Communicating with Your Health Care Professional
By Dr. Kevin O'Neil
An important part of living an Optimum Life® is being an active participant in your own health care. A key player in this realm is your health care provider. A health care professional is anyone who is actively involved in the care and administration of your health, including a doctor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, specialist and more.
The relationship between you and your health care professional is a very important one, and is built on mutual trust and understanding. The health care professional is an expert in the field of medicine, and you are the expert on you. It is important for you to tell him or her your concerns in a concise and thorough way so he or she can make the best decisions on your behalf. Being as active in your health decisions as possible will lead to the best outcomes.
As a consumer of health care it is important for you to get the most from visits to health care professionals. They are generally pressed for time in today’s busy health care setting. This means that being organized and ready with your concerns will help you make the most of the time you do have. There are some important principles to keep in mind as you approach your health-related concerns:
• Educate yourself. Remember that knowledge is power and the more you know about your health, the more
equipped you will be to maintain good health.
• Organize yourself. Keep good records of your medications, past medical history, allergies, surgeries and all
of the doctors you see.
• Empower yourself. Don’t be afraid to be assertive if there is something you do not understand. In addition,
here is some advice on how to prepare for an appointment with a health care professional.
• The agenda for your visit is determined within the first few minutes, so if you have other issues that need
to be addressed, communicate them right at the start.
• Organize your thoughts in writing prior to your visit. Limit your agenda items to no more than two or, at
most, three items. Request another visit or an extended visit if more issues need to be addressed.
• Bring a notebook or writing pad so that you can take notes during the course of your visit.
• Ask questions if you need more information or you are unclear on something. A health care professional will
interpret silence as agreement and/or understanding as to what has been said.
• If you do not understand a term used, ask for clarification.
• If you have hearing difficulties, wear your hearing aid if you have one. Consider asking a spouse or relative
to accompany you to the visit. Ask the health care professional to write down crucial information or
instructions, or bring a tape recorder so that you can review later with a spouse or relative.
• Bring a list of your medications or, better yet, bring all your medicines in their containers. Make sure to
include vitamins and any herbal supplements so the health care professional can check for interactions with
your prescription medicines.
• If a lab or x-ray test is ordered, discuss the purpose of the test, what needs to be done if the test is
abnormal, and how the results are to be reported.
• If a medication is prescribed, ask about the purpose of the medicine, how it should be taken, how long it
should be taken, what side effects to look for, and if a generic form is available. Make sure your health care
professional is aware of any previous drug reactions and allergies.
• If a consultation is recommended with another health care professional, ask about the purpose of the
consultation and who should set up the appointment with the consultant. Ask your health care professional
when you should return to see him/her.
• Make sure you have a date set up for your next appointment prior to leaving the office.
With these suggestions, you will have the tools necessary to communicate more effectively with health care professionals, resulting in the ability to be more in control of your health and well-being.
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