Many people think that they “just go to the doctor.” However, one of the closest relationships you should have in your life is with your doctor. I have included three tips that will help you build this relationship so that you get to know your doctor and vice versa.
Tell the truth. Some patients think that they need to appear to be “the perfect patient” in front of his or her doctor. Your medical management can be directly tied to the information that you tell the doctor. If you give misleading info, this can lead to a plethora of things such as wasting your time with expensive work-ups and prescribing unnecessary medications. So, do yourself a favor and always be honest with your doctor so that you are less likely to have a harmful outcome.
Ask questions. If you are ever confused about a diagnosis or you’re not sure why you are taking a certain medication, please ask the doctor to explain. Sometimes patients don’t take medications, get testing completed, or follow dietary recommendations because they simply do not understand or do not “see the point” in doing so. Doctors want you to have the best outcome and sometimes that will not happen if you do not follow specific instructions. If you want clarity on anything dealing with health, please ask your doctor. Your physician wants to provide you the absolute best care.
Follow-up. Following-up with your doctor is key in building a relationship. Imagine this: you come in and pour your heart out to your doctor about everything that has been going on. Your doctor orders blood work and imaging to investigate the issue. You are supposed to follow up in 2 weeks to discuss the results as well as the next step in medical management. Well, you decide that you aren’t doing the work up and then you show up 8 months later with the same complaint. Time has passed and the doctor may have to order everything over again and now the problem is potentially worse. So, please make every effort to follow-up so that you can continue to build a relationship with your doctor and move in the direction of getting answers to your medical concerns.
Disclaimer:
While the blog will cover a wide range of healthcare related material, it is not intended to replace the advice and medical care of your medical provider. The content discussed/included in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, etc. for your healthcare needs. There is no doctor-patient relationship formed or implied by reading this blog. For any health-related concerns, questions, diagnosis, treatment, etc., please consult a medical/healthcare professional.
