Kidney School™—a program of Medical Education Institute, Inc.

Module 3—Working with Your Health Care Team

The idea of being the leader of your health care team may be new to you. If so, you're not alone. Many people take a passive role with health professionals. They don't see themselves as having something to offer, or don't think their care team wants to hear from them. After all, the doctors and nurses are the experts. Right?

What Two Patients Say About Being on Their Health Care Team

"I'm part of the team. I can tell them if something's wrong with me and how I'm feeling, and then ask a question, 'Is that normal?' And they can say, 'Well, I don't know,' or, 'Yeah, it is kind of normal.' And so then you're not thinking of yourself as, 'Well, I'm feeling crazy.'" –Kelly, hemodialysis patient

"I think before the treatments can work, you've got to kind of do your part. Like liquids—taking in too many liquids, that's something that's done very innocently. I didn't know that I would want a glass of lemonade as bad as I do, but now I'm very conscious of the fact that, you know, I take a half a glass, not the full glass." –Harold, hemodialysis patient

Which option best describes your approach to working with health care professionals?

I see them as the experts, and I just follow their advice
I want to work with them more but I don't know how
I try to learn as much as I can by asking questions

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