The realities of American health care, 2009:Less personal medical attention due to cost-cutting and regulationA 40 percent national misdiagnosis rate, per recent surveysA critical need for people to take responsibility for their own careTargeting these issues, author Lisa Hall--whose debilitating condition took nearly ten years to properly diagnose--offers a wide variety of practical resources to empower patients. Hall's experience is buttressed by the expertise of internal-medicine doctor Ronald Wyatt, a fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.Readers will find valuable guidance on how tofind the right kind of doctor, check physician credentials, and increase benefits of office visitsmaximize Internet researchnavigate medical insurance, Medicare, workers' compensation, and Social Security disabilityreduce vulnerability to hospital mistakesorganize medical recordsThe author encourages readers to move forward step by step--and to look back and see God's plan taking shape through the difficulties.

Lisa Hall is a passionate patient advocate as a result of her nearly ten-year search for correct diagnosis and treatment for her medical condition. She is also the author of Taking Charge of Your Own Health. Her professional experience is in human resources (MS in industrial relations), and she now works as a corporate trainer. An avid runner, she just completed her first half-marathon. Lisa makes her home in Alabama.