Also, you need to know the key strategies to make the most of your meeting.
Here are some examples:
Be courteous, comfortable and frank during your meeting
Describe clearly what you know about your condition
Share what you have learned about treatment options
Respond honestly yet courteously to the provider's recommendations,
especially if you disagree.
Pace the interview and remember to listen.
Keep the details straight. Taking notes or bringing a tape recorder can
help.
Use your intuition as well as you mind when sizing up this
professional.
This step requires that you make the effort and take the time to visit a
health care provider. Sometimes you will also have to pay a small fee for
the provider's time. You'll find, however, that the effort, time and money
in a productive interview is a good investment in your health.
Step Five: Forming a Partnership
Maximize your healing potential by developing an active alliance with your alternative health care provider.
A health care professional as a "partner" may be a new concept for you. As
a result, you may feel like your are making up the rules as you go along.
For the most part you will be.
In order to have the best results from such a partnership, it is important
to bring "The Four Cornerstones To All Good Health Care Relationships."
into this special relationship. These cornerstones will help you form a
relationship that will benefit both you and your health care provider. They
are:
1. Mutual respect and caring
2. Honest communication
3. A shared commitment to healing
4. A treatment contract
To ensure that your health care partnership produces the results you want,
use "The Four Action Steps for Forming A Successful Health Care
Partnership." They are:
1. Be responsible for agreeing to, monitoring, and evaluating
the treatments you receive
2. Negotiate a "health care contract" with your provider
3. Support your healing physically, emotionally, mentally,
and spiritually
4. Practice balancing flexibility with inflexibility
For more details on "The Four Cornerstones" and "The Four Action Steps" and
other valuable health care partnership information refer to Chapter 5 of
Five Steps To Selecting The Best Alternative Medicine.
By forming a health care partnership you join an ever growing number of
health care consumers who have empowered themselves by taking control of
their health care destiny. Keep in mind that your goal is to have a
beneficial alliance with a health care professional so you can get healthy.
Remember to keep the concept of getting health as your main objective.