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Communicating With Your Doctor

Summary & Participants

Talking with your doctor can sometimes be difficult. Good health care, however, depends on an open dialogue between patients and doctors.

Medically Reviewed On: July 21, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Talking with your doctor is essential to getting quality health care.

CAROLYN CLANCY, M.D.: I can't possibly overstate how important communication is between patients and clinicians. And yet, it often doesn't go as well as we'd like it to.

ANNOUNCER: A frequent barrier to good communication is the discomfort patients may feel asking questions.

RICK KELLERMAN, M.D.: Sometimes, frankly, patients feel rushed. We're busy in the office and sometimes may not, frankly, give patients as much time as what they deserve. Sometimes patients may feel intimidated by the physician. Sometimes they may feel overwhelmed with the amount of information. They may be afraid.

ANNOUNCER: There are steps patients can take to help improve communication with their physician and to make sure their needs are met during a doctor’s visit.

RICK KELLERMAN, M.D.: Write out exactly what your concerns are, bring that list to the office and we'll try to prioritize. What's the most important concern? What's second and what's third and fourth that we may need to deal with on another day? I think it's important, in many cases, to bring a friend or a relative with you. Four ears are better than two and, sometimes, when you're concerned or anxious in the office, it's always good to have someone else who can help interpret for you. And, finally, I think it's important to take notes, I took notes in medical school, I take notes when I talk to patients, I think it's fine for the patient to take notes, and take those notes home and review them.

ANNOUNCER: Sometimes patients may need to undergo tests.

CAROLYN CLANCY, M.D.: It's a good idea to ask, "What is this test for, what specifically is involved, do I have to do any prep, do I have to miss a lot of work, can I go back to work when I’m done," and so forth.

RICK KELLERMAN, M.D.: There are also some real clinical questions that patients need to ask about. For example, what do we hope to find from this test? Is there an alternative to the test? Once we have the test done, does that give us the answer or is it just the start of a series of other tests? What if we don't find the answer on this test, what do we do then?

ANNOUNCER: Once a patient receives a diagnosis, there are often many more questions.

CAROLYN CLANCY, M.D.: It's not a bad idea to ask about how certain the clinician is that this is the correct diagnosis, as well as it may be a good time to actually ask about a second opinion. Sometimes patients will find out that doctors have already gotten second opinions on their own, that they have consulted with colleagues. That's a very reassuring thing to know.

ANNOUNCER: After a diagnosis, doctors will recommend a treatment plan that may include medication or surgery.

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