Politicians and policymakers are discussing what parts of the Affordable Care Act to change and what to keep. While most of us have little control over those discussions, there is one health care topic that we can control: what we talk about with our doctor.
In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the landmark publication “Crossing the Quality Chasm." The report proposed six aims for improvement in the U.S. health system, identifying that health care should be patient-centered, safe, effective, timely, efficient, and equitable.
The idea that health care should be patient-centered sounds obvious, but what does that mean? The IOM defines it as care that is “respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values” and that ensures “patient values guide all clinical decisions.”
For this to truly happen, doctors’ appointments need to cover more topics than how you are feeling and what can be done. Does your doctor know your values?
