“If you don’t advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office or the hospital, the system will walk all over you.”

Jasmine, an ultrasound tech and wellness creator often known as @jazzzyyy13, says most sufferers don’t notice how weak they’re in medical settings till it’s too late. In a viral Instagram reel, she outlined 5 insider suggestions for self-advocacy, methods she argues will help sufferers keep away from being dismissed or funneled into pointless procedures.

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“If you don’t know how to advocate for yourself, you’ll get rushed, dismissed, and sometimes even denied care you actually need,” she wrote within the publish’s caption.

The Aug. 31, 2025, reel racked up over 322,000 likes on Instagram and was shared by @soulprovacateur on X, the place it reached over 800,000 views. The ensuing dialog revealed that individuals have completely different views on the function of medical professionals and the healthcare business.

Some commenters who responded to Jasmine’s suggestions took challenge with the implication that docs would not have sufferers’ finest pursuits in thoughts. Those with much less religion within the healthcare system, and plenty of who shared tales about traumatic experiences with severe sickness, agreed that aggressive self-advocacy impacts care.

“Don’t you find it disturbing that you have to teach people to know these things in order to protect themselves from our healthcare system? Wild.”

5 self-advocacy suggestions that transcend the fundamentals

Jasmine stated, should you haven’t heard the following pointers earlier than, it’s as a result of they aren’t “the basic ‘bring a list of questions’ tips.” Her recommendation for self-advocacy in a medical setting comes from working inside the system.

“These aren’t the typical surface-level tips,” she stated. “These are ones that protect you from being rushed, silenced, or taken advantage of.”

1. Create accountability by requesting your physician logs the whole lot in your chart. Ask healthcare professionals to notice their responses and refusals to your questions in your chart in order that there’s a report of how your therapy plan advanced. 
2. Slow down. Jasmine stated the healthcare system is constructed to course of sufferers with pace. She suggests you say one thing like, “I’m not ready to move on yet, I have more questions,” to discourage docs from speeding. 
3. Bring a good friend or member of the family. “Always try to bring a second set of ears,” so that you’re much less prone to miss particulars. If you’re alone, ask permission to report the session in your cellphone.
4. Pay consideration to the language your physician makes use of. “When they say this is a standard protocol, ask, is this required or is it optional? Those words matter,” stated Jasmine. “Optional means you have a choice. Standard protocol doesn’t always mean it’s what’s best for you.”
5. Insist on a full clarification of options and dangers. Jasmine factors out that docs are educated to current care plans as inevitable progressive subsequent steps, however sufferers have a proper to details about choices and potential outcomes.

Nurses and former sufferers reward the reel’s practicality

Nurses and different medical business professionals within the feedback thanked Jasmine for the related suggestions. Others commented that self advocacy (and the healthcare system) is extra sophisticated. They asserted that docs should not out to get you. 

“As a retired nurse I agree with everything she said. You must have an advocate with you when going to the doctor and especially when being admitted in a hospital.”

“After working for 42 years in healthcare, this post is worth its weight in gold!!! Thank you so much!”

“I was a medical malpractice lawyer 25 years ago and I can assure you this is GREAT ADVICE 🙏 … hospitals and healthcare ‘professionals’ kill patients every day.”

“These are good tips but it’s a shame it’s framed as though doctors or the medical system are out to get you, which is not the case. The speed is due to time constraints and number of patients needing to be seen.”

“These are all great tips but the framing is terrible. No one is out to get you or take advantage of you… If you present yourself as an adversary to your doctor you will get worse care – they will want to spend less time with you and will start ordering tests and prescribing meds that aren’t indicated or helpful just to avoid having to deal with you.”

Jasmine, @jazzzyyy13, didn’t instantly reply to the Daily Dot’s request for remark by way of Instagram.

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