Finding the Support You Need Many patients are surprised to learn that their doctors aren’t always their best resource for answers about their medical problems. While doctors are usually good at fielding clinical questions, when it comes to managing an illness or condition every day, questions will arise they can’t answer.Who can answer those questions? Often, your best resource will be other patients who have the same diagnosis you do. You can learn plenty from other patients. Who is a good doctor for a second opinion? Are there other specialists who can help you? Where is a good place to buy a walker? Are there alternative remedies another patient has found helpful? What was another’s experience with a certain medical procedure? Answers to these types of questions, when provided by other patients who are suffering in the same ways you are, can be invaluable. One of the easiest and best ways to find other patients is through support groups. Some support groups are local, so you can attend their meetings in person. Most are sponsored by local hospitals, large physician practice groups or by associations that represent diseases such as the American Heart Association or the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society. Ask the nurse in your doctor’s office for information about these groups and find one that meets at a time convenient to you. In addition to local groups, there are thousands of Internet support groups. You’ll find that many of the same associations that sponsor local support groups provide online versions, too. There are also independent websites that house forums for individual diseases or conditions. While sharing information with other patients can be extremely helpful, there are a few cautions. First, remember that the people providing information to you are not medical professionals. If someone provides medical information to you, you’ll want to verify with your doctor that it is correct. Second, be careful to protect your privacy. In particular, the web-based support forums can entice you to give up too much personal information. Stop short of providing your full name, contact information, or anything that can point to you as an individual. Finally, don’t try to give medical advice to others. You aren’t a medical professional either!You’ll be surprised and pleased at what you can learn from other patients, and you’ll feel empowered by helping others through sharing your own experiences, too. Link here for a master list of health-related Internet Support Groups. Want to talk about this column?
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~ © 2007 Trisha Torrey | 
