Doctor Doesn’t Listen?

Your doctor doesn’t listen? We’ve all had ‘em. Appointments have gotten shorter, for one thing. Now they’re about 15 minutes long. Not only that, but the doc hurries in with his own agenda, rushes through it and leaves. Maybe you’re in the parking lot before you figure out that your issue was never addressed. Maybe you did bring it up but got a two-word response before you could even finish. “Take these,” scribble, scribble, “There you go now.” Before you can catch him, he ducks into the next room, gone.

 Want to change this? Plan your appointment ahead of time. Have a list of everything you take, legal and illegal, and give it to him. Write out all your symptoms and how long you’ve had ‘em. Give him this, too. Practice what you’re going to say until you can get out in less than a minute. On your next visit, you’ll see a change.

But wait! He’s the doctor! Isn’t this what I’m paying him for? Not really. You’re paying him for expertise, not reading your mind. If you prepare, you’re saying your health problem’s important to you. It’s also a sign of respect. I promise your relationship will change. Try it.

I’m a patient advocate and I’m here to help.

(Dale Alexander holds a Certificate in Patient Advocacy from UCLA. She can be reached at 707 319 5856 or dale5657@gmail.com.)