PatientLead POV
Building systematic infrastructure for healthcare navigation
We share insights on self-advocacy frameworks, strategic communication, and the realities of navigating complex or invisible illness. Each post offers practical perspectives rooted in evidence-based approaches, trauma-informed care principles, and the lived experiences of patients building their own healthcare leadership capabilities.
Ask an Advocate: Misdiagnosed?
Doctor Dismisses New Family History Information Question: I was diagnosed with MS, but I’m beginning to wonder if that’s accurate. I was adopted and recently met half-siblings,…
The Ecology of Care
How Trust, Time, and Trauma Interact in the Exam Room Every medical appointment happens inside an invisible web of forces. What you say, what your provider hears,…
The 15-Minute Appointment Trap: Why You Leave Without Answers
The 15-Minute Appointment Trap: Why You Leave Without Answers Making the Most of 15-Minute Appointments | PatientLead Health You spent twenty minutes in the waiting room, another…
Chronic Illness Superpowers
The Hidden Superpowers Your Chronic Illness Has Given You Living with chronic illness requires you to develop skills most people never need to learn. You’ve become an…
Listicle: Art of Polite Persistence
10 Ways to Push Back When You Feel Dismissed When you feel unheard, these diplomatic but firm responses help you reclaim your voice while maintaining a professional…
Ask an Advocate: Portal Mischaracterization
Chart Check: ‘Health Anxiety’ Makes an Unwelcome Appearance in a Medical Record Question: When I looked through my patient portal recently, I noticed that “health anxiety” was…
How to Cancel Plans During a Flare
How to Cancel Plans During a Flare Without Shame or Over-Apology The text sits there, drafted and redrafted: “I’m so, so sorry, but I have to cancel…
Reframing Chronic Consumerism
“Buy To Survive”: How Chronic Consumerism Shows Up In Chronic Illness, And Five Ways To Reframe It When you live with complex or invisible illness, shopping can…
What to Do When Your Doctor Visit Goes Completely Wrong
The Appointment After: What to Do When Your Doctor Visit Goes Completely Wrong You prepared thoroughly. You brought notes, questions, and documentation. But the appointment derailed completely….