Tips for Doctor-Patient Communication
Make Lists
You may not always need to share all of your information with every doctor you
see but the following items are particularly important:
A list of all of your medications and needed refills, a summary of your medical
history, a list of your recent tests, a list of your questions, concerns and
new information, forms your doctor needs to address,
Plan Ahead For Your Doctor Visit
Prepare your questions and a list of your symptoms, (
For example, racing heart, blisters, etc) Be concise. When
you schedule your appointment, ask if you should have test
results or other medical records sent to the doctor’s
office before your visit. Nothing is worse than rescheduling
for new tests you could have taken earlier or not had with
you.
At Your Visit
Be on time. Give and expect respect. Bring your lists
and tell the doctor what you want to discuss and your goals
for the visit. Be as brief as possible. Communication
is an especially important skill. Make every word count
because the doctor may only have 15 minutes to spend with
you.
Be sure you understand what the doctor is advising you. If
not, ask questions until you understand. If there is
not enough time for all of your questions: Ask for handouts
and brochures that will give you more information or schedule
another visit.
You and your doctor may have different goals for the visit.
For example, your doctor may want to just check your blood
pressure, while you may have worries about possible surgery.
Many things can get in the way of helpful communication;
emotions, communication style, different goals and lack of
time all work against us. When emotions are high, logic is
low. If you find that your emotions are interfering with
your visit, explain this to your doctor. Try
taking a moment to reflect on what you want to say and try
again.
Lastly, you may feel that you know more about certain aspects
of porphyria than your physician. Major medical journal
articles are usually best accepted than internet articles.
After the Visit
Often patients have questions they forgot to ask. If
it is urgent, call the office right away. Otherwise, check
the educational materials to see if the question can be answered
there.
If you still don’t have the answer, call your doctor. However,
it is best to have the question clearly written. Be aware
that the doctor may not be able to answer your call until the
end of the day, but a nurse or physician’s assistant
may be able to help earlier. |
