Be Intelligent
No one expects you to take a crash medical school course after being diagnosed with an illness. It’s not necessary that you understand anatomy and physiology or cell biology. It is important that you know how your own body works. What are the unique features of your body? What illnesses and injuries have you had? What medications are you allergic to? How do you respond to medication? It’s also important that you have at least a basic understanding of your diagnosis. You should know the actual diagnosis and all its particulars. If your specific disease has stages, phases or degrees, know where you are on the continuum. Do enough research so that you aren’t buried in information on your first doctor’s visit.

Be Curious
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it could save your life. Today’s healthcare culture is about increasing the numbers of patients seen by doctors while reducing the reimbursement schedules and insurers increasing malpractice insurance premiums. Curiosity allows you to feel prepared for your consults. It shows the doctor that you are part of the team and not simply a bystander or a victim. Curiosity may even get the doctor to think twice about a test, a diagnosis or a treatment. It tells the doctor that you’re not simply a tourist in this process, but you are truly the CEO of your own health. Curiosity also keeps the medical team connected to you even when you’re not present. They will think about questions or research answers about protocols and outcome studies so the next time you come in for a visit they are just as prepared as you.

Be Assertive
Western culture has created a power imbalance between the doctor and patient. It’s not uncommon for doctors to be put on pedestals, unfortunately that means many fall off. When meeting with your healthcare team make clear your expectations. If you feel a particular test needs to be done, don’t take a simple “no” based on the insurance company declining the request. It’s fine to ask the doctor or hospital to appeal the decision and requesting the doctor to provide additional information if necessary to make sure the test is authorized. If you have specific side effects that you don’t feel are being addressed make a firm request of your provider. Suffering should be eliminated at every possible juncture of your treatment process. This is no time to be a wallflower. Your presence is important, so make sure your voice, your concerns and your problems are addressed.

Becoming your own healthcare advocate provides you with a sense of ownership. It gives you the presence of mind to partner with your healthcare team. You’re empowered to ask questions at every step of the process. Your inner strength translates to improved immune function. We all need an advocate so either step up and take that role or team up with someone who has the experience in that position, but don’t be led down a path without having a voice.

Creating, building and working your advocate list are different from networking. Where networking is the building of business contacts (which is also a good thing) an advocate refers you because you’re you!

An advocate’s relationship is often built on their perceptions of your character and values. Take a look at these scenarios and you’ll get what I mean.

“I play golf each month with my brother-in-law (high end game, control, family) who’s a plumber (apprenticed, good focus, attention to detail, makes decent money). He always goes home after the round is finished (responsible, family man)”

Advocates perception Why wouldn’t I refer him when I can – he’s a good guy with decent values – doesn’t really matter what kind of plumbing he does!.

“I like my accountant, she’s always so bubbly (enthusiastic, accessible) when she visits me (goes to customer – good customer service) and I always learn new ways to save money or improve cash flow (up to date on practices, policies, legislation, customer coach)”

Advocates perception: Why wouldn’t I refer her when I get great service, she’s fun to be with and knows her stuff!

When it’s personal, your advocate will experience that “afterglow” that comes with having referred you, will feel good about what they’ve done and usually that’s all the reward they need. Because they like you, respect you, believe in you and it’s personal.

But make sure you recognize them in turn. Never let more than a few weeks go by without touching base with each of your advocates. It doesn’t matter whether it’s by phone, a get together, a meeting, e-mailing them, writing a personal note or, of course, by being their advocate too!

Aside from information dissemination, the National Arthritis Foundation is also supporting arthritis research. They act as a management and coordinating body that works hand in hand with pharmaceutical organizations to push through arthritis research for the benefit of patients. They are also working closely with arthritis specialists to attain these goals.

One of the major aims of the National Arthritis Foundation is to inform patients and the entire public population for that matter, all about the traditional and the newly discovered medicines, developments, and technologies for arthritis. They do this by distributing pamphlets and newsletters to interested individuals. The foundation had also established a public forum for everybody who has concerns, questions, and doubts about anything related to arthritis.

The National Arthritis Foundation’s primary priority is the welfare of the patients. As such, they have setup up financial programs that would provide subsidies for the surgical treatments and medical requirements of arthritis patients who are in dire need of financial assistance. Most arthritis patients choose to merely go through the pain and symptoms of their disease simply because they can’t afford the doctor fees and the hospital bills.

In line with this, new and current researches are being pushed through to provide arthritis patients the most economical yet effective way to treat the disease. The more affordable the new medicines produced are, the bigger support they get from the foundation.

The National Arthritis Foundation is guided by their mission and vision of caring for their patients. Part of their goal is to touch all arthritis patients all over the world with relevant information and helpful drugs that can easily be obtained from valid sources. The foundation acts like an advocate against arthritis, including its ill effects to the health and the patient’s life in general.

The main tools of National Arthritis Foundation in achieving these goals are qualitative and quantitative researches and education. They are willing to invest on studies that would bring forth helpful developments that arthritis patients can use to improve their condition and allow them to live life as normally as possible.

Right now, the National Arthritis Foundation has thousands of members hailing from all walks of life. Their circle of members includes arthritis patients, health professionals, and caregivers. They also have members that belong to the general public who are concerned with arthritis and are more than willing to contribute anything they have that can be helpful.

The foundation is governed by an elected general council and an executive committee. These people oversee the functions and works of the foundation and make sure that everything flows smoothly. To further help the foundation attain its goals, three volunteer subgroups were formed. These are the Juvenile Lupus Club, Juvenile Arthritis Club, and the Singapore Ankylosing Spondylitis Club.

The first two sub-clubs of the National Arthritis Foundation are created chiefly for the benefit of arthritis-infected children. They act as a support group for teens and kids who are going through arthritis at a very young age. They are established in 1998 and 2002 respectively.

The objectives of these subgroups are the same as the National Arthritis Foundation’s goals. The only difference is that they support a more specified group of people, and in this case, the children. Their usual goals of providing care, moral support, concern, and educational information are still the same. The children’s parents are also greatly involved in this project so that their children with arthritis are given the right level of care and attention that they need.

The National Arthritis Foundation works in support of the arthritis community in making sure that no patient is going through the pains and hardships of arthritis unnecessarily. Arthritis is a very manageable disease these days. Managing and caring for it is not as difficult as it was before. With the right help and support, arthritis would be a simple disease with simple treatments.