-by Susan Griswold

For patients or anyone visiting their healthcare provider, talking with a doctor may not be an easy or comfortable task. In addition, a visit to the doctor’s office can cause the patient or caregiver to feel overwhelmed with the information provided during the visit.

However, research shows that patients and/or caregivers who act as a healthcare advocate for patients, who have a good relationship with their healthcare provider, are happier and more confident with the care they receive. The following suggestions can help build that relationship and make sure you get the information you need from your visit with your doctor.

Here are some tips to help you talk with your doctor:

• Consider bringing a friend or family member. They can help remember information, bring up questions you might not have thought of yourself and help keep you company.
• Bring a notepad and pen (or a tape recorder if you doctor is comfortable with this). This will allow you to keep a copy of the information covered and allow you to go over the information later yourself or with your caregiver.
• Bring a list of your symptoms and try to be as specific as possible when describing them.
• Bring a list of all medications you take.  Be sure to include all over-the-counter medications — including vitamins, herbals and other supplements – these are medications, too.
• Bring all your insurance information and any healthcare directives.

Educate yourself ahead of time and prepare a list of questions beforehand. This way, you won’t forget to ask about something that was important to you.

Depending on your needs, health-related websites such as WebMD provide health information to patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. These websites offer a list of health topics to choose from, including everything from stress to disease-specific information like Alzheimer’s, and provides suggested questions that one can use to ask his or her doctor on their next visit.

When talking about your healthcare needs with your doctor, if something is unclear, try repeating it back to your doctor or ask your doctor to draw a picture or show you a chart, if that is easier for you to understand.

Take control of your healthcare needs and share your concerns, questions, and healthcare goals with your healthcare provider.

Susan Griswold is part of the marketing team at San Diego Hospice and The Institute of Palliative Medicine team. She enjoys teaching herself how to cook, traveling, and trying new things.