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Learn About OUr Background And Why We Created PATHS

PATHS in the NEWS

Following is a copy of an article written by Chris Lang, PATHS Executive Director & Founder. It was printed in September in the Diva Toolbox online magazine. To go to the actual article, click here.

How Can I Have a Better Checkup With my Doctor?

With Collaboration & Preparation---You need to understand that you have a very important role in partnering with your doctors to insure the visit has a good outcome. You are the HUB in a hub and spoke medical care system.

Step 1- Be a Detective

If you have some new systems, get out your pad and pen. Take detailed notes about what exactly is happening to how and when (what time of day, what foods you have eaten, what activities were you doing and what is your number level of pain(from 1 to 10). Taking these notes and bringing them to the appointment will help your Doctor better pinpoint exactly what is going on and get you closer to a correct diagnosis.

Step 2- Prepare a list of questions to ask

Always prepare and write down a list of questions to discuss with your Doctor before you visit. It is too easy to forget *Be Aware that physicians are under pressure to see patients in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. Take a little time, organize your thoughts, come prepared and your visit could be much more productive.

Step 3: Come to the appointment with the following:

Pad and pen... you will likely receive recommendations and many patients forget them as soon as they leave the office.
A list of your medical problems
A list of your medications
A list of your prior surgeries
A copy of pertinent studies (MRI, X-ray, etc)
A copy of pertinent medical records (valuable for second opinions).

Following these 3 simple steps will help your Doctor and you will begin to form a much better working partnership!

Diva Toolbox Article

Could you benefit from a Medical GPS System? Then consider attending one of our Seminars

Our September seminars are being offered on Tuesday, September 15th and 29th from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in Acton, MA. How many doctors do you currently have treating you? It is not uncommon for even a healthy person to have five or more, when you add in vision and dental providers. Are they in the same facility and do they regularly talk to each other about you, their patient? The vast majority of the time that answer is NO. Today’s complicated medical systems, HIPPA (privacy law) and insurance coverage do not allow for this. Where does that leave you?

We offer low cost training twice per month in Acton, MA,. We will also come to your location for groups of 10 or more. Learn to develop a Medical GPS System for yourself. You are the HUB in your own medical care and we can teach you the tips, tools and where to find the resources to be effective and informed. Our one-session training is 2.5 hrs. and each team leaves with a notebook full of resources able to personalize our 7 steps to your unique situations. We encourage you to attend in teams of 2 with either the person that would speak for you if you could not speak for yourself or the person you would speak for. Many couples take this training together as do adult children with a parent.

Our training seminars will teach you how to put yourself on your medical team. Training Sessions are $50.00 for you and your advocate. You and your chosen advocate will learn the following:

advocacy and problem-solving skills
how to evaluate your own critical and special needs
how to choose a doctor, specialist, or hospital
what information doctors seek that you can provide

Plus many more techniques and steps to learning how to better access medical care for you

and your loved ones. We will all be called on to advocate for a loved one, at some point. We owe it to them to be effective and that takes training. For more information, visit our web site at: www.PatientPaths.org and review our Seminars page, alternative dates are also listed and we will offer a daytime seminar option in October due to several requests.

A 2nd Option –We come to you. Our training is completely mobile. If you gather a group of 10 (5 patients and their 5 advocates), we will come to your site to train. To schedule a training session or just ask questions about your needs, please email chris@PatientPATHS.org or call the PATHS office at 978-264-9770. Due to requests we are looking to add sessions during the daytime or on different days of the week. Please send your preferred dates and times to the above email address and we will try to accommodate you.

To receive a Doctor Visit checklist, please email your request to info@PatientPaths.org.

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