Speak up and ask questions at the doctor’s office. When you play an active role in your health care, you can improve the quality of the care you and your family get.
Health care is a team effort, and you are the most important member of the team. Your team also includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and insurance providers.
To take charge of your health care:
- Keep track of important health information.
- Know your family health history.
- See a doctor regularly for checkups.
- Be prepared for medical appointments.
- Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist questions.
Take Action!
Follow these steps to play an active role in your health care.
Keep track of important health information.
Keeping all your health information in one place will make it easier to manage your health care. Take the information with you to every medical appointment.
To start your own personal health record, write down:
- Your name, birth date, and blood type
- The name and phone number of a friend or relative to call if there’s an emergency
- Telephone numbers and addresses of places where you get medical care, including your pharmacy
- Dates and results of checkups and screening tests
- All the shots (vaccinations) you’ve had – and the dates you got them
- Medicines you take, how much you take, and why you take them
- Any health conditions you have, including allergies
If you aren’t sure about some of this information, check with your doctor’s office.
Know your family health history.
Your family’s health history is an important part of your personal health record.
See a doctor regularly for checkups.
Getting regular checkups with your doctor or nurse can help you stay healthy.
Regular checkups can help find problems early, when they may be easier to treat.
Write down your questions ahead of time.
Write down any questions you have about your health and take the list with you to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Use this tool to build your list of questions.
Make the most of doctor visits.
Take your list of questions and personal health record with you to the appointment. You may also want to ask a family member or friend go with you to help take notes.
Be sure to talk about any changes since your last visit, like:
New medicines you are taking, including over-the-counter medicines, herbs or home remedies, and vitamins
Recent illnesses or surgeries
Any important changes in your life, like becoming unemployed or a death in the family
Health concerns or issues
Health information you’ve found on the Internet or heard from others
Follow up after your appointment.
It can take time and hard work to make the healthy changes you talked about with your doctor or nurse. Remember to:
Call if you have any questions or side effects from medicine.
Schedule follow-up appointments for tests or lab work, if you need to.
For more information about New Jersey health insurance, give Cosmo Insurance Agency a call at 732-363-3888.
