Remember that invi-
tation to your health
network’s online
patient portal? (The
one with your deleted
emails?) Accept it.
Through this
electronic gateway,
you can view your
records and lab
results, request pre-
scription refills, make
payments, book
appointments, and
ask those embar-
rassing questions—
confidentially.
Look for a feature
called OpenNotes,
which lets you read
what your doctor
(or nurse practitioner
or physician assis-
tant) was typing.
These notes can help
you recall the top-
ics discussed during
your visit and help
you provide accurate
information to a new
doctor or specialist.
OpenNotes has
been shown to bolster
the doctor-patient
relationship. It’s part
of a movement that
encourages transpar-
ency and ownership
of your health info,
says Jennifer Wolff,
Ph.D., a health pol-
icy expert at Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public
Health. The program
keeps your data pri-
vate, but consider
sharing your log-in
info with a family
member or spouse—
the first person you
would rely on to
remind you to take
your medication.
—MEGAN DiTROLIOFinally, a
Peek at
Your Own
Medical File
6/ Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Much like a physician assistant,
an NP can diagnose and treat
anything from bronchitis to dia-
betes, send you for testing, and
write scrips. The main difference
between the two is in the training:
Nurse practitioners graduated
from nursing school with a focus
on patient and preventive care,
while PA programs focus on dis-
ease diagnosis and treatment.
EDUCATION Bachelor’s degree
in nur sing , p lus a m as ter ’s o r d o c -
toral degree.
BEST FOR Making healthy
changes. An NP can coach you
through weight loss and spell out
w hat yo u ne e d to d o to head of f
heart problems down the road.4/ Medical Assistant
It’s not the most glamorous work—
disposing of the wax that just
got extracted from your ear, for
instance—but medical assistants
are valuable. They log your med-
ical history, take vitals, send that
abnormal mole for testing, set up
appointments, and more.
EDUCATION A medical assistant
credentialing program, which
is not mandatory; medical assis-
tants are not licensed.
BEST FOR Chatting up. Ask how
your blood pressure has changed
since your last visit. Feeling ner-
vo us ab o u t an up c o m ing pro c e -
dure? A medical assistant can run
through each step with you (and
hand you water if you get woozy).
5/ Medical Insurance
Specialist
Of course you understand health
insurance. And you can fly a 747
too! Tap the expertise of an insur-
ance specialist to break down
your benefits, verify your eligibility
for procedures, and keep track
of what you owe (and don’t owe).
EDUCATION Often a certificate
in medical coding or medical bill-
ing (but it’s not mandatory).
BEST FOR Fighting the good fight
with your insurance company
when a claim is denied. Insurance
specialists are fluent in medi-
cal coding and terminology, so
they can steer you and your doc
toward the requirements needed
to se cure c over age in yo ur p lan.3
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