We expect a lot from our doctors. When seeking medical care, we trust implicitly that we can rely on their clinical expertise and experience to keep us healthy or make us better again. Fortunately, most doctors do a pretty good job of fulfilling those expectations.
However, what many of us don’t realize is that effective healthcare isn’t a “one-way street.” Doctors can’t serve up good health on demand the way shopkeepers sell products to their customers. Patients must also play an active role in their own care—and ideally develop an understanding of the challenges doctors face—if they hope to make the most of healthcare visits and achieve optimal outcomes.
Here are several things physicians wish patients understood about the doctor-patient relationship:
Healthcare is collaborative Quality, comprehensive healthcare takes teamwork, not just between your primary care doctor, nursing staff, and various specialists, but also between you and all your care providers. They can use their extensive knowledge and experience to give you the right diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan—but only if you hold up your end of the bargain by supplying an accurate health and family history and communicating openly and honestly with all the providers on your care team.
Honesty is always the best policy Feelings of embarrassment over certain health concerns, for example symptoms associated with intimate parts of the body, or unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, overeating, or consuming alcohol to excess, can lead patients to leave out, downplay, or “sugar coat” important details when discussing concerns with their doctor. The problem is, your doctor needs a complete and accurate picture of your symptoms and habits in order to provide the best possible care and treatment advice. Any detail you omit due to shyness or embarrassment could be the missing “puzzle piece” that prevents your doctor from getting to the root of your health concern.
Furthermore, the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances can interfere or interact adversely with certain medications or therapies, so being less than honest about your substance use can actually put your health at risk or, at the very least, limit the effectiveness of your treatment.
Questions are encouraged There’s no doubt that doctors are extremely busy people; nonetheless, they want to make sure their patients have all the pertinent information they need before leaving the office. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you might have about your condition, your treatment plan, additional testing that might be needed, potential side effects of treatment, etc. If you’re prone to forgetting, bring a notepad and write down any pertinent information, or bring a family member or friend with you to the appointment to provide another set of ears.
Some doctors have the tendency to discuss more complex medical issues or treatments in confusing “medicalese,” so don’t be shy about asking for clarification in layman’s terms. If additional questions occur to you after the appointment, don’t hesitate to call the office to get answers or ask them via the doctor’s online patient portal if available.
“Dr. Google” can be highly misleading Doctors fully understand that the first thing many patients do when they get sick or experience a concerning physical symptom is consult “Dr. Google”—that is, jump online to research what the cause of the symptom might be. However, it’s important to understand that, while there are reliable sources of medical information on the internet, much of the medical advice circulating online is misleading, agenda-driven, and/ or wildly inaccurate. Relying on this dubious information to self-diagnose a medical condition can create unnecessary anxiety, lead to improper or even harmful self-treatment, as well as delay implementation of appropriate treatment.
It’s easier to help patients who are prepared and focused The more detailed the information you provide about your health concern, the more likely it is that your doctor will be able to help you find relief. When explaining your problem, don’t just cite a general symptom. Instead, come prepared to describe where, when, and how long the symptom usually occurs; the severity of the symptom; the context in which the symptom occurs; and any factors that seem to trigger the symptom or make it better or worse.
Also, keep in mind that your doctor has a necessarily limited time to spend with each patient, so it’s important to prioritize your concerns, stay focused on the stated reason for your visit, and resist the temptation to bring up multiple unrelated issues. To respect everyone’s time—yours, your doctor’s, and the next patient’s—schedule an additional appointment to address other health problems if necessary.
Treatment plan compliance gets the best results Getting better following an illness, recovering from an injury, or simply enjoying greater overall health requires patients’ full compliance with the therapies, medications, or lifestyle modifications that their doctors prescribe. Poor compliance, on the other hand, not only yields suboptimal outcomes, but can also lead to disease recurrence, diminished quality of life, a greater risk of adverse side effects, unnecessary surgeries, or even premature death. In other words, it’s key to follow your doctor’s advice to the letter.
Again, honesty is always the best policy when it comes to compliance with doctors’ orders. If you’re unable to adhere to your treatment plan fully—for example, if a prescribed medication is causing severe side effects—tell your doctor promptly. He or she may be able to prescribe an alternative that is just as effective without the side effects. ✲
