
PATIENTS
How to Be an Empowered Patient
An empowered patient is one who has influence in their healthcare interactions and affairs to improve their health and quality of life. Patient empowerment encompasses three main abilities: (1) information seeking, (2) critical self-reflection, and (3) communication skills. First, an empowered patient seeks health information from multiple sources such as clinicians, credible websites, social support networks (in-person and online), and family members