Yak About Health Featuring “How to Talk to your Doctor”
How To Talk To Your Doctor
We thank We thank Amy Paturel, over at aarp.org
If you’ve ever felt like your doctor isn’t listening to you, it may be true. Studies have found that doctors let patients speak for only 23 seconds on average before cutting them off; in one University of South Carolina study, primary care patients were interrupted just 12 seconds after the physician entered the exam room.
When there’s less doctor-patient dialogue, patients are not only more likely to leave the office frustrated, but they’re also at greater risk of being misdiagnosed.
WEVE GOT A FEW STRATEGIES YOU CAN TRY to maximize your office visit and talk so your doctor will listen.
Make a human connection
Neuendorf, M.D., medical director for the Center of Excellence in Health Care Communication at the Cleveland Clinic suggests.
Before you dive into your concerns, break the ice with a greeting or even a joke. “Doctors are people first, and were much more receptive when a patient begins a conversation with a simple, ‘How’s your day going?’
Stay on message
Most doctor visits last 13 to 16 minutes, according to Medscape’s 2016 “Physician Compensation Report,” so after your greeting, get to the point. “Oversharing information unrelated to your medical concerns takes time away from tailoring a treatment plan,” Neuendorf says.
Tell the whole truth
You can’t expect a doctor to listen to your complaints, or adequately resolve them, if you’re not forthright. Tell your doctor about your fear of falling, substance abuse, sexual dysfunction or changes in sleep patterns.
*Rehearse OR WRITE IT DOWN before you go
If you’re uncomfortable discussing embarrassing topics, write a script and rehearse it in front of a mirror. Use words like incontinent, bowel movements and diarrhea so that when you’re talking to the doctor, you’ll be more comfortable saying them aloud.
Don’t accept ‘it’s just aging’
If you have a symptom that has come on suddenly, keeps you up at night or interferes with your daily life, be specific about the changes you’ve noticed. “For example, you could say, ‘I’ve always been on time for appointments, but lately I’m forgetting them entirely. Is there a test you can do to rule out a more serious cognitive issue?’ ” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale Medical School.
Don’t save questions for the end
Minkin suggests. Once your doctor is halfway out the door, he or she is already thinking about the next patient. Instead, come with a list of concerns and address them within the first few minutes of your visit,
Explain what you can afford
Most doctors don’t have a clue about patients’ out-of-pocket costs. Some aren’t even sure which procedures, prescriptions and lab tests are covered by insurance or Medicare. “But that doesn’t mean they’re not willing to work with you to lower costs,” Neuendorf says. If you can’t afford a prescription, ask your doctor for an alternative, or ask him or her to help you prioritize your medications, so you know which ones you can skip and which ones are nonnegotiable.
Have that end-of-life discussion
Talk to your family about what you want done when you are n...
