How will you make these choices and what support exists to assist you
during this period?
Making an informed decision is important but difficult.
The New York Times published an article on this topic in 2005 that stated:
“This is the blessing and the burden of being a modern patient. A generation ago, patients argued for more information, more choice and more say about treatment. To a great extent, that is exactly what they have received: a superabundance of information, often several treatment options and the right to choose among them.
As this new responsibility dawns on patients, some embrace it with a sense of pride and furious determination. But many find the job of being a modern patient, with its slog through medical uncertainty, to be lonely, frightening and overwhelming."
Your Medical Team is also struggling
Increased pressure on clinicians compounds this problem. In particular, these partners in your decision-making are faced with an ever-growing number of patients at the same time they are having their reimbursements cut, whether through insurance and/or Medicare reimbursements.
This often results in shorter office visits or fewer support staff. The combination of overloaded patients in decisional conflict and a rushed and overburdened medical staff is a situation in desperate need of new tools.
One of the goals of our website:
We will provide information and tools that you can bring to your doctors. We hope these will assist you in making the critical treatment decisions that you may face.
