How To Get Your Doctor To Take Better Care Of You

Your health lieas not just in the hands of your primary care provider but also in yours. You need to be able to work well with your doctor by giving accurate information, being friendly but frank when you go on consultations, and asking questions to clarify information.

Here are some ways to get your doctor to help you better:

1. Make sure you tell the right story. Be as honest and as complete as possible when you tell the doctor details of your symptoms. If you have a partner, bring them along. You can't remember everything that happened when you first got that spell of dizziness. A spouse or other loved one might be helpful in bringing attention to small but important aspects of what you had for lunch, for example, when you had what you thought was an unexplained stomach trouble.

2. Don't lie! Even half-lies may have serious consequences to your health. The doctor will immediately know it anyway if you're trying to bend the truth, even just a bit. Every time you say you had two drinks at that last business function you went to, doctors will immediately think that maybe you actually had four.

3. Ask the nurses. If you're still looking around for a good doctor in your neighborhood, one way to do this is talk to the nurses. The ICU or ER nurse may be able to give you a better idea of the doctor handles a crucial medical situation. Try to do this when it's a bit quiet on the floor so you don't add to what is already turning out to be a stressful day among the nurses, and you will get very meaningful answers from them.

4. Try to befriend your pharmacist. The pharmacist knows important information about medication you need to take for your various symptoms and ailments. What's more, the information is free. There's no consultation fee to pay, there's no need to set up an appointment, and the information you get is most likely the most updated. A good pharmacist knows what illnesses drugs are usually prescribed for and how they might interact with your other prescriptions. Pay close attention to what the pharmacist tells you every time you buy your next batch of prescribed meds. The pharmacist should be able to tell you possible side effects you might encounter, the correct dosage for each type of prescription medicine, and the whether you can take your meds on an empty stomach or after you have just finished a meal.

5. Learn what the doctor writes in your prescription. Try to develop a better understanding of what your doctor writes every time you get a new prescription. Nowadays this does not have to involve getting a medical degree anymore. There are many websites that can help you interpret those Latin-looking squiggles and abbreviations. Take the time to learn them and apply your knowledge in dealing with your prescription.

6. Don't just wait. If test results are supposed to be due, call the doctor's office. Don't just think that the doctor's silence means that there is nothing wrong. Sure, that may be true around 90% of the time. But it could also mean that your results may have just been buried under a thick stack of files. Or that the lab's notice got lost in the mail. Call your physician's office the day after they said results will be out and try to clarify what is going on. At the very least, that will also alert them to follow up on your results so that your doctor may be able to work with you better.