Patient Empowerment

I wonder how many of us have gone to our primary Doctor and left rattled without asking the question we intended to discuss, it was all a blur. Perhaps we forget by distraction, shyness, or just afraid to take too much of the doctor's time.

In one of this week's episodes, a lovely lady who happens to also be an Internal Medicine Physician shared a wonderful enrichment of insights in how to communicate with our doctor effectively. She authored the book Patient Empowerment: Not Just a Book, It's an Adventure, and incidentally, if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read this one-of-a-kind book for free.

I asked her how do you prepare yourself for your doctor's visit and I will share with you her answer and much more.

​To begin with, she said to set a written Agenda before your appointment. Most doctors’ visits last only an average of 15 minutes, so it is essential to first and foremost to share your concerns by having a written list of questions that you want to prioritize. Of course, we are not the only patient, therefore, doctors have a time restraint, however, with your written agenda, this will be time well spent, so it is not the length of time but the quality. Your outline doesn’t need to be complicated, it is a matter of focusing on your medical concerns, your fears, or conjectures.

From a holistic standpoint, it is imperative to share with your doctor what may be contributing to your concerns by sharing information about  your lifestyle, social responsibilities and relationships at home and not to mention at our place of employment, thus, providing the doctor the complete picture of your well-being. Do not be afraid to share these things because they may be relevant to your condition.

Having an outline logging any

pain, the length of the pain, or a physiological feeling, even if it is  embarrassing. Remember, your physician's obligation is to assist you to be healthy, and he or she is mandated to safeguard medical confidentiality.

Medical visits can be formidable and intimidating, and for the most part,  even the most well-meaning physician can introduce too much information too fast and in complex medical terms. So, it is perfectly appropriate to ask questions for clarification. And you may repeat what your doctor says in your own words to crystallize the information in your own mind.

Speaking of formidability and intimidation, she proceeded to talk about the white coat syndrome which can have a reaction on the blood pressure. This resonated with me when at my doctor's visit, he recommended blood pressure medication. I quickly responded, "I would prefer to be put on a monitor for at least 24 hours for verification." For the following three weeks I made a log of my systolic and diastolic pressure, and lo and behold, it was normal, thus explaining the white coat syndrome, this syndrome does exist psychologically, so try to control your anxiety.

This is as it should be, a Collaborative relationship to arrive at the optimal health care, work together, it is a partnership or a marriage.

If your doctor gives a recommendation as a modality or treatment, express your concerns about potential side effects, risks, or questions about other alternative treatment, and to reiterate, we are talking about patient empowerment.

One of my other questions about the medical industry was about the current trend for Physician Assistants (PA). In fact, since I changed my primary doctor, I have only visited with a PA and I am yest to communicate with my primary doctor. She admitted that this is the trend today since there is a deficiency of medical doctors, however, she reassured me that the PA are very competent and if she were to find herself in the hospital she would not have any  qualms or apprehensions about having a PA for her health care. My inclination is to trust what she conveyed because I can tell you my PA was very professional, cordial, energetic and affable. And so much so, I turned to the office nurse and mentioned that at the end of the day they have to probably peel him off the ceiling.

A great doctor or PA is trained in mindfulness, for instance, it reflects itself when they take time to focus on the new patient in front of them, and then you as a patient should do likewise. Right from the outset, once he walked in, he could not wait to meet someone with an Italian name like mine of which I will not mention, however, we immediately clicked, it was a great interaction.

I also asked my guest about her thoughts about telemedicine, and she responded positively so long it is a benign visit where the doctor does not have to touch for a diagnosis, but to discuss lab results of which I have done in the past.

The purpose of this blog is to combine your knowledge with your health care provider, for the doctor knows medical care, but you know your own personal family care.

My guest is also a strong advocate of every patient having their own copies of their ongoing medical care, treatments, medications being administered and for how long. This will minimize the unnerving experience if we find ourselves in an emergency room or abroad. Speaking of which, she also discussed how to stay safe if admitted for hospitalization in terms of protecting our health from staph infections. To encapsulate what she said, keep your hands off the areas where the intravenous is being administered because there are all kinds of bacteria on your hands and everywhere else, and it is what it is. And I can attest to this fact when I think of two very close friends losing their lives because of the foregoing.

As a finale let me share a triviality. We understand that (Rx) represents prescription medication, but did you know where the symbol comes from? The subject is debatable. Some suggest it is an abbreviation for (recipere), a Latin term which translates (recipe). So, when your doctor writes a prescription beginning with " Rx ", he or she is finalizing the medicinal recommendation.  The use of this symbol is historical, originating in mediaeval times, when physicians were stuck on the notion that the planets such as Jupiter was the strongest influence of Health, especially, if you were to pray.  Come to think of it, I have heard some respond when asked how they are doing with the answer, "pills and prayers."

All I can say about that, do what you can to minimize pills and make sure your prayers are well directed to the one who actually hears them.