The patient empowerment concept, a recent outgrowth of the natural health movement, asserts that to be truly healthy, people must bring about changes in their social situations and in the environment that influences their lives, not only in their personal behavior. See patient rights for a discussion of the legal and human rights of patients, which are significantly less controversial.

Key tenets of the patient empowerment philosophy:

• Patients cannot be forced to follow a lifestyle dictated by others.
• Preventive medicine requires patient empowerment for it to be effective.
• Patients as consumers have the right to make their own choices and the ability to act on them.

See also

• US Patients' Bill of Rights

External links

• Moynihan R, Smith R. Too much medicine? British Medical Journal. 2002 Apr 13; 324(7342): 859-60. PMID 11950716
• Patient Empowerment - from NaturalHealthPerspective.com
• Patients Are Powerful - Patient Advocacy - nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to helping medical patients improve their overall managed healthcare by teaching them their rights and what it takes to negotiate HMOs.
• Patient Advocate Foundation a national non-profit organization that serves as an active liaison between the patient and their insurer, employer and/or creditors to resolve insurance, job retention and/or debt crisis matters relative to their diagnosis through case managers, doctors and attorneys. Patient Advocate Foundation seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability.