Topic Overview
Throughout your life you will
have to make health decisions for yourself and your family. The decisions you
make will influence your overall well-being as well as the quality and cost of
your care. People who learn as much as they can about their choices often are
more confident about the decisions they make. And in general, people who work
with their doctors to make health decisions are happier with the care they
receive and the results they achieve.
Why should you partner with
your doctor to make decisions? Aren't you paying him or her to know what to do?
There are often
several approaches to diagnosing and treating a health problem. And it's not always clear what choices are the best ones for you. You are
more likely to feel better about the chosen approach if it is the one best
suited to your needs and values. Sometimes the best choice is to say "no" to
care you don't need.
The best formula for making health decisions
is to combine the most reliable medical facts with your personal values. These
include your beliefs, fears, lifestyle, and experiences, and they all play a
role in helping you make decisions about your health.
Put more
simply:
Medical Information + Your Information = Wise Health Decisions