How to Talk with Your Doctor

My parents are aging and when I speak to them these days, it seems like they are going to the doctor for one thing or another. It’s frustrating to hear some of the stories they tell me about being misdiagnosed. My mother was given extensive physical therapy for a back problem that, after 6 months of pain, turned out to be a broken rib. Sometimes they get brushed off altogether by a physician. I always ask my parents, "Did you ask them this?" or "Did you tell them that?" Inevitably, the answer is no, so I went looking for answers. According to Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher, there are a number of things you can do to be better prepared for a doctor’s visit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper, pen and a 3x5 or 4x6 index card, and file folders

1. Know your medications and medical conditions. Describing a medicine as the "blue pill," doesn’t help your doctor help you (especially if it’s a new physician). If you have all your medications and dosages listed on a 4 x 6 card, you’ll be better able to communicate what those medications are. This will not only save time, but impress the doctor as well.
2. Make a symptom diary. When you start having problems, write down what those symptoms are, when they started and what makes them better or worse. Note that you know how long things have been bothering you and how they have changed (better, worse, different location, etc.).
3. Write down your questions ahead of time. This is so important! Once you get in the office, you’ll be distracted and chances are you won’t remember the questions you have. Then you’ll be frustrated later when you realize what you forgot to ask.
4. Make sure you ask the doctor for clarification of anything you don’t understand. Do not be intimated! This is your health and your life and you must understand what’s expected of you in order to take charge of your own care. Do not let the doctor push you around or give you the brush off.
5. Tell the doctor the entire story. Don’t leave things out because you’re embarrassed or don’t think something is important. This includes depression, sexual problems, issues such as incontinence or constipation, to name a few. If a doctor doesn’t know the entire truth, he may miss something in the diagnostic process or prescribe a medication that might interfere with what you’re already taking.
6. Ask for reference information about your illness or condition whether it’s handouts, pamphlets or a website, no one expects you to understand what may be going on after a 15 minute appointment. If you have a chronic condition, there are often support sites and groups that you can join, and research you can do on the web.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a file for each doctor you see regularly. In this file you can keep pamphlets, insurance information, your symptom diary and instructions from your doctor. If you see multiple physicians (which most people do), this will help keep you organized.