This book is written about mainland China. Where it says national, domestic or the state, it means China, not your country.

Right after a chronic disease diagnosis: what to do in the first week, the first three months and afterwards

This list is for people who have just been diagnosed with a chronic disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood lipids or gout. The related items in the book are spread over several sections, so they are put here in time order. Each point says only what to do, followed by a pointer. The reasons, numbers and sources are in the item the pointer names. If a point does not apply to your illness, skip it.

The week of the diagnosis

If the illness is fairly serious, take someone with you on the day you collect the report, and do not stay home alone. Put off things like resigning or selling a house. See Section 29, item 2 (the week you are told a serious diagnosis).
If the doctor tells you to take medicine, start taking it as prescribed from today, and do not stop when you feel better. See Section 16, item 1 (take the medicine as prescribed, for the full course).
Take medicine for high blood pressure and high blood lipids regularly, and do not stop on your own. See Section 2, item 12 (if you have high blood pressure or high blood lipids, take the medicine regularly as prescribed).
If you have high blood pressure, buy an electronic blood pressure monitor, measure at home, and keep going until it is down to target. See Section 1, item 7 (measure blood pressure, and if it is high, take medicine until it reaches target).
When medicine is prescribed, ask the doctor whether there is a volume-based procurement (集采) drug or a generic-name drug. See Section 5, item 12 (generics that passed the consistency evaluation, and drugs chosen in volume-based procurement).
If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, have one dilated eye fundus exam at once. For type 1 diabetes, start the exams 5 years after onset. See Section 16, item 7 (when diabetes is diagnosed, have the eye fundus checked once).
If gout has already produced tophi, bone defects eaten out are seen on imaging, or you have 2 or more attacks a year, take a urate-lowering drug long term. Blood uric acid must be brought below 360 µmol/L. If attacks are few, talk with your doctor about whether to take it. See Section 16, item 9 (when gout is diagnosed, take a urate-lowering drug long term).
Before a Han Chinese person starts allopurinol, ask the doctor whether to test the HLA-B*5801 genotype first. See Section 16, item 9 (when gout is diagnosed, take a urate-lowering drug long term).
If a checkup found only high uric acid and you have never had pain, that is not gout. Do not take a urate-lowering drug for now. See Section 6, item 19 (a checkup found high uric acid, but you have never had pain).
If you smoke, set a quit day and stop all at once on that day. See Section 2, item 4 (set a quit day).
Do not try to quit smoking on willpower alone. Go to a smoking cessation clinic or a respiratory medicine clinic and get medicine. See Section 2, item 3 (do not quit on willpower alone, get medicine first).

The first three months

Prepare a notebook. At every follow-up, write down the date, the readings, the medicines you take and the doses. See Section 16, item 3 (write each reading in the same notebook).
After every visit, keep your own copy of the medical record, lab reports and imaging. See Section 24, item 5 (keep your own copy of medical records, test reports and imaging).
Apply for recognition for outpatient chronic and special diseases (门诊慢特病) at the place where you are insured. If you often see doctors in another city, then also register for medical care outside your insured area. See Section 16, item 2 (get outpatient chronic and special disease recognition first, then register for care elsewhere).
If a family member has employee medical insurance, ask them to set up a family mutual-aid link once. The money in their personal account can then pay for your treatment and medicine. See Section 5, item 13 (family mutual-aid link).
Before you sign up with a community family doctor, ask which services are covered by medical insurance and which you pay for yourself. See Section 16, item 6 (ask before you sign up with a family doctor).
Switch the salt at home to low-sodium salt. If your kidney function is impaired or you take potassium-sparing medicine, ask your doctor first. See Section 2, item 9 (switch the table salt at home to low-sodium salt).
Start walking every day. The target is 7,000 to 8,000 steps, or a total of 150 to 300 minutes of brisk walking a week. See Section 2, item 11 (walk 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day).
Drink less alcohol, and if you can, do not drink at all. See Section 2, item 19 (drink less or not at all).
If you drink every day and your hands shake and your heart races when you stop, do not try to quit by force on your own. Go to a hospital first. See Section 2, item 20 (if your hands shake and your heart races when you stop, do not quit by force on your own).
If someone urges you to stop your medicine and try a folk remedy, do not stop. If you want to take a supplement, tell your doctor in charge first. See Section 16, item 4 (do not stop proper treatment to try folk remedies or health products).
Do not spend a lot of money on health products or herbal pastes to "regulate the body". See Section 6, item 10 (do not spend a lot of money on health products, herbal pastes or tonics).
When you have just started lowering uric acid for gout, attacks are more likely in the first 3 to 6 months. When it hurts, add an anti-inflammatory drug as prescribed, and do not stop the urate-lowering drug. See Section 16, item 9 (when gout is diagnosed, take a urate-lowering drug long term).
Before you buy cold medicine or painkillers yourself, read the ingredient list. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) may appear in only one of them. See Section 34, item 1 (read the ingredient list first, paracetamol may appear in only one).
If you take an anticoagulant or a steroid, ask your doctor before you take a painkiller such as ibuprofen. See Section 34, item 3 (ask your doctor before you take a painkiller such as ibuprofen).
If you have had gout, at a barbecue or a group meal do not eat a lot of meat and seafood in one sitting, and drink less alcohol, even while you are taking a urate-lowering drug. See Section 16, item 10 (at a barbecue or a group meal, do not eat a lot of meat and seafood in one sitting).

After the condition is stable

If your condition is stable and your medicine has not changed, go to the community clinic and get 12 weeks of medicine in one visit. See Section 16, item 5 (a community hospital can prescribe up to 12 weeks of medicine at once).
Go for follow-ups at the intervals your doctor gives, and write each one in the same notebook. See Section 16, item 3 (follow up at the intervals your doctor gives).
After you switch to a volume-based procurement drug, watch the readings in your notebook. If they really get worse, go to your doctor, and do not stop the medicine yourself. See Section 5, item 12 (prefer generics that passed the consistency evaluation and drugs chosen in volume-based procurement).
If you have diabetes, have your feet checked once a year, and the eye fundus at the intervals your doctor gives. See Section 16, item 7 (when diabetes is diagnosed, have the eye fundus checked once, and the feet once a year).
If you take a urate-lowering drug long term, keep taking it after uric acid reaches target, and do not stop on your own. See Section 16, item 9 (when gout is diagnosed, take a urate-lowering drug long term).
If you have had a kidney stone, drink 2.5 to 3 liters of water a day and keep salt within 6 grams. See Section 16, item 8 (if you have had a kidney stone, drink 2.5 to 3 liters of water a day).
If you have cardiovascular disease, have one flu shot every autumn. See Section 1, item 20 (people with cardiovascular disease and older people have a flu shot every year).
See a doctor first at the community level for common illnesses. If you need to be admitted, go up step by step through community referral, and the inpatient deductible continues to count. See Section 24, item 1 (see a doctor first in the community for common illnesses, and go up step by step through primary-care referral).
Do not run to a higher level for an illness that can be handled at the primary level. Within the same insured place, each step up lowers the reimbursement rate by about 10 percentage points. See Section 24, item 2 (the lower the level, the higher the reimbursement rate).
To see a specialist at a large hospital, go through a community referral or the hospital's referral center, and do not use ticket touts. See Section 24, item 3 (go through a primary-care referral or the hospital's referral center).
If you plan to see a doctor in another province, ask locally before you leave. The money reimbursed may be a good deal less than at home. See Section 24, item 4 (before you see a doctor in another province, ask locally first).