“You’re sick. You need to rest.” You’ve probably heard these words at least once. Whether a parent was telling you that no, you couldn’t go out and play if you stayed home sick from school, or you stayed home from work when you didn’t feel well, you may associate illness with the need for inactivity. […]

Jenny Leyh is a mother, freelance writer, cancer survivor and integrative health advocate living in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. When you’re on a plane, the preflight safety instructions include a directive to place your oxygen mask over your face before helping others. The idea is that you must first address your own health and safety […]

Six months before her 40th birthday, my patient June began to feel the changes in her body. June noticed that she craved sweets more, had gained a few more pounds than she wanted and was more prone to injury and creaky bones. One weird night’s sleep would have her neck aching for a week. Rather […]

Inevitably in life, we or a family member will get sick or hurt at some point. Sometimes it will build slowly, and other times it pops up out of nowhere. That is why understanding the role of a patient advocate will help make a stressful time more manageable. Thankfully, we now have more resources to […]

Patients with chronic diseases—6 out of 10 adults in the United States[i]—need help to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors. “Most clinicians have a really hard time talking to patients about healthy behavior change. We either beg or threaten them to make changes. This doesn’t work very well,” says Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, MPH, a professor in […]

Half of all patients leave their medical visit without understanding what their physician said to them or what they’re supposed to do. Health coaching helps patients understand their treatment and actively participate in their care. Coaches support patients in developing and following action plans for healthier behaviors. Health coaching has clinical and operational benefits and […]