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You have an amazing amount of control over what happens to you in the health care system. Health Care Your Way teaches you how to be a health care advocate for yourself and those you love. Consider this:
- Each year up to 98,000 people die from medical error
- an additional 1.5 million are harmed by medication errors
- countless people slip through the cracks of the health care system
Don't let this happen to you or those you care about. Read the book. Give a copy to those you care about. You and your loved ones deserve the best.
Reader comments:
Use it!
Read this book, but more importantly use it. After working in hospitals and nursing homes for over 25 years, I know that if my patients and their advocates use the tools provided here, they will get better health care. This book gives you the understanding you need to take charge of your health and its care. You can get better control of the most important thing in life, your health.
Patricia Huddle, Physical Therapist, New Albany, Ohio
Rare is it for someone to write a book that every adult in the United States needs to read. Even more rare is it for something as complicated and frightening as surviving the maze of today’s health care system be made so simple to understand and easy to execute. That is what Amy Sluss, RN has achieved with her must-read first book, Health Care Your Way. Whether it is for you, a family member or a friend, this book teaches important things you must know regarding the path that we each must travel some day.
Amy translates over 30 years of experience as a trusted health care provider, adds her conversational style as an accomplished motivational speaker and has ended up with a guide that should be on everyone’s bookshelf.
Stephen V. Richardson
President & CEO
MIB Consulting
www.youtube.com/user/snjarich
To begin, I loved the book and would be one of those people that say, "I wish I had this information when my mom and sister were simultaneously dealing with their diseases." I wish I had been more proactive when my sister was wondering what was wrong with her and not getting any answers from the doctors that she went to in the years leading up to her diagnosis. Now, I am an advocate to anyone that will listen. Your book has helped me to improve that advocacy. I have shared the book with at least 10 people to date. Many have commented that "They wished they had read the book prior to.....their dad's illness, sister’s illness, husband/wife's illness." This is a book that changes the way you work with doctors to find answers and foray or make one's way, through the detective work necessary to keep us healthy. I look forward to using your system to organize my Dad's medical information. He has some serious heart issues, takes a number of medications, and has things come up on a weekly basis.
Much to my surprise...I need to "chart my own health." I am finding that I need to keep track of my own health and the bumps in the road because it is telling a story. As I visit my doctor for an ache or pain, they ask questions....and I realize I have forgotten various points that are important; those details tell the story behind a headache, pain, or sleep problems. So many problems that we have as we age relate to each other. So, thank you for this book which can impact young and old, seriously ill, mildly ill, or perfectly healthy people. It will help people keep themselves and their loved ones as healthy as possible.
Mary Birrittella, Chippewa Falls, WI
Health Care Your Way is a treasure chest full of valuable pieces of advice for our family as my husband and I transition to the empty-nest stage of life.
This book has helped us realize how important it is to pass on important family medical history as our first daughter got married last year and moved to a new state and our middle daughter finished college and moved out of our home as well. Our son will be leaving for college next year.
We feel encouraged to get our records in order now for our own benefit as well as for our children and their families. It will be a “health legacy” of sorts!
Having this information written down in such an organized and complete way also ensures us that no detail could be left out if an emergency would occur. Even as our children’s generation and the nation begin to rely on technology to keep health records straight we feel it is our duty and obligation to our children to keep this type of important information on paper as a primary source of documentation.
Health Care Your Way has helped us feel more equipped with the best tools we need to be more successful in keeping control of our health care. And we are now more determined to pass this gift on to our family.
Deidre Schumaker, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Health Care Your Way Contents
Introduction: What My Mother Taught Me about Health Care
Part I: How to Get Great Health Care
1. What’s at Stake?
2. The Process, One Step at a Time
3. Three Guiding Principles
4. Help is Out There, So Ask For It
Part II: Telling Your Story with Your Own Health Care Records
5. Why Keep Your Own Health Care Records?
6. How to Create Your Own Health Care RecordMedical fact sheet
Prescription medication record
Over-the-counter medication record
General notes
Body measurements record
Test and procedure record
Family health history
Immunization record
Health care advance directive
Contact information
7. Frequently Asked Questions About Health Care Record
How to use your records
Privacy and your health care records
Electronic health records and health record services
Obtaining copies of medical records
Part III: Putting it All Together: Common Health Care Situations
8. Visiting Health Care Providers
Prepare for the visit
During the visit
After the visit9. In the Hospital: Advocate for Yourself and Those You Love
Tips from the trenches
How to help a friend or family member who is hospitalized10. Preparing for Emergencies
Personal health emergencies
Natural disasters11. Advocating For Those You Love
How to advocate for someone you care about
Frequently asked questions12. Creating Health Care Advance Directives
Why you need one, no matter how young you are!
Situations to consider
Choose an agent to represent you
Who makes a good agent?
Put your choices in legal form
Communicate your wishes
DNR directives
Frequently asked questions13. Protecting Yourself From Errors
Concrete steps to avoid medical errors
Problems that lead to medical errors14. Health Care Your Way
