Clear, Accessible Information is Key to Better Health

Credit: Courtesy of CenterWell Senior Primary Care

If you have trouble understanding health information, you're not alone. Medical terminology is often difficult to decipher, and evaluating the benefits and risks of a treatment can be challenging. When faced with a serious health condition, it may be hard to take in the information and advice provided.

Unfortunately, when patients don't have the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions or properly manage their health, they're at greater risk for emergency room visits, hospitalizations and worsening disease.

As a physician who cares for older adults, I see a difference in the physical and mental health of my patients when they have a good understanding of their conditions and treatments. That's especially true for half of all older adults who live with multiple health problems. While health information can be complicated, patients deserve to have it communicated in a way they can comprehend. Here are some suggestions to help bridge the gap.

Your physician should be your first and best source of information. Knowing your full health situation, they're able to tailor information and advice to your unique circumstances. That said, if they're using medical terminology you can't understand, don't be shy about asking them to explain it to you in non-medical terms. And don't be embarrassed to keep asking as many questions as many times as needed until you understand.

Those conversations can take time, which can be a barrier if the physician has limited minutes to spend with you during your visit. To address patients' questions and concerns thoroughly, physicians at CenterWell Senior Primary Care, who specialize in caring for older adults, have extended visit times to ensure patients receive and understand the information they need.

It can be particularly difficult to absorb bad news. If you have an appointment with your physician to discuss a new diagnosis or a potentially serious disease, it's always beneficial to have a second set of ears at that visit. Consider bringing a relative or friend who is good at listening and asking questions. It can also be helpful to have them take notes so you can review the information afterward.

For patients who are not fluent in English, it's important to have someone at the visit who can help translate for them. If that's not possible, there may be a clinician in the practice who speaks the patient's language or, in some cases, a translator can be requested in advance.

Your primary care provider (PCP) can also be one of your greatest advocates, especially when helping to prepare for an appointment with a specialist or interpreting their advice. You can ask your PCP to help with questions to ask your specialist, including asking about timelines, expectations, prognoses and alternatives to surgery, if it's advised.

It's important for patients to use their voice and make themselves heard and understood.

While the internet has a lot of health information, it can be both overwhelming and sometimes unreliable. Ask your physician to recommend online resources that would be helpful. Some practices have their own educational content such as CenterWell Presents and Conviva On Demand, offering informational materials and recorded videos on a wide variety of health conditions and treatments, as well as live webinars where patients have the opportunity to interact with health educators. These online resources can be particularly important for those living in underserved areas who may have challenges accessing health care and health education.

Another helpful resource is your pharmacist. A common reason patients don't take necessary medications is that they don't fully understand the purpose of the treatment, the dosing requirements and their intended effect. Because pharmacists are specialists in this area, they may be even better equipped to address your questions than your physician. Some practices, such as CenterWell Senior Primary Care and Conviva Care Center, have a pharmacist on staff as part of their care team, working with the physician to provide the personalized information you need to manage your condition. While health information can be hard to comprehend, it doesn't have to be. Communicating with your physician and accessing information from other reliable sources can arm you with the necessary knowledge to attain your best health. When well-informed about your conditions and treatments, you'll be in a position to make the right decisions for your health and quality of life.

By CenterWell Senior Primary Care

CenterWell is a leading health care services business focused on creating integrated and differentiated experiences that put our patients at the center of everything we do. The result is high quality health care that is accessible, comprehensive, and, most of all, personalized. As the largest provider of senior-focused primary care, one of the leading providers of home health care, and a leading integrated home delivery, specialty, hospice, and retail pharmacy, CenterWell is focused on whole health and addressing the physical, emotional and social wellness of our patients. CenterWell is part of Humana Inc. Learn more about what we offer at CenterWell.com.