Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is excited to have as our guest Trisha Torrey author of You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes: How To Fix Them to Get the Healthcare You Deserve

Good day Trisha and thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you became Every Patient’s Advocate?

Trisha: 

Every Patient’s Advocate is a name I’ve given myself that describes my mission of helping patients improve their medical outcomes by taking responsibility for guiding their own care.  Accessing American healthcare, in particular, has become increasingly frustrating and can be dangerous.  So I teach patients how to navigate their care.

I know the problems well – those challenges to getting decent care.  In 2004 I found a golf-ball sized lump on my torso.  Two weeks later I was diagnosed with terminal cancer and told I needed chemo to buy myself an extra year or so. I had always been healthy and had never needed to know about navigating my medical care, so I was making patient mistakes over and over again.  I just didn’t know any better. But when you’re told you’re going to be dead, you begin getting smarter fast.

Obviously I did something right!  Six years later I’ve never had any treatment, nor have I had any new lumps develop.  Instead I’m helping others learn to advocate for themselves, and I’m here talking to and learning from people like you, Norm!  I write a newspaper column, host a radio talk show, guide the About.com patient empowerment website and travel across the United States speaking to groups of patients, providers and healthcare industry professionals.

Norm:

How did you decide you were ready to write your book?  Why do you think this is an important book at this time?

Trisha: 

This book has actually been several years in process.  It began as a book that would only address how to research a diagnosis.  But over the years, as my writing became more well known, and I received questions from both website readers and radio show listeners, I realized there were many more questions, and much more guidance was needed than just diagnosis research.  Patients recognize there are many ways the system can fail or hurt them. 

Then, as Americans became more invested in how their healthcare would be delivered through all the contention of healthcare reform discussions, I realized it was time to put tools into their hands.  Thus my book – a handbook for patients no matter what the outcomes from healthcare reform.

Norm:

What do you want your book to do and whom do you believe will benefit from your book and why?

Trisha:  

I want patients to begin understanding that the healthcare system isn’t what most think it is. You know, for our entire lives we have accessed healthcare with the expectation that healthcare is done TO us or AT us, but not WITH us.  Diagnosed with a difficult disease or condition?  Most of us don’t consider questioning whether the doctor is right – but 40% of the time, they are wrong.  Treatment not working?  Most of us don’t realize that there are many options for treatment, and there’s a chance we’ve been prescribed something that benefits the doctor more than it may benefit us. 

This book is an expose and a toolkit.  My hope is that all patients will allow their eyes to be opened, and then will act on what they have learned.

Norm:

What was the most difficult part of writing your book?  Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? What was one of the most surprising things you learned from your book?

Trisha:  

The most difficult part of finishing the book was just making myself do it.  I write all the time, but fitting in a book around what I already do wasn’t easy.  I gave up many evenings with my husband (and we are newlyweds!).  I gave up weekends.  I just made up my mind it was going to be finished.  Like anything important, it took commitment.

What I learned!  Plenty. I had many ideas about some of the problems that exist in healthcare, but when I did the research to support my theories with statistics, I would often find that the problem was far worse than even I understood.

Norm:

Where do you get your information or ideas for your book?

Trisha:  

Most of the fodder for my book comes from questions I’ve received from readers and listeners, supplemented by news headlines which led me to people with answers and ideas.  The truth of the American healthcare system is far stranger than fiction.  Most of the ideas for dealing with the system are simply common sense, tailored to whatever the hurdle might be.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Trisha: 

I took the scenic route to publishing.  I began with an agent from a very high end agency in New York.  She successfully identified two large, well-known publishers who pursued contract possibilities… BUT!  During a phone conversation with the first, as much as they “loved” my concept, they wanted me to co-author it with a physician.  However – if you’ve read the book you realize that makes no sense. (In fact, I believe that the doctors who have written books to help patients become smart patients are simply teaching us patient-chickens how to behave in the fox-henhouse.) 

The second publisher, again telling me they were VERY interested, loved the concept but wanted it to be focused on one disease or condition. Since I am not a medical person and have no medical training, that would have been all but impossible to do.  Plus, it would have left all other patients out in the dark. I actually understood – and liked – the idea.  But it wasn’t where I wanted to start.

Eventually I found a hybrid publisher – Langdon Street Press.  My book had to go through the same sort of acceptance process, but I am, in effect a self-publisher.  That means I was able to make all the decisions about its publication with their guidance.  They are the experts in the nuts and bolts, providing me with the tools I needed to get the job done the way I wanted it done.

The best decision I made about the finished product, I believe, was the cover design. I wasn’t interested in stethoscopes or blood pressure cuffs or even doctors!  I wanted something that said “vulnerable patient.”  I think we nailed it.

Norm:

What has been the feedback to your book, particularly from health service providers?

Trisha: 

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from both patients and providers. Patients feel empowered, and providers are appreciative that I help patients understand the constraints and hurdles they face, too. When I read a positive review, I often cry.  Sometimes I’m just overwhelmed when someone explains how the book is helpful to them. I’ve filled a knowledge gap that needed filling, and the people who read my book are appreciative of my efforts. It’s just incredibly gratifying.

Norm:

Any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

Trisha: 

 I’m just getting started with the marketing.  One of my favorite ways to market is to speak to large groups about the book, and include the book in their ticket price, or the cost of admission.  I’m also doing quite a bit of outreach on Twitter and Facebook.  Soon I’ll be doing teleconferences and phone seminars with patients and providers, too.

Norm:

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)

Trisha: 

Yes I am.  You Bet Your Life!  will be a series of books – think Chicken Soup for medical problems.  I’m tapping into experts to write them – those with knowledge of specific diseases and conditions.  So, for example, The 10 Mistakes Every Diabetes Patient Makes, and The 10 Mistakes Every Pregnant Woman Makes.  I expect we’ll publish these and/or others beginning in late 2011.

Norm:

How can our readers find out more about you and your book? 

Trisha:  

The book’s WEBSITE has both information about the book, including the first 50 pages to be read for free, plus links to any other information someone might seek.

Norm: 

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?  (nope!)

Trisha:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors

Thank YOU Norm!              

Click Here To Read Norm's Review of You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes: How To Fix Them to Get the Healthcare You Deserve

Click Here To Purchase You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes