The Care Company

empowered caregiving™

Today the individual and/or their loved ones have had to take a more active role in assuring safe, accurate and efficient healthcare. Now, one’s healthcare is more of a partnership between the doctor and the patient/family/loved ones. This partnership is supported by a team of others including, the pharmacist, nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants, nurses, physician office staff, and other health care providers. With this team approach, you get the best possible care and improved health.

There is no “right” way to talk with your doctor. You have to figure out the way that works for you. Having a good rapport and communication with the doctor is a two way street.  There are things that you should know and do to improve the effectiveness and success of conversations with your loved one’s doctor.

The following tips will help you effectively communicate with your loved one’s physician:

• Be honest – open, honest communication is the key to ensuring high quality care for your loved one. The physician can only provide care and recommendations based on the most current, accurate information.
• Be respectful of the physician’s time – physicians have many patients to see during the course of the day, so, unfortunately, they have limited time to spend with each patient. If you need more time with the physician to get all of your questions answered or discuss all of your concerns, request a meeting with the physician in addition to the routine visit. Often these types of meetings are held at the end of the day.
• Be prepared – Prepare a list of questions and concerns and questions to be discussed during the meeting. Order the list by importance in case you don’t have time to cover everything. (Refer to The Care Company Empowered Caregiving Manual. We’ve created forms that will help you be organized for doctor’s meetings.)
• Do your research- If you want to discuss a specific health issue or medication, do some research before the meeting. The Internet is a great adn valuable tool in gaining access to this information, however, you need to be very careful about receiving the most current and unbiased information. 
  • Stay focused – Do not waste the limited time you have with the physician. Make the best use of your time by discussing the questions and concerns you have prepared. More questions may come up during the conversation, jot them down so you don’t forget them. It is very important to stay focused on the point.
  • If time is very limited – Pick three or four questions or concerns that you most want to talk about with the doctor. You can tell him or her what they are at the beginning of the appointment, and then discuss each in turn. If you have time, you can then go on to your other questions and concerns.
  • Ask for clarification – It’s important for you to let your doctor know if you don’t understand something. Sometimes doctors have difficulty explaining medical information in non-medical language. Don’t be afraid to ask the doctor to explain the information without all of the medical jargon.
  • Take notes – A lot of important information will be discussed during the meeting and it is difficult to remember all of it, so take notes. Refer to the notes when you get home, you can write additional comments as you recall the conversation. You may come up with more questions as you review the information discussed.
  • Consider recording the conversation – If you have difficulty taking notes during a conversation, ask the doctor if it is okay to record the conversation. Never tape the conversation without the doctor’s permission.

The doctor may not be able to answer all of your questions. Most doctors will tell you if they can’t answer your questions. Ask if they have any suggestions on where you could find the information you need. They may refer you to a specialist or another medical professional. The doctor may even say they will look into it and get back to you.

At the end of the conversation, it is important to tell your doctor how you feel about the conversation. Let the doctor know you will be reviewing the information again, ask if you can follow-up with a call if you need any additional information. Also, let the doctor know if you feel you didn’t get all of your questions answered, didn’t understand the information, or you felt rushed. If you feel you need to have a second meeting, discuss it with the doctor and plan the second meeting.

And finally, communicating with others, no matter who they are is a challenging process even in the best of times. If you find yourself in a position where you feel that you and the doctor are unable to get on the same page and stay there, it’s okay to look somewhere else. Being the caretaker of another person is an emotional process as well as a practical process, it’s important that you feel supported and understood.