A 4-Step Formula To Effectively Communicate With Your Doctor - Healthy Lifestyle Journal

Doctors have very tight schedules, especially the ones that practice in highly urbanized areas. They have to attend to the needs of patients. The problem is that some patients feel that they do not get the best out of their doctor's appointment because of some interruptions in between, or perhaps because a consultation just lasts for a couple of minutes. Patient-doctor communication is highly important when it comes to getting the best medical care. Yes, your physician might be equipped with the best devices (e.g. the Littmann Master Classic II Stethoscope or the Littmann Lightweight II S.E. Stethoscope, et. al.) then again they are not mind readers. Thus, you should see to it that even in the short span of time during the consultation, you can properly convey what you want to tell your physician.
How Can You Effectively Communicate with Your Physician?
1. Make a List of All Your Medical Concerns
Patients should take it upon them to get the most out of every visit. Making an appointment for your next visit is already hard enough, and it is best that you come prepared for every visit so that all your medical concerns will be addressed. List down everything that you think is related to your health right after your first visit so that that you won't forget it for your second visit.
2. Spill the Beans
During your visit, be sure to spill the beans. Honestly tell your physician everything -- how you really feel, how long you've been feeling that and the other stuff related to it. He or she might ask you a couple of questions, be sure to honestly answer those too.
3. Ask About Options
Some patients just take whatever is prescribed to them. Although this is not a problem, it is best that you ask if there are alternatives to these prescriptions. Some medications are less expensive than others. Plus, others arrive in liquid form, capsules, and tablets. So one can actually choose from that genre. It would also help if you know an alternative just in case the medication isn't available at the pharmacy.
4. Do a "Recap"
To be sure that you have totally understood everything, do the recap. Repeat and verify with your physician if you understood everything right. During your recap, go ahead and ask whatever related questions you have.
These are four simple ways to guarantee that you make the most of your doctor's visit. But of course, always remember that time is gold and you are not the only patient. Just because you have a lot of concerns, it doesn't mean you have to spend hours and hours in the clinic talking to your physician for it.