Healthnotes Library
Tips for Talking to Your Doctor
By: Jim Sutton, RPA-C and Sagar Nigwekar, MD
Published and reviewed June 2010
Entering a doctor's office can be like entering a different world. There are often "rules"and "protocols" that the doctor, nurses, and staff follow that you may not be familiar with. Here are some things that can be helpful in making the medical office visit more productive.
When you think about the patient/doctor relationship, the word "relationship" is very important. The typical doctor has 2000 to 3000 patients, most of whom they see only once or twice a year. Seeing 20 to 30 of these patients each day, most doctors have only professional relationships with their patients and the majority of their patients are known by just a name and whatever information is in the medical record. This is worsened by the fact that you may only see your doctor for a few minutes a couple times a year. Therefore, you should be in "relationship building" mode from the minute you enter the office. The better the relationship you have with your primary doctor, the higher the likelihood you can have good and detailed conversations with him or her. What do we mean by "relationship building?" Well, think of any relationship you have with people close to you and what you do to build those relationships. Think of your spouse, co-workers, casual friends, and family and the things you do to have good relationships with these people. Those same basic principles can go a long way to help build a relationship with your doctor. Here are a few tips.
Dress for success
Dressing professionally shows power and confidence. Doctors and their staff are people too, and even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we all do! If you were going for an interview, going to the bank to ask for a loan, or going out on a date for the first time you would try to look your best to make a good first impression. Dress up to see your doctor, and you will see the difference in your treatment at every step of the visit.
Bring someone with you
Doctors are used to having more than one person in the room at a time. A doctor will act differently with more than one person in the room, because most people function differently in group settings than one-on-one. Also, when you are sick or dealing with an uncomfortable diagnosis, having another person in the room to remember what was said is always helpful. Whoever comes with you can sometimes catch things from the conversation that you may have missed. One word of caution: make sure you are comfortable discussing personal information in front of the person you bring!
Connect with your doctor
Building a relationship is about connecting with the other person. Doctors normally allow a minute or two at the beginning of the visit for this connection. Take this time to smile, shake hands, make good eye contact, and use this time to "socialize" before the visit begins. Good opening lines are "Looks like a busy day today" or "I haven’t seen you in a long time" or "I like the changes you made to the waiting room."
Set the agenda
Doctors have a limited amount of time for office visits. In order to use their time wisely they usually set the agenda and control the visit as much as possible. Because of this control you may realize that the visit is over before you got around to asking your questions. To prevent this, be involved in setting the agenda for the visit. Most doctors will start the visit with an opening question such as "How can I help you today?" or "What can I do for you today?" This is your opportunity to set the agenda. If you say, "I have had this headache for three days," then the doctor will shift their brain into headache mode and that becomes the agenda for the day. Here are some ways to set the agenda:
Doctor: How can I help you today?
Patient: I am not sick today. I just want to spend a few minutes talking about my diabetes, and I have some questions to ask you about my illness.
Doctor: How can I help you today?
Patient: I have had a headache for three days. After you make your diagnosis, I would like to ask you a couple questions about my condition.
Most doctors consider the diagnosis as the end of the visit and then shift their attention to prescribing a treatment. If you don't warn your doctor that you are going to finish the visit with a few questions, then he/she may not time the visit correctly and the visit may start to run overtime as you ask your questions.
Use your time wisely
Timing is everything. Be prepared to talk about your questions and issues in the least amount of time. Have your questions ready before the doctor enters the room. If you are there for a specific symptom, then as soon as a diagnosis (or possible diagnosis) is mentioned, open your book to the appropriate page (or take out your list of questions) and be prepared to ask your questions.
Allow for some silence
A well timed pause goes a long way. How many times have you tried to get something done while someone else is chatting away and breaking your concentration? Don't ask your questions during the examination, or when the prescription is being written, or if the doctor is still asking questions to determine the diagnosis. Let the conversation flow naturally and allow the doctor time to "practice his/her craft" such as look in the record, perform an examination, and ask questions. Save your questions for after this is done.
The above Healthnote was reprinted with the permission of the authors and originally appeared in the authors' book "Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor".
About the Author
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Jim Sutton, RPA-C and Sagar Nigwekar, MD
Jim Sutton, RPA-C: Jim Sutton has been a practicing Family Practice Physician Assistant for 23 years. He graduated from the University of Washington Physician Assistant program in 1987 and completed a residency in Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine in 1993. He has spent his career serving vulnerable patients in Los Angeles, the Middle East and now in urban Rochester, New York, for Rochester General Health System. He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor for Rochester Institute of Technology and teaches Physician Assistant students in family medicine at Clinton Family Health Center in Rochester. |
Notice:
The Rochester Healthnote Library consists of locally-authored articles either commissioned by Rochester Health or republished with the author’s permission. The information provided in the Rochester Healthnote Library is for general informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other medical professional if you have questions or concerns about a medical condition.
