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Benefits and Risks: 5 Tips on How to Talk About Surgery With Your Doctor

By U.S. News & World Report

In the modern era, when surgeries and procedures are safer than they have ever been, all surgeries still come with risk. Trying to understand the risks of surgery and what they mean to you can be daunting. Bringing the following five concepts to your conversation with your doctor prior to surgery can help you make sense of the risks and decide whether a particular treatment is right for you:

1. Identify your goals ahead of time — a crucial and undervalued first step. Every surgery, procedure and even medication has both possible benefits and risks. The choice to undergo a surgical procedure can be a finely balanced one, and is different for most people in many different ways. By figuring out what your goals are and sharing them with your doctor, you can guide the conversation toward identifying the best strategy for you. For some, the goal is living as long as possible. For others, it’s avoiding a long recovery. Setting guideposts before you map the path to recovery can help your doctor tailor your therapy.

[See: Creative Ways Hospitals Reach Diverse Populations.]

2. Define the context. Among the hardest parts of discussing the risk of a procedure with your doctor is that the percentages often become a string of numbers — the abstract chance that something bad will happen. Even for the most informed patient — and even for physicians — it can be hard to make sense of the numbers.

That’s why it’s important to understand context, in terms of both other procedures and surgeries and the risk of not proceeding with surgery. A 10 percent risk of death from surgery, for example, may seem significant if the average risk of death from any surgery is 1 percent. Alternatively, it may seem like a risk worth taking if the threat of dying from your condition is 50 percent. So, when your doctor starts talking about the percentages, ask him or her to provide context — the risk of doing nothing, the overall risk of similar procedures and where your surgery fits within those parameters.

3. Ask to be graded on a curve. Every patient is different, and the combination of individual medical conditions and baseline level of functioning uniquely affect your risk of surgery. Increasingly, there are calculators and algorithms available that help doctors better refine that risk assessment; but the truth is, for you, the specific probabilities are not that important. The key question is whether there’s something about your medical history or condition that makes this surgery higher risk or more challenging than it would be for others. A great way to begin a conversation about what a particular surgery means for you starts with asking your doctor the question: “Compared to everyone who gets this type of procedure, is my risk low, average or high?”

[See: How to Be a Good Patient Wingman.]

4. Look to consequences — not just complications. In the blur between diagnosis and treatment, the list of potential complications can feel like empty words. Most doctors will help you understand the most common and most serious complications. Doctors should try to discuss what the complication would mean for the patient’s lives and lifestyles. For some, the risk of requiring dialysis or needing a pacemaker after a procedure is not concerning. For others, those risks weigh more heavily. Talking about life after a complication, especially a common one, can help better define whether it’s a risk you’re willing to take.

5. Decide to decide. A lot of time can be spent researching the potential benefits and risks of a given treatment plan. Further, investing in that conversation is important because fitting those risks and benefits into your personal goals and worries is the best way to figure out if a particular treatment is right for you. However, it’s important to define an endpoint for your decision-making. There will always be more information you can gather; more data on potential risks and alternatives. Nevertheless, there is a point after which more data only serves to worsen your anxiety and doesn’t help you better understand your options. So, set a deadline with your doctor and make a decision, and once the decision is made, trust in your medical team to take the best possible care of you.

[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.]

No surgery can be risk free. By focusing on the context of the risks and trying to understand how they fit with your own expectations and worries, you and your doctor can figure out a treatment plan that optimizes your path toward a healthier and happier you.

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Benefits and Risks: 5 Tips on How to Talk About Surgery With Your Doctor originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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