Helping Your Doctor Help You

Relationships. Ask anyone that has one what the key to a successful relationship is, and the answer you’ll get most often is communication. It doesn’t matter who you’re dealing with or what situation you are in, effective communication is key. But why is it that some doctors don’t seem to understand what you’re trying to say when you are trying to get treatment? It could be that you’re not conveying your information to them in a helpful manner.

“Communication within this relationship must be effective and mutually understood in order for health care to be delivered effectively,” says Dr. Eric Balser, a family physician in Nova Scotia, Canada. “When you meet with your doctor, the outcome of this visit is dependant on the exchange of information. Patients must tell physicians what is troubling them and doctors must explain the most likely cause of the problem. More importantly, within the time frame of a doctor’s visit, the physician must communicate a sometimes complex treatment plan that the patient will understand and have no problem following.”

Today’s doctor’s time is in high demand. Every day they see more and more patients, each deserving their time and attention. More patients mean less time for them to see you, however. Less time to see you means that they may not be able to diagnose your problems as efficiently.

So what can you do to get the best treatment? There are a number of things you can do to help the doctor address your needs...