Making A Better Decision—One You Don’t Have To Make Alone decision if you are facing major surgery or are at a crossroad in your course of treatment? Sometimes the most reassuring voice can be the voice of experience, which can also help you to see what choices other patients in your situation have made. Support videos feature doctors and patients describing the pros and cons of the treatment choices in a straightforward, unbiasedformat. Viewers see how individuals make completely different treatment selections for the same condition—and why. e Monitoring Your Health: Online tools and resources can help you track and manage a health condition. (NAPSA)—Information is pow- erful—especially when it comes to making a medical decision. But where can you get reliable information and support? Sometimes it can be tough to get enough time with your doctor to learn about all your treatment choices and the pros and cons of each. Fortunately, there are ways to find enough information to help you—and your doctor—make a decision thatis right for you. For example, if your doctor suggests surgery for a non-lifethreatening condition and there is a less invasive treatment, you might want to know aboutit. You might decide to have the surgery after all, but it can ease your mind to know you have made the best, most informed decision. Health plans such as Health Net offer various kinds of information to help you navigate today’s complicated world of medicine. This information is dispensed in several helpful ways: e Health Coaches: Health coaches are specially trained health professionals, such as nurses, dieticians and respiratory therapists. Offering expertise and support, they help patients work more closely with their doctors, follow Online, you can assess your Having accessto reliable information about a chronic condition can support you in managing it and preventing problems. up on their conditions and even help develop everyday action plans to support a doctor’s prescribed treatments. Of those who have worked with health coaches, 80 percent report a higher level of confidence in dealing with their health and medical concerns. e Support Videos: How can you makea confident health care health by taking a survey and receive recommendations. You can track and monitor your medical condition in a symptom diary. You can track prescription medications in a medication log. You can find out how much a drug costs under your plan coverage before you visit the pharmacy and learn more about affordable alternatives. A report evaluates hospitals so you can find one that best meets your needs, and a medical group comparison report compares network physicians on their performancein key areas.
