No one likes being ill, which is why most of us don’t like going to the doctor. Doctor’s clinics also bring back childhood fears of painful injections & unpleasant blood tests. Consequently, most of us make very poor use of our doctors, using them only as crutches when we are ill. However, the doctor-patient relationship is unique, & since it is the ultimate one-to-one relationship, where you confide in your doctor & entrust him with your life, you must learn to work as a partner with your doctor.
In order to foster this relationship, treat it with care & respect. Don’t forget to say Thank You when you get better. Doctor gets fed up of seeing patients with complaints all day long, & its nice for him to hear a patient say he is feeling better thanks to his care. Unfortunately, this is something we often forget & patients tend to remember the doctor only when ill. Saying you’re better also makes your doctor member you as a person & treat you as a special patient.
Do your homework in order to make the most of your doctor’s time. You need to prepare for your visit to the doctor, much like you prepare for an examination. Spending time in getting organized before you go to the doctor can help immensely.
Not only does a well organized patient make efficient use of the doctor’s time, he is also likely to get better medical care, as he is helping the doctor to find out what is wrong with him. Make sure you have all your records with you, as well as the questions you need answers to (preferably, in writing). Patients who value the doctor’s time will do their best to answer their queries using external sources such as books, libraries & the Internet before going to the clinic.
Remember to tell your doctor all the symptoms you have noted. Provide these in chronological order starting from when you first noted something was amiss. It’s useful to record what makes your symptoms better, & what makes them worse, as this information provides very useful medical clues. Also, let him know what remedies you have tried, & whether they helped or not. Try not to play games, so if you have visited a doctor earlier or done relevant tests please share this information with your doctor. It’s helpful to prepare a short one page summary of your medical history, not only does this help the doctor; it also ensures you do not forget to tell him information which may be vitally important.
Inform your doctor about any drug reactions you had suffered earlier & remember to tell the offending drug.
Patients are very anxious to find out what their problem is, so please ask your doctor what he think is wrong with you. Often, he may tell you he does not know. When he says this, it does not mean he is a poor physician, it may simply mean you have a difficult problem, for which more tests are needed. It can also mean your doctor would like to wait & watch to see how the problem evolves; or that he may need to refer you for a second opinion. Remember doctors do not have all the answers. Try to schedule your next visit at the end of the consultation. Carry written checklists with you at every visit. It’s very common that you have a number of questions to ask the doctor, but in the stress of the consultation you forget most of these. This is very frustrating, & you kick yourself when you get home. It’s also helpful to write down the doctor’s answers, take notes if needed. Studies have shown that patients forget about 50% of what the doctor tell them in a visit.
Taking a friend or relative along for the consultation can also be very helpful. It helps to reduce your anxiety; gives you courage to ask questions; & also ensures you have someone to interpret what the doctor says. Please ask questions never mind how many other patients are waiting outside the doctor’s office; or how stupid the questions may seem to you. When you are with the doctor, his only focus of interest should be you, & it’s his job to provide answers. Remember, the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask. Remember, the word doctor is derived from the Latin root, decode which means to teach. So look for a doctor who is willing to share his knowledge with you.
The commonest complaint patients have about their doctors is that they are made to wait for ages. It is only because patients put up with it, that doctors get away with this unpardonable behavior. After all, no doctor remains very busy if all his patients decide that they refuse to wait for him. Some patients seem to believe that the longer they have to wait to outside the doctor’s clinic, the better he must be, since he has so many patients to see. This is simply not true. No matter how busy the doctor is, he can always space appointments, so that you never have to wait for more than 30 minutes to see him.
While an occasional delay is unavoidable since a medical emergency could require your doctor’s immediate attention, if you are made to wait each time, something is seriously wrong with the doctor’s attitude towards his patients. Sometimes delay can be due to late arrival of the first few patients, please stick to your appointment time, so that it won’t cause delay & difficulty to the other patients down the lane. It is always better to come few minutes earlier than your appointment time. Please inform the doctor if you cannot come on the day of appointment, as it will help the doctor to give your appointment to some other needy patient. If you are late for the scheduled appointment, please do inform your doctor about it, as this will help him in rescheduling his appointments.
Make sure you have copies of all your medical records & tests, after all they are your property, and you’ve paid for them. You can give the doctor copies of your original reports for his files. Also make sure that you understand whats in your medical records, it must make sense to you so that you can explain it to another doctor if needed. During all the visits carry your prescriptions slips & the registration card with you, as it will be difficult for the doctor to remember your diagnosis & all the medicines he has given previously.
Do not scribble anything on your medical prescription slip (or fold it & carry in your pocket). Prescription slip is your medical record which you have to preserve it throughout your life. Even after many years your old prescriptions does help the doctor in decoding your present disease & help in giving better treatment.
Always carry all your medical records in a file along with you when you visit a doctor.
Always wear loose clothes when visiting a skin specialist as it will be easy for the doctor to examine your skin quickly. Do not take advice or opinion from lay persons regarding your disease. You should discuss all such opinions & misguidance with your doctor.
Try to take an active interest in your medical care, after all this is the only body you have. Try to remember all the medicines you have been taking. Read as much as you can about your problem. Once the doctor gives the diagnosis, many patient search the net, reads the entire negative about it & gets scared. Internet sometimes will help you or sometimes might scare you as many articles are written by non professional persons. Ask your doctor for a genuine site to search about the relevant condition & then clarify all your doubts with the doctor.
A good doctor will give you written material to read at home, so that you can assimilate what he has said.
It’s a simple fact of life that patients who know how to make the most of their doctor get better medical care, so it’s important that you learn how to do so.