It can be intimidating to visit the doctor. Usually we only visit the doctor when there’s a problem, and worried about a potential illness or simply feeling unwell can make communication difficult.
In a study, 75% of surgeons believed that they communicated satisfactorily with their patients. However, only 20% of the patients reported satisfactory communication with their doctors. Patient surveys have consistently shown that they want better communication with their doctors.
However, communication is important when meeting a doctor or a specialist. A medical appointment lasts on average for just 20 minutes. There’s not much time to ask questions and for a doctor to answer them, and breakdown in communication can create uncertainty and confusion for a patient.
Common complaints by patients about doctors include:
In fact, research has shown that effective patient-physician communication can improve a patient’s health as quantifiably as many drugs—providing a potential explanation for the placebo effect seen in clinical trials.
The solution for improving communication with your doctor? Bring help.
Family and Friends Can Help Communicate with Your Doctor
It can be helpful to take a family member or friend with you when you go to the doctor’s office. You may feel more confident if someone else is with you.
Other benefits of bringing a friend or family member to the doctor include:
Also, a relative or friend can help remind you about things you planned to tell or ask the doctor. They can also help you remember what the doctor says.
For the best results, let your companion know in advance how they can be most helpful during the meeting with a doctor.
Besides bringing a friend or family member to your appointment, there are some other tips that can improve communication with your doctor, including:
Have an idea of how you want your time with the doctor to go. Make sure you talk about what you want to talk about and ask questions.
When you get to the office, make sure you know what you want to say, so that you can explain your health concerns effectively.
Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions–open-ended questions (e.g., questions that start with ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘why’) are also better. Finally, be honest if you feel you’re not being heard by your physician.
Do you have any questions for the team at Spraggs? We’d love to hear from you. And, as always, if you have any questions about medical malpractice or personal injury, be sure to contact one of our lawyers in Vancouver.
Each quarter, Spraggs Law publishes a curated selection of articles about trending HR and employment-related…
The Government of British Columbia's introduction of the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act,…
Each month, Spraggs Law publishes Vancouver Legal News, a curated selection of articles about legal…
In Canada, sexual harassment, inappropriate workplace behaviour and gender discrimination are pressing issues that not…
Jay Spiro from Spraggs Law is representing Jerrica Hacket, the owner of a popular café…
Each month, Spraggs Law publishes Vancouver Legal News, a curated selection of articles about legal…