In our book “The Confident Patient”, Beth Myers and I include a chapter for on ‘What your Medical Team Wants You to Know.’ In that chapter, we share insights from our interviews with teams of healthcare professionals on what they wish their patients knew.

When working with patients and their families, I’ve learned over the years that many family members don’t see themselves as caregivers. We all give care at some point, that’s understood. But there’s certainly a difference between what we identify as a care team, and who patients see as part of their care team.

The hospital discharge process can be a stressful time for patients and their caregivers.  I often relate it to getting ready step off a ledge: you’re not sure how high that first drop is, so it’s difficult to understand how things will go once you step forward.