how well do you feel you communicate with your doctors?

It came to my attention from reading an article posted on another thread, that many doctors interupt their patients within the first twenty seconds of them trying to tell their story..


I HATE THAT!

when I was dragged to a cardiologist, who I swear, let me speak for five seconds at a time..

This is pretty much how the encounters would go! ( remember the scene from austin powers with dr. evil and son scott... ...shhhh)

click on the link for a quick reminder!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlv7Bp-L2MM

Since I haven't spoken to ANY of my doctors in five years........we "communicate" just fine.


Den

My sleep doctor would start to interrupt me almost immediately after I would begin replying to his questions. It was obvious that he didn't have any true interest in my well-being. Needless to say, I have no plans to see him again. I'm flying solo now.

I've had occasion to have a poor relationship with a physician. It was HELL and I think it has a delterious effect on my health. There were things I wasn't comfortable communicating with that physician or things he or she just wouldn't hear, and it interfered with my treatment. These days I don't tolerate that under any circumstance.

I know people say that when it comes to neurosurgery or something like that, chuck the bedside manner and give me the BEST surgeon. But I believe that relationship you have with your physician is equally important (notice I said equally important, you still need a highly skilled surgeon or clinician too).

Even in a self-contained HMO (the doctors and staff are HMO employees), I vote with my feet. If I don't have a good line of communication with a physician, I walk, and I let the HMO know why I will not go to that physician any more. This has been a pain in the neck at times--I have had to travel long distances to see specialists when I wasn't happy with an HMO provider who was closer and more convenient. I don't have to like or feel bonded to the physician necessarily (my parents' generation seemed to put their physicians on a pedestal and worship them--not me!), if I respect that physician's knowlege and know that physician respects me, then we can stil have a good working relationship.

I demand a physician who will listen to me, address my concerns, and answer my queries. If a physician is threatened by the fact that I research and learn all I can and politely question each step (not to threaten the physician but to understand myself and have some personal control over the situation) then that's not the physician for me. I espect a physician (or any other healthcare provider for that matter) to be a partner with me, not a dictator or a parent.

Hello:Elena


So far no complaint's about my sleep doc She has been very good in general everything that i discussed with her she listen and highly consider( for example after my sleep studies and before i got my scrip for my equipment i did some research on this forum about Equip,machines,mask ,etc i guess a little bit of everything.On my next visit i was somewhat ready, and kind of knew what i wanted as far as equipment goes i suggested the S9 Bundle Got it! no problem i also suggested the Swift FX mask got that to no questions ask,she even offered other choices available at the sleep center at the time.But i guess what really has surprise me the most about her is how much time she takes on the consultations (30 to 45 min's) easy, she really listen....Like i have said on other post i consider myself very lucky after reading some of the horror stories that other forum member's have encountered with their Dme's,Doc's you name it....... But then here i am reading and still learning is a long road ahead..
Thanks to All the Forum Member's for their Support for which without it ,this Road for me
would be a LOT Bumpier...
Phil

It's a well known phenomenon called MDeity-speak by Suzette Haden Elgin in one of her series of Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense books. She says it happens to the best of them, so go in knowing you have to tell your story in 15 second chunks, and keep your answers short and repeat yourself a lot, especially if there is more than one thing you are seeing the doctor for.

All that said, some doctors are sure worse than others!

I'm pleased to say that my current GP is wonderful. Keeps me waiting a tad, but then spends a good amount of time with me (more than 15 minutes). We talk...really talk. I value that alot. She came highly recommended and I travel 35 minutes away to get to her office (and no I'm not rural--I have choices much closer).

My sleep doc doesn't give me much more than 15 minutes but he listens, I guess. Trouble is, I've learned so much here that I feel like I know more than he does about my treatment so I only go to him so he'll keep telling my insurance company I'm compliant.

We share the same employer and they know it. They've invited me to feel free to email them anytime if I need to and I appreciate that.

I like my sleep doctor. He takes a lot of time with me so I never feel rushed in to asking questions, etc. However, he did my carpal tunnel testing, treated my temporary blindness and handles my OSA, so I have seen him a lot in the past two years. That could have something to do with it. I see him every few months to check up on the eye issue. And will have to continue that forever

I feel really fortunate....in addition to having a great relationship with my doctors, the health group that they belong to has an e-mail communication system. If I have a question or a concern, I can e-mail the doctor and expect a reply within 24 hours. Usually I have a reply from the nurse with the doctor's comments within 2-3 hours. (no added charges). Since my doctors know me, often I can get a prescription phoned to my pharmacy without seeing the doctor.

Elena, are you studying us???

LSAT wrote:I feel really fortunate....in addition to having a great relationship with my doctors, the health group that they belong to has an e-mail communication system. If I have a question or a concern, I can e-mail the doctor and expect a reply within 24 hours. Usually I have a reply from the nurse with the doctor's comments within 2-3 hours. (no added charges). Since my doctors know me, often I can get a prescription phoned to my pharmacy without seeing the doctor.

No added charges.......for the nurse or for the doctor or either/both?


Den

Have dropped 2 docs in the past 4 yrs: primary with whom I had horrible communications & who thought he knew everything (yeah, right, missed my apnea on at least 5 visits) and an endocrinologist who thought he knew everything (missed treating my rising TSH & chided me for using topical progesterone ). Best things I ever did was dropping those docs. First visit to a new primary, first thing he says says is "I bet you're exhausted." Bingo, suggests OSA, a keeper, 'cept he won't fully treat my hypo to reduce symptoms...gotta work on that part.

interesting stories!


sleepingugly : Elena, are you studying us???

No, I just enjoy putting up inclusive threads.. learn so much, everyone has such facinating stories to tell, and so much
wisdom to share. I cant get enough of it!

Plus, Im as curious as kitten who just found a hamster ball!

elena88 wrote: sleepingugly : Elena, are you studying us???

No, I just enjoy putting up inclusive threads.. learn so much, everyone has such facinating stories to tell, and so much
wisdom to share. I cant get enough of it!

Plus, Im as curious as kitten who just found a hamster ball!

Well, hopefully you'll acknowledge us in the book you're writing.

My sleep doctor is OK, but I know people who have sleep doctors that, even if I haven't gotten into fight since I was 5 years old,
I'm getting close to give physiological reclamation (fist into mouth) to.

Also I've been searching a tolerable dentist for some years now.
Sometimes rocks seem pay more attention.