Today I went to one of my health care provider's clinics and ran into a former patient who now also is going there (for chronic fatigue). I was happy to see him there because .. as you know if you've read my blog in the last few weeks .... Grand Junction is 'on the map' as a particularly progressive medical community. I knew that before this patient was referred to me a few years ago, he had gone to the west coast to a clinic and I'd wished that he and his family had somehow been able to find 'us' (the local providers) before going to such expense, because we have quite a good group of doctors, psychologists and therapists of different types that we can route people to.
He was unaware that I'd stopped seeing patients at the clinic and started Lumigrate.com in order to make the concepts I was providing in occupational therapy sessions related to the "occupation of health care" available to more than a handfull of people a day and my concerns for the increasing difficulties of an insurance-based occupational therapy practice. I listened to what he has done in life and for his health since we worked together on his health care in therapy (learning to keep records of important notes, labs, studies) and was so grateful to have run into him because he not only is continuing to go to local providers, he told me about another clinic he has gone to back east and it's doctor which I had never heard of and plan to study up on since he had liked their program (and was finding additional expertise with our mutual provider).
As you see in the 'YOU!' model on our home page, it shows the patient as chosing the providers they consult with for advise around them, putting the patient in the middle and therefore feeling empowered and having a feeling of 'self efficacy' ("I can be effective"). They not only have that 'role', they are the best one to be learning about other providers who might help them or someone they know, or other resources. I wholeheartedly believe that patients are teachers to their providers by not only bringing them new resources (bringing in books, articles, or telling them about helpful websites), but by bringing with them their medical information from other providers, which the providers then can 'cross polinate' and learn from as well.
Each provider is unique, just as each consumer is unique. Each has their niche that is their area of expertise and strength -- some moreso than others, as some providers are 'generalists' and some are very 'specialized'. And ALL are important to have on your team IF you need them. Each one can 'shine their light' of knowledge onto your path of health and well-being and make it brighter, hopefully bringing you from chronic illness to chronic wellness, or keeping you well if you are.
Years ago a woman attending the educational forum on fibromyalgia that Dr Young and I co-led walked in and handed me a book (therefore being the teacher in that moment) and excitedly said 'I wanted YOU to see this book!' I didn't look at the author's name, just put it on my desk when I returned to my office. I opened the book while on 'hold' on the phone and saw it was SO good, I looked to see the author's name, and it was my first MD in Denver, who I would not have been able to have worked as an OT had I not read about in the paper and selected to be on my 'team'. He bundled me up when I had to travel to Grand Junction to work for over a week (when I needed weekly treatments at the time), with all that I needed to have another agreeable physician be able to do the progressive 'stuff' he was doing, and it changed the career path of the woman physician who had agreed to help me. She in turn knew about the provider whose office I was at today, as they had been in residency together or around the same time and said 'there is a doctor in Grand Junction I want you to see'. Where today, 12 years later, I was very appreciative to learn about another book and clinic I'd never heard about, since that is the 'business of Lumigrate' .. to find those providers and help route people to good information (such as the blog about Dr. Teitelbaum and From Fatigued to Fantastic in the past when he spoke at the conference I was invited to present about my model of activated and empowered patients). My teachers today were both the former patient and the provider and his staff -- it's a team for people to get well and we hopefully ALL want the same thing: healthy people.
I hope that every provider or patient/consumer who reads this blog and visits Lumigrate.com will continue to shift to more comfort having the consumer/patient be having the central role of chosing their providers and want their patients to know about all their options, because if you feel like you are at the last of your list of things to try it is a very bleak place -- I have been there and know. It is all of our jobs to keep our ears and eyes open for good information, talk with each other, chose our providers and know what we are needing to do each day an in the future perhaps for our health care and it's team. That team changes -- mine thankfully has been reduced in recent years and it appears it has been reduced again as my place in that provider's schedule will be taken by someone more in need now. It is important for providers to also know other providers and make their patients aware of other providers who might also be able to help them now or in the future. I cross-shared many patients with other clinics in Grand Junction because sometimes we (OTAssistant and I) were not the only answer for that particular patient's needs. And other OTs did the same, as we had specialties they didn't, or maybe we had a different 'spin on it' and could help the patient.
On facebook, I am 'friends' with the author of the link below and saw a post he had made about chronic pain (which is interesting information) and poked around and found the information I wanted to share with you today on chosing your health care disciplines and providers. I think this is an EXCELLENT piece, so I wanted it to have a place on Lumigrate.com for YOU to be better educated consumers AND providers! A critical piece I was glad was addressed was 'is it really going to help solve the problem or make you feel better temporarily' and as you will see, a very straightforward and complete list.
Please email through the website here any comments -- love to have feedback.
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [2] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Links:
[1] http://blog.rothbartsite.com/2009/08/13/spend-your-healthcare-dollars-wisely-by-choosing-the-right-healthcare-provider.aspx
[2] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[3] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/its-about-choices-healthcare-spending-and-you#comment-43
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/its-about-choices-healthcare-spending-and-you#top
[5] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/141%23comment-form
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/141%23comment-form
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/its-about-choices-healthcare-spending-and-you#comment-47
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/its-about-choices-healthcare-spending-and-you#comment-120
Comments
Great blog! Be sure to click on the link and read the accompanying article. It is about YOU! If your health care in not in your best interest then what possible benefit will you derive from it. If it is not about you - run - run the other way.
Personally I have been seeking help all summer and have good experiences and horrible experiences. The article by Prof/Dr Brian A. Rothbart is so relevant to my personal experiences.
Dr. Rothbart asked if your healthcare provider spends adequate time with you. I have told my friends that in some offices I felt that I was being herded like cattle. My orthopedic doctor does the best disappearing act I have ever seen. I asked one of his nurses, who happened to live next door, how many patients he saw in a day and she said 100 in a four hour clinic. Whew - that is NO CARE for anyone. Guess who will be finding a better provider.
If you have followed Mardy's blog entries you may wonder why your health community is not as progressive as hers. I have often wondered that about mine. Why when you mention suppliments do some doctors look at you as if you had extra limbs and no brain? Why do they think they are progressive if the only progressive thing they have to offer is the lastest and newest prescription medicine available. They have that because the pharmacutical companies are so well represented. Sadly, in many cases there are as many pharmaceutical representatives in the waiting rooms, waiting to see the doctors as there are patients.
Why won't the insurance companies cover progressive or alternative type treatments?
You are your best advocate. Study, study, study. Seek knowledge. Know what you need to know when you seek care. Keep careful and acturate notes. Be prepared and demand to be treated with honor and respect.
Alice Franklin
Alice Franklin was raised on a sandy beach in Point Clear, AL and lived along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama in her youth, graduating from Fairhope High School on Mobile Bay. Prior to becoming disabled due to severe spine problems, she worked her way into management and purchasing positions in industrial manufacturing and art industries. She worked her way into Lumigrate unknowingly by impressively writing at Lent 2010 about utilizing her religious and spiritual beliefs with chronic pain/disease management (she has had fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain for decades); it turns out she holds the priesthood office of elder in her church and became active again in this office in May 2010 and has been pastor or copastor in previous churches. We are so very proud to have her words and thoughts gracing our 'pages' of this website and look forward to what the future holds for her.
Hi Mardy,
Fortunately it is very different in Australia with healthcare as we have Medicare that covers a lot of things for us at a lower price and do not have to pay the insurances like the United States does with everything. We do have the option of Private health care as well, which of course moves you up the ladder of health care and covers non-PBS medications and alternative health care providers, but again if your willing to wait a few years on our public waiting list this too can be granted to you through the public health system through the hospital, but be warned it can be a three year wait! Not good if your in chronic pain, but you just go through A&E anyway if that bad who will look after you.
Empowering yourself with as much knowledge about your condition helps when seeing your doctor as they can only help YOU if you know what's going on with you. I found keeping a diary of different pain levels and different pains helped them get a better understanding of what may be happening inside of me, and in fact some of it wasn't even related to Fibromyalgia, but old injuries.
Thank you for letting me be part of the forum Mardy
Trudy
I have not watched the video to this yet but have read through a couple of the blogs about patient care. I guess I was wondering if anyone has ever sued their "initial" doctor who had been treating them for so long and then just gave up on them and not let the patient be involved in their own care.
I personally was thrown overboard by my Internist. She had me on Methadone which I did not want to take based on the black box label from the pharmaceutical company. I was to take it 3 times a day. I barely took it twice a day. Each time I would call and ask her for something different I was ignored or told I needed to go to an inpatient facility to detox from the Methadone. She also ignored my wanting to go to PT for help. I was developing horrible menstrual cramps for about 6 months. She told me to go see my GYN. I knew that was not the problem but of course I was dismissed. I finally went to a PT on my own and was told all of my muscles were spasming which has caused the severe menstrual cramps, and actually some bowel incontinence. He told me that if I hadn't gotten help I could have become severely disabled and probably would have been in a wheel chair.
At that time I was so upset and drove home crying. Crying from pain. Crying from the knowledge I had learned. And crying because my "doctor" was allowing this to happen.
I have also had other problems with this doctor. I have changed doctor's and am getting the help I need now, but I just want to know if there is an "unethical" area that can be used against my old internist.
Thanks