As thousands of youngsters head off to kindergarten this week, it occurs to me that some of our best healthcare lessons are based on what we learned when we were children:

Be respectful and expect respect: Early on, we learned to be polite and to stick up for ourselves. The same holds true for working with our healthcare providers. It’s important to be respectful of their education and abilities. But we are the experts about our own bodies, so it’s good practice to command respect from our providers in return. That creates a good partnership.

Make friends: Whether it was in the classroom or on the playground, having a group of friends to lean on was important in the good times, and the bad. That’s true for our healthcare, too. When you have a medical challenge, find others with similar challenges and get to know them. Share information among you. It’s helpful to you all.

Be honest and take responsibility: Who doesn’t remember getting in trouble for some childhood indiscretion? We learned then that being truthful got us into less trouble than if we tried to cover it up. The same goes with our healthcare decisions. Be honest with your doctor. Take responsibility for your actions. He can’t help you if you pretend you are doing one thing when reality dictates otherwise.

Follow directions: This goes hand-in-hand with taking responsibility. When you and your doctor have agreed on a treatment plan, comply with the instructions. Take all the pills in the bottle, don’t eat fatty foods, wear sunscreen; whatever your assignment is, follow through.

Be curious: We learned to read, study, and look things up in the library. Never were those skills more important than they are when you have a medical challenge. Read everything you can, study cases similar to yours, and look up words you don’t know. Your health can improve when you are curious.

Wash your hands: This is the first lesson we learn about hygiene. Now we have learned that this one tool can save lives because it stops the spread of infections that can kill us. Keep your hands washed, and expect your providers to do so, too.

Some of the best tools we can use as patients were the basics we were taught growing up. Putting them into practice will help us find our best medical outcomes.

TOP