Patient Empowerment Stat Via The Use Of Your Cell Phone
We go to our internist when we are sick and many times a referral to a specialist or a diagnostic test is required. Our cell phone can be used for immediate patient referral, and here’s how. Often, cell phone use in a doctor’s office is prohibited unless you are using it to text, surf the net, or just using it to read. Doctor’s offices really frown upon patients constantly making calls with their cell phones. The one exception is in the case of emergency. Once you see your internist/family physician or any other specialist for that matter and a referral is required, you will be given a prescription. Before the doctor gives you the prescription, ask for the doctor’s/facility’s name(in case a procedure is required-i.e.MRI, CT scan, etc.) and go to PatientReaction in order to see what other patients/caregivers with your exact condition are saying. You now become empowered and can make an instantaneous decision and engage the doctor referring you. If you don’t feel comfortable with the referral in hand ask the doctor to give you at least two other options regarding the referral. You can go home, engage the PatientReaction platform more comprehensively and get even more empowered so that you can ensure yourself of an excellent choice regarding the referral.
Remember, no matter who your referring doctor is and the system that they are part of, no one system has all the GOATS(greatest of all time) that make up the available doctors in your area. You as the patient/caregiver (in conjunction with your physician’s guidance) are ultimately responsible for your choice of healthcare provider. It is your choice that determines your medical outcome. With medical error as the third leading cause of death in the United States currently, we must do all we can to improve upon this horrible statistic. Clearly, patient empowerment stat with the use of your cell phone is a good start.
