Comprehending a Doctor Visit

As the face of healthcare is changing, doctors are no longer going to be paid on productivity but on successful outcomes. However, a recent article in Forbes magazine recognizes that patients only understand or remember less than 20% of what their doctor tells them during their appointment. If a patient cannot understand or remember what was discussed with them, we have a very poor chance of a successful outcomes. Obviously, as a doctor we need to become better communicators. In our practice, we have used our own website as an adjunct teaching tool. By placing patient education and instructions on our website, we can easily refer patients there to answer questions they may have or re-explain something that they may have forgotten. However, here are a few tips to help you get the most information out of your visits with your doctor.

First, write down any questions or concerns you have. Often, I get phone calls several hours after an appointment about a concern a patient forgot to ask. Unfortunately, with a busy schedule it can take awhile to get back to the patient. It is much better to get these questions or concerns answered during your appointment.

Second, take notes. even if you are only able to put down a few key words, this can stimulate your memory. For example, when I am discussing heel pain I say there are 3 important tenets of treatment; reducing inflammation, stretching, and arch support.  If you are able to jot these down then when you get home you will remember that stretching is an integral part of the treatment plan for heel pain. Even if you don't remember the stretches demonstrated, you will remember that you need to stretch and can simply look on our website for the necessary stretches.

If it is an important visit that is going to be extended and detailed, for example, a pre-operative visit, where you expect the surgeon to discuss the surgery and post operative course, then bring someone else with you. 4 ears are better than 2.  As an example my mother went alone to her pre-op visit for her upcoming knee surgery. Afterwards I asked several basic questions such as: would she stay the night, would she go home, or go to a rehab hospital after the surgery. My mom stated she didn't think he went over these questions. Not to doubt my mom, but more than likely he did explain everything and she was just overwhelmed with so much information that she did not remember. It would have have helped to someone else with her to increase the chance of information retained.

As patients and doctors we need to become a better communicators. Doctors must work on conversing in 2 languages; the medical one, and most importantly being able to translate medical terms into layman's terms for our patients. Patients need to make sure the information is comprehended to ensure a cohesive relationship.

Dr "Sandie" Grulke
http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/