Communicating With Your Doctor - A Guide to Doing It Right by Becky J. Sisk

Have you ever come home from a visit to your doctor wondering if

you really understood your medical problem or how to take your

medications? In the past, doctors were in charge of your care

and you were to "follow orders." These days, patients and

doctors have an equal responsibility for care. You have a right

to information about your condition and treatment and the doctor

has a right to an accurate accounting of your history and

symptoms.

According to the National Institute on Aging, here is what you can

do to communicate better with your doctor:

* Be completely honest about all of the medications you take,

including over-the-counter medications and herbal

preparations. If you have more than one doctor, be sure each

knows about all of your medications and other treatments,

since dangerous interactions among medications are possible.

* Also be honest about smoking and drinking. Doctors and nurses

are accustomed to taking care of people who smoke or drink.

They need to know if you have any habits that contribute to

disease or interfere with treatment.

* Your doctor may question you about a topic that you consider

embarrassing, such as sexuality, memory loss, incontinence, or

problems with your spouse or children. These problems often

have an influence on diseases or may be caused by taking

certain medications. Your doctor needs to know about them to

accurately diagnosis and treat your condition. Also remember

that the doctor and staff members are professional people

who will protect your privacy.

* Make a list of your symptoms, special concerns, medical

history, and current medications and give the list to the

doctor. Doing this at home before your appointment keeps you

from leaving out details.

* Provide the doctor with a brief, to-the-point description of

your problem. What are your symptoms? How severe are they?

When did they start? What brings them on? How long do they

last and what relieves them?

* If you are concerned about cooperating with the doctor's

treatment, say so. Are you worried about the cost involved?

Does the treatment conflict with your beliefs and values?

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BIO:

Becky Sisk, PhD, RN, is your Wizard at "Promoting Good Health for Seniors,"
http://wz.com/health/PromotingGoodHealthforSeni.html/
and webmaster, NurseScribe, http://www.enursescribe.com/.

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