Communicating With Your Doctor

Having good communication between you and your doctor is instrumental in getting the decent care you deserve. This is especially true if you have a ailment that requires long term care.

Oftentimes you only spend a mere 20 minutes with your doctor, and that isn't much time to discuss what is going on. That is why it is critical to have a good rapport with your doctor. Be sure to let your doctor know that what you expect as far as your treatment is concerned.

Things like understanding test results and your prognosis, share your preferences for treatment, what medications you will or will not take. Your doctor should be aware of exactly how you feel about your treatment. And attentive to that care.� It might sound good in theory, but it is not always that plain and simple.� A Doctors schedule is often extremely structured and controlled. Getting in and out to see a patient as soon as possible is more than likely the goal of your doctor.Whe your doctor enters the room Know what you want to say, and don't waste time with small chit-chat. Your purpose is to have an open dialogue with your about your condition, not small talk that wastes precious appointment time.

Some Ideas To Take With You:

Before you arrive at the doctor's office have a outline in mind.� Write everything down that you want to talk to your doctor about. If you have an illness, write down when it originated, what the symptoms are. Think of every detail you can come up with to make your appointment go much more smoothly in the doctor's office. If it takes up more than a page that is fine, you can give this to the doctor, he will read it and a discussion of your prognosis can begin.

Write down every symptom:

Think about your all your symptoms and write them down. Write down how they make you feel, don't be modest about this, disclose everything you can, it makes it a lot easier to talk to your doctor when you have all your symptoms written down.

If you are in pain, describe the pain, where and when it hurts the most. What is your level of pain? If you are grappling with allergy symptoms be sure to write down if you have pets and when your symptoms are at their worst. Explain everything in as much detail as possible.The more detailed your description the easier it is for your doctor to use what you interpret to him.

Make a list of all your medications:

If you are taking medications, make a complete list to show your doctor. Be sure to include ALL the medications you are taking. This includes all over the counter medications you are taking. If your doctor has to prescribe any medications, he will know what may interact with what you are already taking.

Ask for copies:

Ask for copies of test results such as cholesterol readings, diabetes, thyroid and other tests that you may have had and need to understand the results better. With copies of your test results you will have a concept of any changes you need to make. The nurses should not have a problem giving you copies of your test results, it is just one more way for you to stay connected to your doctor, and remain knowledgable about your treatment and care.