𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗼.

The 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 is a step-by-step guide for patients and families dealing with heart issues.

It helps you understand:

• What is happening

• What to ask

• What to say

• Who to call

• What to follow up on

• What to do when care gets stuck

• What may happen next

𝗜𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥, 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨.

• You can’t get a heart doctor appointment.

• Your test is weeks away.

• Insurance says no.

• One office tells you to call another.

• No one seems to be in charge.

• Your symptoms are brushed off.

• A test is called “normal,” but you still have questions.

• You do not understand your new diagnosis.

• You are leaving the hospital and do not understand the plan.

• You need a second opinion.

• You are trying to help someone you love.

• You simply do not know what to do next.

𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

You may feel lost.

You are waiting.

Calling.

Searching online.

Trying to remember what the doctor said.

Trying to understand words no one explained.

And you keep wondering:

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹?

• 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴?

• 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

You are trying to make good choices while guessing your way through the system.

𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

You have a place to turn.

• Find the problem you are dealing with.

• Open the right section.

• See what it means in plain words.

• See what questions to ask.

• Use the words already written for you.

• Know what to follow up on.

• Know who you may need to call.

• See what may happen next.

• Find a next step when care feels stuck.

You do not have to know everything about heart care.

You do not have to know how the whole healthcare system works.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁.

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆.

𝗔 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗘𝗧

• 𝟭𝟭𝟯 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

• 𝟲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽-𝗯𝘆-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀

• 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆-𝘁𝗼-𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘀

• 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

• 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸-𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀

• 𝗔 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆

• 𝗔 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅

• 𝗔 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗔 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗦.

It also shows you how to 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲.

Use it for:

• ER visits

• Hospital stays

• Heart doctor visits

• Long waits for appointments

• Delayed tests

• Insurance problems

• Medicine questions

• Procedures

• Hospital discharge

• Cardiac rehab

• Second opinions

• Getting passed between doctors

• Finding out who is in charge

• Knowing what to do when the plan is not clear

𝗜𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗢.

It covers heart problems like:

• AFib

• Heart failure

• Coronary artery disease

• Cardiomyopathy

• Valve disease

• PVCs, PACs, and SVT

• High blood pressure

• POTS

• Myocarditis

• Pericarditis

• SCAD

• Aortic disease

• Pulmonary embolism

• Pacemakers

• ICDs

• And more

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦.

It can be hard to think clearly when you are scared, tired, or worried about someone you love.

That is why the playbook gives you ready-to-use questions and scripts.

Questions like:

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽?

• 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀?

You do not have to make up the right question while sitting in the room.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗚𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨.

This is a 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱.

Save it on as many of 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 as you want.

• Phone

• Tablet

• Laptop

• Desktop

Pull it up:

• In the doctor’s office

• In the waiting room

• At the hospital

• Before a test

• During a phone call

• Before you talk to insurance

• At home

• On the go

You do not have to remember everything.

You do not have to carry a big book everywhere.

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗜𝗧

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽.

𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗜𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧.

You cannot control every wait.

You cannot control every test result.

You cannot control every insurance decision.

But you can be more ready for what comes next.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲.

𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁.

𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗖 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

𝗧𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆.

Keep it ready for the next appointment, test, hospital visit, phone call, insurance problem, or hard conversation.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆.

For education and patient advocacy only. This playbook does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and does not replace care from a qualified healthcare professional.