Talking To Your Doctor: An Overview

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Talking To Your Doctor: An Overview

Research shows that good patient-doctor communication is vital to achieving the best treatment and health outcome for patients. But doctors don’t always listen to patients or provide enough information. And patients don’t always tell their doctor everything. How can you get on the same page?

In this video we look at some research on patient-doctor communication. The figures are shocking – patients are often left feeling dismissed and not believed, and doctors often have to make decisions without all the relevant health information from their patients.

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References

Levy, A. G., Scherer, A. M., Zikmund-Fisher, B. J., Larkin, K., Barnes, G. D. and Fagerlin, A. Levy, A. et al. (2018) “Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Patient Nondisclosure of Medically Relevant Information to Clinicians”, JAMA Network Open, 1(7), p. e185293. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5293.
Feel discriminated against at the doctor’s office? You’re not alone. (2019). Available at: https://www.today.com/health/today-survey-finds-gender-discrimination-doctor-s-office-serious-issue-t153641 (Accessed: 5 May 2022).
DiMatteo, M. (1998) “The role of the physician in the emerging health care environment.”, Western Journal of Medicine, 168(5), p. 328. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1304975/ (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Jennifer Fong Ha, N. (2010) “Doctor-Patient Communication: A Review”, The Ochsner Journal, 10(1), p. 38. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096184/#i1524-5012-10-1-38-Lee2 (Accessed: 2 May 2022).
Singh Ospina, N. et al. (2018) “Eliciting the Patient’s Agenda- Secondary Analysis of Recorded Clinical Encounters”, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(1), pp. 36-40. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4540-5. (Accessed: 12 May 2022).

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can vary greatly. Unfortunately, many autoimmune symptoms (such as lupus and myasthenia gravis symptoms) can mimic other diseases, including mental health conditions. This can result in doctors misdiagnosing autoimmune conditions or thinking someone’s autoimmune symptoms are “all in their head”. Find out more in our video.

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References

Myasthenia Gravis Clinical Overview | MGFA (2022). Available at: https://myasthenia.org/Professionals/Clinical-Overview-of-MG (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Law, C., Flaherty, C. and Bandyopadhyay, S. (2020) “A Review of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Myasthenia Gravis”, Cureus. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9184.
Lupus facts and statistics (2022). Available at: https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-facts-and-statistics. (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Avoid Autoimmune Diagnosis Delay – Tips For Early Doctor Visits, But Most Importantly: Trust Your Instincts – Autoimmune Association (2013). Available at: https://autoimmune.org/autoimmune-disease-diagnosis-delay-tips/ (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Myasthenia Gravis Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2022). Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/myasthenia-gravis-fact-sheet#6 (Accessed: 11 May 2022).

There are ways you can prepare for a medical appointment which can help improve communication with your doctor. The following tips and tools can help you remember important information and provide your doctor with as much detail as possible about your health, your condition and your symptoms. Take a quick look and find out more.

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References

4 Tips to Get Your Doctor to Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/how-healing-works/201910/4-tips-get-your-doctor-listen (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
How to Talk to Doctors When They Don’t Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/be-heard-by-dr (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Feeling Dismissed and Ignored by Your Doctor? Do this. (2022). Available at: https://www.improvediagnosis.org/dxiq-column/feeling-dismissed-and-ignored-by-your-doctor-do-this/ (Accessed: 9 May 2022).

It’s important to ask questions and include as much information in your answers as possible when you speak with your doctor. You should make sure that you fully understand what your doctor is saying and there are ways you can make this happen! We provide you with some advice and tips on the best ways to talk to your doctor.

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References

How to Talk to Doctors When They Don’t Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/be-heard-by-dr (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
6 Tips to Get Your Doctor to Listen to You, Quick and Dirty Tips (2022). Available at: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/prevention/6-tips-to-get-your-doctor-to-listen-to-you (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
4 Tips to Get Your Doctor to Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/how-healing-works/201910/4-tips-get-your-doctor-listen (Accessed: 9 May 2022).

Let us know how well you communicate with your doctor in this quick poll – answer now and see how others have answered!

We take a look at some quick Do’s and Don’ts for helping you to improve communication with your doctor.

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References

Levy, A. G., Scherer, A. M., Zikmund-Fisher, B. J., Larkin, K., Barnes, G. D. and Fagerlin, A. Levy, A. et al. (2018) “Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Patient Nondisclosure of Medically Relevant Information to Clinicians”, JAMA Network Open, 1(7), p. e185293. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5293.
Feel discriminated against at the doctor’s office? You’re not alone (2019). Available at: https://www.today.com/health/today-survey-finds-gender-discrimination-doctor-s-office-serious-issue-t153641 (Accessed: 5 May 2022).
DiMatteo, M. (1998) “The role of the physician in the emerging health care environment.”, Western Journal of Medicine, 168(5), p. 328. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1304975/ (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Jennifer Fong Ha, N. (2010) “Doctor-Patient Communication: A Review”, The Ochsner Journal, 10(1), p. 38. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096184/#i1524-5012-10-1-38-Lee2 (Accessed: 2 May 2022).
Singh Ospina, N. et al. (2018) “Eliciting the Patient’s Agenda- Secondary Analysis of Recorded Clinical Encounters”, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(1), pp. 36-40. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4540-5. (Accessed: 12 May 2022).
Myasthenia Gravis Clinical Overview | MGFA (2022). Available at: https://myasthenia.org/Professionals/Clinical-Overview-of-MG (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Law, C., Flaherty, C. and Bandyopadhyay, S. (2020) “A Review of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Myasthenia Gravis”, Cureus. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9184.
Lupus facts and statistics (2022). Available at: https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-facts-and-statistics. (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Avoid Autoimmune Diagnosis Delay – Tips For Early Doctor Visits, But Most Importantly: Trust Your Instincts – Autoimmune Association (2013). Available at: https://autoimmune.org/autoimmune-disease-diagnosis-delay-tips/ (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Myasthenia Gravis Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2022). Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/myasthenia-gravis-fact-sheet#6 (Accessed: 11 May 2022).
4 Tips to Get Your Doctor to Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/how-healing-works/201910/4-tips-get-your-doctor-listen (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
How to Talk to Doctors When They Don’t Listen (2022). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/be-heard-by-dr (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
Feeling Dismissed and Ignored by Your Doctor? Do this. (2022). Available at: https://www.improvediagnosis.org/dxiq-column/feeling-dismissed-and-ignored-by-your-doctor-do-this/ (Accessed: 9 May 2022).
6 Tips to Get Your Doctor to Listen to You, Quick and Dirty Tips (2022). Available at: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/prevention/6-tips-to-get-your-doctor-to-listen-to-you (Accessed: 9 May 2022).

Take our quick quiz – just a few questions to make sure you’re on track to improve communication with your doctor in the best way possible!

Author information

Kate Searle, Head of Content at TTMdoc

Kate has over 20 years’ experience in writing, marketing, and public relations. She lost her husband at a young age to a rare and aggressive type of brain/spinal cancer. As her husband’s caregiver, she faced the same pain and challenges as many others who’ve cared for a loved one. Her experiences fuel her desire to work in a field that has a meaningful impact on people’s lives.
Kate holds a degree in Communications from Bournemouth University in the UK.

Page published:
June 6, 2022

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