The Patient's Playbook

August 1, 2015

Michelson, who has worked in the health management industry for many years in various roles, significantly as founder/chairman/CEO of Private Health Management, leads readers through a four-step process of "Intensive Case Management" (immersion, diagnosis, treatment, and coordination). Practical advice includes "Be Prepared," which involves collecting exhaustive medical history notes and forming a support team. Each chapter ends with a handy "Quick Guide" summarizing the action points and occasional advice from individual physicians, e.g., "How To Cold-Call a Physician." Practical information combines with (renamed) patient experiences to help the reader relate to the important themes. Providing information to patients and caregivers to empower them to take charge of their own health-care journey continues to be a highly relevant topic. This title succeeds in displaying a beneficial point of view and achievable goals in this crowded subject area. VERDICT In a fluid, informative, and educated manner, Michelson delivers an impassioned call to arms for patients and caregivers to be their best advocate, ready to organize, question, and ask for second opinions.--Elizabeth J. Eastwood, Los Alamos Cty. Lib. Syst., NM

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2015
In an instant, illness can change everything. And, as Michelson astutely asserts, But when illness strikes, the journey to wellness is terribly confusing: a difficult language, contradictory signals, rapidly changing science, and no one to copilot. In this unique and useful book, he maps out a plan to organize competent medical care when needed. Weaving vignettes of actual patients into his presentation, he provides advice and resources that help individuals become medically prepared, make sound health-care decisions, and more likely achieve favorable results. Michelson recommends establishing a strong, active partnership with a good primary-care doctor, obtaining all your personal health records, gathering your family's medical history, and designating someone to be your health care quarterback (or advocate). He describes how to shield yourself from potentially dangerous overtreatment, identify the best specialists for specific diseases (beyond a simple Google search), and establish a strategy for possible future visits to the emergency room. Treatment fatigue, emotional vulnerability, and the specialist shuffle (the sequence of patients passed along from one type of specialty physician to another) are just a few of the intriguing and important concepts he discusses. An invaluable resource, The Patient's Playbook can effectively assist individuals in navigating the complex and often overwhelming world of illness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)