Dr. Amy Comander: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?
Why is it important to empower patients? Expert Dr. Amy Comander from Massachusetts General Hospital shares a quote that she uses to help patients with goals for their cancer care.
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Transcript:
Dr. Amy Comander:
I love this question because as an oncologist, I love to empower my patients to take charge of their care and do everything they can to live a healthy life. And I often will think of a question, and this is actually related to one of my favorite running stars, Des Linden. I have to give a shoutout. I live in Boston. She won the Boston Marathon in 2018, and she’s famous for this quote, “Think about your why.” What is your why with any goal that you’re trying to achieve?
And so I will ask my patients that question, like, “What is important to you? What is your why?” And that might be being around to spend as much time as possible with their grandchildren, or that may be losing 10 pounds to fit into a dress for an upcoming wedding. Every person is going to have a different goal or a different why. And I really try to connect with my patients to understand what that goal is for them and what is important to them. And that helps them feel empowered to take charge of their health and achieve that goal.
