The Smart Patient’s Handbook

It isn’t easy to be a patient. Aside from the worry about having an illness or injury, there are doctors to visit, tests to be performed, drugs to be taken, and the recovery process.

All of these steps can take a lot of time and money, and the best course of action is not always clear. Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how to deal with all the biggest hurdles ahead of time?

Now you can be prepared. The Smart Patient’s Handbook was specifically designed to help you navigate the health care landscape like a seasoned pro. Get the information the doctors know so you can make informed health care decisions, learn about the latest research on immune system boosting foods and supplements, get simple strategies to decrease the cost of prescription drugs, learn how to find a doctor you can work with, and more. These tips are also important for caretakers or even for people who must take care of their pets.

This book also has a glossary with over 385 useful medical words defined in plain English. It makes complicated health care issues easy to understand.

Whether dealing with a potentially fatal disease or the common cold, everyone wants the best medical care they can get. From doctors’ advice and the experience of thousands of patients who have been given the wrong tests, visited the wrong doctor, received the wrong prescription, or just needed to recover, their combined knowledge will be in your hands when you read The Smart Patient’s Handbook.

NOTE: There is no information specific to Valley Fever in this book and anyone with that disease would benefit greatly from David Filip’s other books Valley Fever Epidemic and The Official Valley Fever Survivor Medical Glossary. Although David Filip is well known for his expertise on the disease Valley Fever, “The Smart Patient’s Handbook” offers his medical insights to the general population. This book was specifically designed to improve the health of anyone seeking medical care. Although some of the information in “The Smart Patient’s Handbook” can also be found in “Valley Fever Epidemic,” this book contains additional tips that are beneficial to anyone whether they suffer from the common cold or something more serious.

David Filip has been interviewed on television and radio broadcasts for his research and technical expertise. Producers and reporters from Voice of America, BBC, the New York Times, PBS, Animal Planet, and other media outlets across the country rely on his knowledge and connections for their articles and programs on Valley Fever.

His extensive research enabled him to make www.valleyfeversurvivor.com the only comprehensive, up-to-date web site available on the disease coccidioidomycosis. He went on to author Valley Fever Epidemic, the first and only book of its kind for the general public and The Official Valley Fever Survivor Medical Glossary.

His in-depth research of medical journals and every important conference on Valley Fever is matched only by his telephone and e-mail contact with leading researchers and thousands of Valley Fever Survivors.

When he saw that the patient care information could apply to nearly all medical cases, no matter their health issues, he wrote The Smart Patient’s Handbook to ensure everyone knows how to achieve the right medical care.

Filip is the communications director and co-founder of Valley Fever Survivor, the premier coccidioidomycosis advocacy, education, and support organization. He is also a member of UC Merced’s Valley Fever Network Faculty and has a BA in Communications from the University of Washington. By bringing the medical, military, historical, and personal facets of Valley Fever together, his knowledge and expertise “connects the dots” in ways that bring the complete scope of the Valley Fever epidemic to light.