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.