Are You an Empowered Patient...or a Pain in the Neck?

How Do You Know if You're Carrying This Empowered Patient Thing Too Far?

Needless to say, this sometimes makes me unpopular with the more traditional practitioners who believe that "patients should been seen and not heard," or who view themselves in an old-fashioned doctor-on-a-pedestal sort of way!

But can we carry it too far? Instead of an empowered patient, are you actually a pain in the neck? Are you making common mistakes that can sabotage your efforts to get great health care?

Here are some signs to watch for...

• How Do You Know if You're Carrying This Empowered Patient Thing Too Far?
• Do You Bring in Pages of Printouts From the Internet?
• Do You Know More Than Your Doctor?
• Are You Keeping Things From Your Doctor?
• Are You Going in to the Doctor With a Long List of Questions?
• Are You Basing Your Decisions on What You've "Heard?"