Managing health care for a patient with multiple health conditions can involve many medications and specialists. A recent article by Sumathi Reddy in the Wall Street Journal features suggestions for both physicians and patients on how they can help coordinate care.
For physicians, suggestions include considering a patient’s other conditions when prescribing medications. For example, if patients are on drugs for hypertension, their doctors should ensure an arthritis prescription won’t affect them negatively. Experts also encourage communication between specialists to help keep each of them updated on a patient’s health.
For patients, tips focus on maintaining awareness of one’s health, including bringing a list of medications to appointments and asking doctors any questions they may have about other conditions. Experts also say that patients can enlist a care coordinator to help track their medications, although insurance may not cover the cost.
If you are a health professional interested in learning more, the Department of Health and Human Services offers a free course for health care professionals on care coordination.
