Toolkit for Patients
One of our programs is the ToolKit for Patients
Here at Signature Healthcare Foundation, we believe that no patient should be confused as they navigate through the healthcare system. Our Toolkit for Patients aims to:
- Minimize the amount of these overwhelming situations by simplifying the terms healthcare teams utilize day-to-day
- Provide organized resources for helping answer pressing questions such as:
- Comparing costs
- Checking hospital or physician ratings
- Providing a place to start your own research
While information is important, reliability of that information is equally as important,. Thus, we pull our resources from places such as the U.S. National Library of Medicine for “Understanding My Medical Bill”, and Johns Hopkins for “What Should I Ask My Doctor?” pages.
Using these same resources, we have also developed a 10-question list within the Toolkit for patients to use when asking about their own healthcare cost. Some of these include:
- What are the benefits of doing or not doing a treatment, procedure, or test?
- Are there less expensive treatment options available?
- Is there a difference in price depending on where a test or procedure is done?
Medical Resources for Patients
As a patient, navigating the healthcare system can be challenging. You need the best information about your care and treatment. But where’s the best place to find it? And how do you know if you can trust what you read?
Questions You Should Ask Your Doctor
Information is power. If you’re informed about your healthcare choices and costs, you can make the best possible decision for yourself or loved one. But in order to do that, you have to get the information—and most patients don’t know how to get it.
Understanding the Healthcare System
Healthcare is complicated. The terms sound like a foreign language, and navigating hospitals, doctors and insurance companies can be overwhelming even for the most experienced patients.