How to Talk to Doctors

Posted: 5/18/2010 11:59:17 AM By Jenni Wiley | 11 comments | Transcript

Digg

Bookmark

On average, a patient spends less than 15 minutes with his doctor on any given visit. With so little time to address health concerns, it's important to be prepared so you can get the most out of each meeting with your physician.

Comments

	walter richards
	Would be nice to find a doctor that does not keep one waiting 1-3 hours for appointment.
	8/11/2010 11:43:29 AM

	Adele C.
	I think the video is a nice beginning, as it certainly would help to bring in a list of your complaints, but there are far too many other things to take into consideration. The for-profit insurance companies have come close to destroying the concept of "care" in health care. These are just my observations from working in hospitals and clinics for over 40 years. Most doctors I know are dedicated, hard working and caring; the rest are, as in many professions, just greedy, self-interested, and arrogant.
	8/7/2010 2:54:31 PM

	RP
	Like David, I'm a doctor, too. There are good and bad docs just like all other people. Whether they are good or bad, you will run into docs who are pressured to move quickly (though most don't want to). Many, like David, have found a compromise which allows them to give patients the time they want. Others haven't figured it out, yet. The best you can do is to prepare yourself for your visit. If you're going to see a doc about a particular ailment, here are some questions we're likely to ask. Think about the answers ahead of time so you can better spend the time you have with the doc: 1. Where does it hurt? 2. When did it start? 3. Does it move any where? 4. Does anything make it better? 5. Does anything make it worse? 6. Does it come-and-go or is it constant? 7. How long does it last? 8. Have you had this problem before and what happened then? 9. How has it changed? 10. Have you tried anything for the problem? Did it work? 11. Have you had any tests done for this before?
	8/3/2010 3:08:21 PM

	Dana
	I have complex health issues and my frustration is that the many specialists I go to are only concerned about specific symptoms, not the big picture. I can't for the life of me find a primary who will spend the time to manage my care. When I take a list of questions, most doctors act like I am imposing on their time, and they will literally start rolling toward the door on their scooty chairs after 5 minutes in the room. All I want is to leave a doctor's office feeling "cared for." Isn't that why they went to medical school? To care for people?
	8/3/2010 1:42:31 PM

	pat
	As a nurse I advise patients to take a list and be prepared to insist on the time. I also tell them if you go in with your own diagnosis the dr will go only in that direction and is likely to miss the obvious. Tell him your symptoms and let the dr figure it out. If those don't work you are seeing the wrong doctor.
	7/25/2010 1:15:17 PM

	Jackie
	Part of the problem is everyone specializes. Each doctor concentrates on that specific symptom not taking into consideration others you might have. A general phy. will be more likely to put all the symptoms together (if you find one that has the time or inclination) to find the cause. Lack of time and money are the biggest problems. Doctor's can no longer decide to spend that extra few minutes with a patient that might solve the mystery. Each is only allowed a certain number of minutes to see a patient and then have to worry about a malpractice suit if they don't guess right. They have to take the time to complete hours of paperwork to keep the insurance companies and attorneys happy.
	7/20/2010 1:03:08 AM

	David
	I am a physician. Yes, there is a limited amount of time to spend per patient. Unfortunately, many physicians take it to the extreme. They can spend a little more time than they do. I don't have problems spending more time with patients. Its not the insurance companies that dictate it -- it is the physician's greed. If you see more patients, you make more money. I'll make a little less money so that I can treat my patients like people rather than commodities. I still make a fairly healthy salary. Unfortunately, I don't see enough other physicians with this attitude.
	7/17/2010 7:34:20 PM

	Bernie
	A recent show suggested that you try to ask your doctor to reduce his charge for a service. Unfortunately it did not work for me.
	7/14/2010 4:54:35 PM

	Lorne Bostwick
	I don't know who the doctors are that you spoke with but when I fill out the information sheets prior to a visit I will often ask a question to see if the doctor has read the information I have provided and only once has a doctor actually shown that he has read the information.
	7/14/2010 12:57:03 PM

	aleksa
	Retired from working in a physicians office. Please remember that, unfortunately, a medical person just has a certain amount of time to see you. All decided by an insurance companies rules.Many wish they had more time to spend
	7/12/2010 3:40:04 PM

	Jan
	My experience with doctors is that they can't wait to get to the next patient and I often feel like I'm on a conveyor belt and either transferred to someone else in the office, another doctor, therapy or lab, so that I'm faced with multiple appointments, waiting rooms and wasted time. And I'm not even sick. Does one have to move to a small town to find a doctor who treats most everything?
	6/23/2010 8:42:30 PM

Leave comment

Name:

E-mail:

Your URL:

Comments:

Enter security code:

Most Popular Posts

Recent posts

Local Tips & Advice

Post archive

Sites We Recommend

Subscribe

How to Talk to Doctors