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The success rate of this program shows that to wage war against disabilities it is important to have high-quality medical care. Here are some ways to help ensure you get that care.

School yourself in the modern point of view. You and your physician are collaborators. The doctor is obliged to treat you as an intelligent person, to explain things to you carefully in understandable terms. You have the obligation to want to know and should take the following steps to be a responsive partner in your care.

Call your doctor when you experience any unusual new symptom or physical change. It is not necessary to pick up the phone at every headache or cold, but when anything unusual happens physically, give your doctor a call. If thoughts like these give you pause – “It’s old age”; “I don’t want to bother the doctor”; “He can’t do anything for me” – tell yourself, ‘ ‘Until I get my medical degree, I’ll let Dr. Jones be the judge.”

Visit or call armed with a written list of questions. Many people get flustered when they talk to a doctor and forget half of what they wanted to say. So be organized. Write down every question before you see your physician. Make your list as comprehensive as possible. Understand that difficulties such as getting to the store are also legitimate problems for the doctor to help you with.

Ask for exact information about what tests, treatments, and diagnoses mean. Do not accept “doctorese.” Insist on explanations you can understand. When the doctor prescribes drugs, know what to expect and what the possible side effects are. When your physician suggests surgery, know the risks and the nonsurgical alternatives.

Question your doctor thoroughly if anything is unclear. Squelch the thought, “She’s too busy” or “I’m being difficult.” Take all the time you need. If you still have doubts or questions after you leave the office, get more information. Don’t hesitate to call back armed with a new list.

If necessary, read about your problem on your own. Go to a library and check out some medical books. You may not have gone to medical school, but any intelligent person can become a lay expert in an area of special concern.

Report side effects of medications or treatments promptly. If a prescribed drug makes you feel bad, rather than suffering in silence or not following through, call back. Your doctor may be able to suggest an alternative treatment that works without having the side effect.

When surgery is recommended, get other opinions. Medicare will pay for any surgical second opinion and also pays the full cost of a third if the first two doctors disagree. To get a second opinion, rather than asking for a name from the specialist who recommended the operation, call your family doctor for a referral. Or try this approach: call a top-rated teaching hospital and ask for an appointment with the chairman of the department that handles your disease (the chief of cardiology, oncology, etc.). If you cannot see that person, ask for a referral to another senior faculty member. For your own peace of mind, try to get any second opinion about surgery from the very best source. Since some of these suggestions may be difficult to implement on your own, consider asking a relative or close friend to help. Could your brash son-in-law be prevailed on to set up an appointment with that ultra-competent, hard-to-reach specialist? On your monthly visits to the doctor, could your daughter or Mrs. Smith from around the corner accompany you? Because things move so quickly during those often-rushed office visits, having a companion (that is, an ally) to step in and slow things down may increase the chance that your concerns will be heard. Meet beforehand to formulate your list of concerns and questions. And check with one another before you leave the office: “Was anything Dr. Jones said unclear?” “Do I have other things to ask?”

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GENERAL HEALTH