Monday, July 6, 2009

Health

How to Be a Smart Patient

Posted 10/31/04

Medical information rains down on us, much of it confusing, some of it wrong. It becomes background noise, mostly ignored. This four-part guide will help you map your way through the murk and give you more power over your care. It could alter or even save your life.

1. First, focus on your needs page 48

2. Next, find a medical mentor page 54

3. Then get a second opinion page 56

4. Finally, see the best doctors page 59

This story appears in the November 8, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.

advertisement

advertisement

Symptom Search

American Hospital Association Symptom Finder

Discover possible causes of your symptoms.

NEWSLETTER

Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News and World Report delivered to you free.

RSS FEEDS

Personalize your U.S. News with our feeds of blogs and breaking news headlines.

USNews MOBILE

U.S. News daily briefings are also available on your mobile device.

Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.