Kidney Care Empowerment Checklist

Healthcare empowerment sounds like a great idea, but what exactly does it mean? It can feel like an intimidating goal for both patients and healthcare providers.

Many doctors may walk into an exam room with the best of intentions but not know the right questions to ask. Patients too may want to take control of their own healthcare, but they don’t know where to start.

All too often, it’s easy for conversations to focus on the patient’s illness rather than the patient’s wellness—that’s simply the status quo for the American healthcare system.

The journey to empowerment may seem like crossing an impossible river, but with the right plan, a few stepping stones come to light, and the path doesn’t seem so impossible after all. That’s why we created this kidney care empowerment checklist.

Enter your information below to download a patient self assessment and/or a healthcare provider checklist. The list is broken down into two sections. The questionnaire deals with empowerment essentials: patient awareness, understanding, and participation. The second section deals with social determinants of health, social and environmental factors that can affect a patient’s chance of success or risk of getting worse.

If you are a kidney disease patient, download the patient self assessment. Think through the questions before your next clinic appointment, and talk about them with a patient advocate (a spouse, family member, or friend). Bring the sheet to your doctor and ask how they can help you become empowered in as many areas as possible.

If you are a kidney care doctor, nurse, or technician, download the provider checklist to use with your patients. It’s also a great idea to print out both versions and have your patient self-assess too. Compare your answers to find out where you are aligned with your patient, and where there might be some gaps in understanding.

As always, let us know how you are doing, and let us know how we can continue to help equip you in your own empowerment journey.