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Communicating with Your Healthcare Team
Communicating with Your Healthcare Team“It is very intimidating when you don't know what's going on with your health.”Maria Nieves knows what she’s talking about, having dealt with breast cancer twice in the last 12years. After 7 surgeries and multiple rounds of chemo and radiation, she’s learned to speak up…toreally be an active part of her healthcare team…“We know our bodies better than anyone else. And although they know the treatment that maybe best for us, but if we're not in agreement or we feel it's not going to work for us, it's notgoing to work. So we need to work together and ask a lot of questions.”A lot of those questions came when the cancer returned and her doctor wanted Maria to dochemotherapy… something Maria absolutely did NOT want…“I would ask her ‘what is your professional opinion? What do you recommend as a doctor?’And she would tell me. And then I go and I do my research and I come back and talk to her.We came up with an agreement and we did the chemo. That was the best treatment optionplan. Had I not done that I probably would be in treatment to this day.”Research shows that activated patients, like Maria, generally have better outcomes with theirhealthcare…“People who ask questions, that are engaged in their own health, who are able to talk aboutwhat their goals are and advocate for themselves, have better outcomes, safer care, moreeffective care, more valuable care. And that's what we're all in it for.”Tiffany Christensen is also a big fan of patient advocates… a family member or close friend whoknows your history and your wishes, who can speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself.As a two-time double lung transplant patient, she’s spent a lot of time in hospitals…“So having my sister there or my brother there or my father there to be able to say ‘hey hold ona second. She's allergic to that medication’ or ‘hey can you tell us why you're doing that beforeyou do it.’ That's really helpful. It helps the patient relax.”And there’s another benefit to having a patient advocate, as Maria Nieves’ daughter Angelina can tellyou… It gave her an important role to play…“It’s not just a physical thing they go through. It’s an emotional thing. And I saw her, how itaffected her every single day. And I was like OK it's my turn to be the rock. It's my turn to lether lean on me.”Patients, according to Meyers, must be the center of health care…This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER59285B EN CommunicatingwithYourHealthcareTeam.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Communicating with Your Healthcare Team“I know a lot about medicine. But you when we're in a relationship together know more aboutyou than anyone else. You are an expert too. And together we can figure out good plans.”That’s one treatment plan that Maria Nieves couldn’t agree with more…“I’ve educated myself and I’ve done my research. Yeah, I am I feel 100% good about mydecisions in my treatment.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER59285B EN CommunicatingwithYourHealthcareTeam.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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