Dealing With Doctor Anxiety

You’re not alone if you stand in awe of your physician and as a result, don’t get the quality of medical care you should. Studies tell us that the better the communication between doctor and patient, equal to equal, the better the health care the patient will get.

Sometimes patients hesitate to question their doctors for fear they will get angry or feel insulted. Surveys show, however, that most physicians respond positively to direct requests for information.

There are ways by which the patient can help improve the communication process. Here are the basics:

--Go to the doctor’s office prepared with detailed information on your personal and family medical history. List your symptoms in the order in which they appeared and describe them as precisely as possible – their location in our body, their frequency, their effect on our everyday activities.

--It’s very important that you speak directly about what’s troubling you. Don’t let fear, pride, shame, or embarrassment prevent you from giving the facts. Make sure the doctor hears you out.

--Always for specifics ask about the course of treatment your doctor recommends. Is it the only one dictated by your specific complaint? If there are alternatives, ask the physician to spell out the pros and cons of each.

--When diagnostic testing is required, determine what the tests involve, why the they are necessary, what can be learned from them, and how much they will cost.

--If medication is prescribed, make certain that you are well briefed on dosage levels and possible side effects. Check if less expensive generic drugs may be substituted for brand-name drugs.

This may sound like a lot of asking and questioning, and some patients fear they’ll appear to questioning the doctor’s authority. Nonsense! That’s what you’re there for – to learn everything you need to know – and no good physician will resent it. Did you know the word “doctor” comes from the Latin for “teacher”? Keep that in mind if you’re feeling uncomfortable.

Finally, if you have persisting communications problems, or if you leave the physician’s office unsatisfied by the answers you’ve gotten about an important problem, don’t hesitate to seek a second professional opinion. After all, it’s your body and your health. You owe it to yourself and to your family to get the best possible care.