As a medical practitioner for more than 30 years, I’ve witnessed many doctors who lack the responsibility and/or unwillingness to do the right thing for their patients, or are just not up-to-date on the latest medical practices. This coupled with patients’ lack of awareness of what should be the right medical care, leaves patients vulnerable to unscrupulous caregivers and results in poorer health for patients and even leads to deaths.

Seeing this has propelled me to try to use the massive amount of information available on the Internet to inform patients about what should and shouldn’t happen in their healthcare, so that they can ensure that they and their loved ones get the care they need and deserve. Is it fair that the patient has to do so much of the work? Not at all—but it is what is.

With this in mind, I formed the Cautious Patient Foundation as an arm of my non-profit Patient Always First (incorporated in 2004) to inform people of healthcare quality problems and the pitfalls in the system, teach them how to find the information they need, and coach them to interact with the system effectively to ensure quality treatment. The aim is to encourage patients to participate in their healthcare needs in order to reduce misdiagnoses and medical negligence.

At the Foundation, we aim to provide patients and their families with a platform where they can receive advice on getting quality healthcare from a credible source, and utilize the tools that can help them maintain up-to-date health records. We are also building a community for patients to participate in, share their stories and seek advice from professionals and peers.

We hope our efforts promote a positive outcome in the healthcare industry and build stronger doctor-patient relationships.

Carolyn Oliver, M.D.
Founder