The Essential Patient Handbook" was written for the millions of Americans who are dissatisfied with their medical care and are looking for a practical no-nonsense way to get the help they need from their doctors. It contains lessons learned by two doctors (husband and wife) who endured immense challenges on the patient side of the medical care system. Here are the secrets to: getting your doctor to listen, preparing information your doctor needs to know, understanding the reasoning behind your doctor's questions, asking the essential questions about tests, diagnoses, medications, surgery, and second opinions, checking for medication side effects and drug interactions, dealing with confusing insurance and billing forms, working with your doctor when considering alternative and complementary medicines, handling difficult doctor-patient interactions, and dealing with a hospital stay. "The Essential Patient Handbook" will walk readers through the entire medical evaluation process, from the first question to the last. It provides a guide to thoroughly prepare medical information BEFORE seeing a doctor, and explains why each piece of information is crucial. Once a diagnosis is established, readers will learn how to stay on top of medical conditions by providing the information doctors need.