health records. You have the control to make informed decisions which will ultimately improve your health.

Dai Manuel: 10:51

As we draw this episode to a close, I'd be thrilled to hear your thoughts, personal experiences and suggestions. Are there particular topics you'd like to dive into? Any inspiring individuals you'd like to hear from? Your insights are invaluable in shaping the trajectory and shape of the 2% Solution podcast, to stay in the loop and contribute to our discussions. Connect with us on Instagram, facebook, tickety, talkity and all your favorite platforms, and if today's conversation resonated with you, I urge you to support us by subscribing, maybe leaving a five-star review, and if you know someone who could benefit from this discussion today, don't hesitate to share this episode with them. Your actions can help us reach and inspire more wellness warriors just like you. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Continue to challenge your limits, maintain positivity and aim for a 2% improvement each day. I'm Diamond Wells signing off from the 2% Solution. Together, we can thrive.