At Horizon Family Medicine, we want to help you achieve your health goals.
We know that patients with chronic disease must absorb a lot of health information at their appointments. We also know that processing complex medical information during a medical visit isn’t entirely possible — you’re in a doctor’s office, often hearing things for the first time, and trying to understand how to make changes to your lifestyle to improve your health.
That’s a lot to do in one office visit.
Referrals to specialists, medication, and informational brochures help.
But, patients who have the best outcomes for chronic conditions participate in their own self-care outside the office. (Source) The more clearly a patient understands the condition or disease and its treatment, the more comfortable the patient will be with following the care plan for better health outcomes. (Source)
Of course, if you have questions about your condition, we want you to ask. Write those questions down (download this appointment checklist) and bring them to your appointment.
Between visits, use the resources here on our website to help you participate actively in your own self-care. Here’s what you’ll find and where you can find it.
HFM Resources Page — on this page, you’ll find downloadable documents you can print at home and use to monitor your health.- The blood glucose logs and blood pressure logs will help you track your health between visits. Bring the logs to your visit for your doctor to review.
- The Medicare Wellness Visit Form and the Appointment Checklist can help you keep track of questions and concerns as well as gather information for your visit.
Community Resources Page — Support groups and health education classes are available in the local community. This page also has links to senior support services and caregiver support services in Johnston County.
Online Resources Page — This page includes links to a number of online resources for patients. Categories include insurance links, Health and Wellness resources, Advance Care Planning and tools for weight loss.
Patient Education Page — This page includes a number of websites where patients can learn more about chronic disease and health issues.
Specialist Agreements — This page includes a list of specialists with whom we regularly coordinate patient care, as well as the contact information for our patient care coordinator and clinical nurse manager. If you have been referred to a specialist and need their contact information, that information can be found here.
While online resources and support groups are not a substitute for regular medical care, they play an important role in patient outcomes. Patients who actively participate in self-care through self-education, support groups and learning tend to have improved outcomes. We hope these tools help you achieve your desired health goals.
If you have any questions about how to use these resources, please let us know.