Health Legacy Partnership

Patient Empowerment and Education

Patients want and deserve a greater voice in their health care. Advances in information technology have given individuals unprecedented access to health-related information. Individuals can now learn about diagnoses and treatments, find local support groups, rate physicians and medical institutions, and research dietary and exercise practices.

Accordingly, the Health Legacy Partnership (HELP) strives to help patients become their own health care advocates. In fulfilling this tenant, HELP has developed several resources for individuals to use in their health care decision making. Additional educational resources such as Next Steps AfterYour Diagnosis have been made available by HELP’s co-founding partner, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). As with any health related information found online, these materials are not medical advice, only guides to help individuals make better informed health care decisions.

What to Bring to Your Doctor Visit

  1. A list of questions/concerns prioritized in case you run out of time.
  2. All prescription medications in their official, labeled containers or a complete list of them including dosage amounts.
  3. Personal health history.
  4. Personal health goals.
  5. Medical records with doctors’ notes.
  6. A dated journal of any chronic health problems, including symptoms and test results.
  7. A friend or relative for emotional support especially when expecting test results. A second set of ears will help understand and accurately remember what is said.
  8. Pen and paper to write notes.
  9. An appointment book to record follow up visits.


What patients need to know about U.S. health care?

  1. Our system is fragmented and like the monetary system needs a federal health board similar to federal reserve banks.
  2. One of the reasons health care costs are double other industrialized nations like Canada, United Kingdom, France and Germany is because we do not have competitive bidding. We do not have standard guidelines based upon data collected from millions of personal electronics medical records. If in building a house you did not have plans and specifications you could not get competitive bids.
  3. Doctors have no alternative but to use anecdotal (no evidence) recommendations because of minimal data in clinical trials. They need none scientific outcomes research on “what works best.”
  4. Most drugs are not tested on the very young and the very old. Physicians have to use their own judgment.
  5. Disparities because of race, gender, cultural differences and other factors ore frequently overlooked when diagnosing medical problems.