You may think that this subject is…well, too basic. But communicating and creating a meaningful rapport with your doctors sometimes turns out to be harder than you think. Just Google “doctor-patient relationship,” or “doctor-patient communication” and you’ll see what I mean. If it’s so easy to communicate, why are there so many studies about this?
Communicating with medical folks can be hard. For one thing, medicine comes with its own language, full of polysyllabic words and jargon. Practitioners sometimes also use a sort of shorthand for things that they’re familiar with but that we aren’t. After all, we didn’t study medicine for years and years! And most important, the way doctors communicate and make decisions has traditionally been authoritarian. Patients rarely ask questions or question authority.
But communication styles have changes over the years. Today in many medical settings things have evolved to what is called “patient-centered care.” This is the kind of care that creates a balanced exchange of information between doctors and their patients, where preferences are discussed and patients have a say in things.
It’s well documented that with this approach patients are more satisfied with their care, are more likely to stick to their treatment regimens, and can generally expect to have better outcomes.
For me, this idea of collaborating with my doctors is great. When patients understand what their choices are they can make informed decisions! But there is a concern. Can we really have a constructive discussion with our doctors when we’re not doctors? I think it’s possible. In my experience, an A-team will help you get up to speed with the most important things you need to know. As a patient, part of the bargain is to be proactive. Nowadays, it’s incredible how patients are keeping up. If you don’t believe me, just go to a Cancer Survivor’s Conference and you’ll be amazed how much patients know! They can rattle off drug names, and the details of their current regimen and it’s very impressive. The same thing happened in the 80s when people were desperately trying to survive HIV-AIDS. They learned as much as they could so they were able to stand their ground with the medical folks.
Remember that your doctor is probably a specialist in a particular area and so you should realize that a lot of the time he or she is framing answers to you in terms of that field of expertise. For example, a surgeon is more likely to think about operating while a hematologist is more concerned about your blood counts, etc. I always bear this in mind, and weigh up the answers I get accordingly. Until next time…
Yours in good health!
Louise Becker MA
Health Advocate
© Louise Becker 2012