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October marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With one in eight women receiving a diagnosis in her lifetime (in the U.S.), there’s a high chance this disease has impacted you, if not by your own experience, perhaps through a friend or relative’s diagnosis. Early detection is the best way to stay ahead of this disease, and that involves taking ownership of your own health. Your first step is to ask for copies of your mammograms.

If you have a good brand, use it.

Major cities are often home to leading specialty hospitals. We think of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for cardiac care and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City for cancer; brands that are recognizable around the world. The best physician-specialists are attracted to the best hospitals, bolstering their expertise.

Note: When urgent treatment is required, it is important not to wait to receive a second opinion. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.

Think about the last time you bought a car. If I were a betting woman, I would wager that you shopped around at many dealers, spoke with friends and family about your options, and gathered all the information you could before deciding on the vehicle that would hopefully transport you for years to come. As well you should – a purchase of that size is a big commitment.

Patients are becoming more and more involved in their own healthcare decisions. Thanks to high-deductible health insurance plans and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), patients frequently make these important decisions around when and if they will seek health care.

Health care is trying to keep up with the digital age, but unfortunately, it’s failing. Thanks to the internet, you can complete almost every essential life task online from ordering groceries, to buying movie tickets and paying bills. When it comes to transferring your medical records to a new physician, though, you frequently run into a technological dead end. Despite the patient portal and electronic health record (EHR) platforms available, there seems to be no easy and efficient way to deliver concise, relevant health information, including medical images, to the right place at the right time. It's clear that health care has a last mile problem.