How to Be a Patient: The Essential Guide to Navigating the World of Modern Medicine

Registered nurse Goldberg guides patients and their loved ones through the “dysfunctional medical-industrial complex,” offering advice on how to choose a provider, ask the right questions, and demand or deny treatment. An advocate for patient rights, Goldberg stresses that “patient agency... is as important, often more important, than medical expertise and innovation.” Easy to read and informative—the book cites 2017 research suggesting female surgeons and internists are more empathetic toward patients—Goldberg’s work outlines strategies for routine, emergency, and long-term care, as well as handling pharmacies and insurance billing. Readers will learn that dressing up for appointments can yield better care, that patients can and should ask their doctors for the reasoning behind diagnoses, and, if going to the hospital, to bring a notebook to jot down questions, procedures, and medications. Goldberg also suggests what to ask to determine if a test is necessary or if one is receiving the right medication. Her book offers a solid, straightforward resource for getting quality health care. Agent: Allison Hunter, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Mar.)