"Empowered Patient" by CNN Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is a book that will help you in getting superior care for you and your loved ones and saves you money. Cohen shares his own experiences, as well as the others, and provides insights on how to get better care from your doctor, your insurance and the medicines you take. This book can make you a better consumer with respect to your medical care, but I warn you not to become too adversarial. The cover of the book says it focuses on how to get the right diagnosis, buy the cheapest drugs, turn your insurance company and get the best care every time. Who does not want to learn them? Well, this book you on the way to being your own advocate when it comes to health care. It is a good start.
Introduction begins with a personal story from when Cohen was was at the hospital, after the birth of his third child, who was in the NICU. All parents who read this to know for Cohen, and if it does not stir your emotions, you do not have or have had children yet. After this experience, Cohen's goal for writing this book is so you can ensure that a hospital not kill yourself with a medication error or infection, so you can see if a doctor has misdiagnosed your terms, so you can be sure that you have the best doctor, and to make the most of the short time you have with your doctor. She wrote this book so you can be responsible for your own care, informed, bot be your own lawyer, to be an empowered patient. And I think she has done a very good job with it. I am also a strong believer that a person should be active in their own care, and the more you know, the better. Book point is definitely in the right direction.
But having said that, I think parts of the book is more contentious than it should be. As a mediator and negotiation instructor, I like to look toward the target of an outcome, which this would be your best health. I think that developing a relationship with your doctor, not just a commercial transaction as proposed in the chapter on "how to have a little patience" is more positive to its final destination.
Nevertheless, this book contains some valuable information to help people, and reading it will help you to take a more active and responsible role in your healthcare. Chapters include: how to become a "bad Patient". How to find Dr. right (and fire Dr. Wrong); Do not leave a doctor's appointment, saying "huh?"; How to avoid a bad; How to become an Internet MD (medical Detective); You vs the insurance industry, how to get good drug cheap, not for medical marketing; and let a hospital does not kill you.
There are many very good doctors and hospitals in this country and around the world. I have had the good fortune to have had some very good care of me and my family sometimes. However, sometimes mistakes, and sometimes money is an influence in particular matters. It really pay your own solicitor and informed. You can then work better with your doctor and health care providers for the best care available. This book is not the be all and end all of the subject, but it provides the reader with useful information and if it gets people to take a more active role in their health care, it is well worth the price. I recommend to read it, use it, but also work more with healthcare providers for the best possible care.
Alain Burrese, J.D. is an author, speaker and moderator who will teach how to live, shop and get things done via the Warrior's Edge. He is an expert on conflict and mediates and teach conflict resolution and negotiation. Alain combines its military, martial arts and Asian experiences in business, law and conflict resolution training into a powerful way to live with balance, honor and integrity. He teaches how to use the Warriors edge to take action and achieve remarkable results, and resolve the conflict and negotiate. In addition, he taught physical conflict skills in his Hapkido and self-defence courses, lectures and seminars. Alain is the author of Hard-Won wisdom from The School Of Hard knocks, DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido cane, locks on shared locking series, and many articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews, and view clips of his DVDs and much more at http://www.burrese.com/and http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com/