On being a proactive health care consumer: Making an “unresponsive” system work for you

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the proactive adaptations that patients can undertake to successfully navigate today's increasingly complex health care system. Our report urges a paradigm shift in patient and family expectations, moving from expectations of “patiently” awaiting good care to taking responsibility for finding and getting optimal health care services. We consider the role that key informal health care partners (caregivers) can play in facilitating these proactive adaptations. Based on extensive participant observations by the authors during recent illness episodes, we present a framework for planning and implementing proactive adaptations which can improve the health care that consumers receive.

Citation

Kahana, E. and Kahana, B. (2001), "On being a proactive health care consumer: Making an “unresponsive” system work for you", Jacobs Kronenfeld, J. (Ed.) Changing Consumers and Changing Technology in Health Care and Health Care Delivery (Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Vol. 19), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 21-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0275-4959(01)80005-3