1. Think of Healthcare as a Partnership:
For most people, healthcare has always been reactive. You have an illness or injury, you see a doctor, and they address the specific ailment. A proactive approach where a provider takes time to perform a full assessment and then helps you find ways to improve is a more innovative option. I had this experience in 2020 when I joined a concierge program. I began to see my provider in a new light as an active participant in my healthcare journey.
2. Take Advantage of New Delivery Methods that put You in Control:
The old model of taking time off work to spend hours in an office waiting your turn to see the doctor for five or ten minutes is fading into the past. Patients today have better options like receiving healthcare in the comfort of their home on their schedule or through a telehealth visit anywhere there is an internet connection.
3. Think of Your Provider as a Coach, Mentor, or Trainer:
The best athletes, CEOs, Writers, and people from all walks of life use coaches or mentors to improve their performance. Studies suggest that traditional primary care providers can only affect about 15% of a patient’s overall health. The other 85% falls to heredity and the individual’s lifestyle choices. If you have an ongoing relationship with a provider you see frequently, your chances of success improve. If a provider helps facilitate a diet or lifestyle change through encouragement and frequency rather than prescribing more medication, that is a win, win.
4. Set Healthcare Goals with Provider Guidance:
Talk with your provider about the goals you would like to achieve in 2022 and start putting a plan in place to reach them. A provider can help ensure realistic and achievable goals based on your current health. Frequent monitoring establishes a positive feedback loop to help keep you on course.
5. Live Your Best Life:
As we age, it is inevitable to have more physical problems with our bodies. Getting in front of potential issues with a good healthcare provider will assist in taking the proactive steps necessary to avoid a more severe episode or even hospitalization. The idea is to live your best possible life with the hand your dealt. Becoming a knowledgeable and active participant in your care is a great place to start.
