Health Advocates

I hope you will consider AfterShock as resource for those for whom you advocate and those you serve.

As you know, there is no time in one's life when it is more important to make judicious use of good information, not only about one's disease, but also about finding the right doctors, hospitals, and treatments - and there is no time in one's life when this feels less possible.

Writing AfterShock gave me the excuse to make a disciplined tour of the Web sites, services and print materials available from a wide range of health organizations. While I was familiar with many of them from my own work at the Center for the Advancement of Health and my years of board service on the National Health Council, I came away from this review deeply impressed by the care and effort expended by many voluntary health groups, hospitals and professional organizations to respond to the needs of people who are in a health crisis. On the other hand, I was also impressed by the number of resources available, as well as with the variations in quality and the outlandishness of health claims. You know the story.

Even for those who are familiar with medicine and medical care, finding out what you need to know when you need to know it is a challenge, given the volume information available.

In AfterShock, I provide strategies for finding and using good information and reliable resources, particularly during the first few days after one receives a devastating diagnosis. Most of the information is generic, i.e., not related to a specific diagnosis, though I reference some exceptional organizations and Web sites.

I built this Web site in order to continually refresh and update the Appendices of the book. I invite you to let me know about high quality Web sites, services, books and other materials that you think would be useful for AfterShock's audience of people who have just received life-altering diagnoses and their loved ones.

Many thanks --