While every individual will have different priorities and concerns when it comes to their health, the one we can all do better is to educate ourselves about our health in general, says Diana Price, managing editor for OMNI Health Media and its properties, AWomansHealth.com and Women magazine.
It’s important to know about screening guidelines for various cancer types, recommended vaccines and schedules for other routine tests and procedures, as well as to have knowledge of your personal family medical history so that you are aware of any potential issues that should be addressed through screening or prevention.
“In addition, women can build their personal care team by developing relationships with providers who they can engage in open, honest conversations about their concerns and who can become partners in helping them make informed decisions about their health,” Diana adds.
Here, Diana checks in to discuss everything from headline-grabbing health news to how online communities are playing a growing role in helping people who are diagnosed with chronic or long-term conditions. She also offers advice about how all women can become savvier health consumers. Read on.
Tell us about A Woman’s Health…what’s on the site? Who should be reading it?
A Woman’s Health is a comprehensive women’s health resource. The content we develop for the site and for our corresponding quarterly print publication, Women magazine, covers prevention and treatment topics for a variety of common women’s health issues, including cancer, arthritis, bone health and heart disease, as well as health and wellness, nutrition, fitness and mind-body topics.
Women of all ages can benefit from the content we create. Because the topics we cover are so wide-ranging (from fertility to cancer screening to menopause to heart health to insurance to hospice care), we appeal to a really broad demographic. Our mission in all the content we create is to empower women with information about critical health concerns so that they can have open, productive conversations with their care providers and get the best-possible care for themselves and their families.
What sets your site apart from other health-oriented sites?
Many women’s health sites and popular consumer magazines today present women with brief, catchy, generic information about health issues – snippets and quick statistics that don’t often dig very deep or provide much valuable information. Our goal is different: We are dedicated to offering in-depth coverage of health topics. That means that our articles are well-researched, include citation of current research and are either authored by or incorporate insight from leading experts, along with relevant, engaging personal stories from women who have personal experiences to share.
Could you share one of the most interesting pieces of health news or research you’ve come across on the job?
While this isn’t a tidy research news item, one common women’s health issue that I’ve been following closely, and that I think we’re going to hear more about in coming years, is Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. According the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 13 million women in the U.S. have either been diagnosed with or are caring for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The costs of the disease – human and economic – are truly staggering, and while there are some drugs to help with symptoms, there is currently no cure.
One facet of your site is focusing on communities for cancer and arthritis…how are these types of communities beneficial to people who are dealing with long-term or chronic illnesses?
Online communities that have grown around women’s health issues offer an incredible opportunity for women to access information, gain emotional support and explore treatment options. Social media and online discussion forums can serve as virtual support groups and also put women in touch with experts in a wide variety of health fields.
That said, it’s important for women to be savvy consumers and to carefully evaluate where the information they are receiving is coming from and to be aware of any potential agenda of the person or group distributing that information. Always, women should communicate openly about any information discovered through online research or community interaction to their healthcare provider to see how the information relates to their unique diagnosis or treatment plan.
Another interesting note about online communities: We do market research with our readers and users; hundreds of individuals with cancer, arthritis and GI conditions use our companion social medial communities (CancerConnect.com, TheRAConnection.com, TheGIConnection.com) each day. When performing research with the patient users, we were surprised to learn that in addition to information, support and validation by others, users rated the ability to give back and share their experience with others as the most valuable aspect of their participation in these communities. The power to help others and give back is more significant than we appreciated. Patients really like to have the ability to give back at their convenience in a meaningful way (often through sharing their support and experience).
What do you think are the most common health concerns or questions women have today?
We developed our content plan around the issues that women are most concerned with today: Cancer, arthritis, bone health and heart disease are all topics that women want to learn more about, as are fertility and menopause. And, because they relate to all of these topics and to women’s overall wellness, nutrition, fitness and mind-body topics are also vital.
Separate from the physical and emotional aspects of women’s health, but equally important, are topics related to navigating healthcare today: insurance issues, financial concerns, finding good care and communicating with providers are all topics that we devote space to, as well, because we know that a woman’s ability to get good care often depends on her knowledge of how to access the services and providers who can deliver that care.
Why is it important for everyone to be more literate and proactive about managing her own health?
Advances in biomedical science have expanded the treatment options for many conditions and will continue to do so. These choices make it more important than ever to be your own advocate. Taking the time to learn about these options as they relate to your health and to plan preventive strategies with your care team is so important. When you understand your body and the health issues you face or may encounter in the future, you can make empowered decisions that you can feel good about. We’re all going to face some unexpected health challenges in our lives, but there are a lot of decisions we can make about our care that can limit those and help ensure our overall well-being.
What advice do you have on making sure you ask the right questions to your healthcare providers? What types of questions should we be asking providers that we’re not?
Maybe the most common-sense tip, but one that many women don’t consider, is to take the time to prepare for a visit with a provider in advance. Before your annual exam, for example, you might come up with a list of questions (related to cancer screening, family history, pelvic health, menopause or whatever issues you may have concerns about), so you remember to ask about any symptoms or issues that have arisen since your last visit.
I don’t know if there are necessarily “right” questions; the questions will be different for everyone and will vary significantly depending on what doctor/specialist or issue they are addressing. The important thing is that you realize that you can engage your provider and ask whatever questions are most pressing to you at that time. We also recommend that individuals consider recording their conversations with their doctor to better remember what has been communicated. Studies show that patients only recall a fraction of the information communicated to them by their doctor.
How can we all be better prepared to pay for our health problems over the course of our lives? What sorts of resources are available that can help us understand how much money we might need for medical issues as we get older?
Healthcare in the U.S. is increasingly unaffordable, and with the advent of new medicines and procedures, it seems unlikely that the current system to pay the healthcare costs of all Americans is sustainable. For individuals facing poor access to treatment due to economic issues, we have found the National Patient Advocate Foundation to be a great comprehensive resource for all things financial. We have collaborated with them many times to provide features to help our readers stay current on financial issues.
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Susan Jennings blogs about a variety of topics including health, beauty and personal finance.
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