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Preparing For a Doctor Visit

By Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT

Once you have chosen a medical team, you must then work with them to choose a treatment plan. This is clearly a decision that can profoundly affect your life and the lives of family members. However, if you are newly diagnosed or have just discovered you have a recurrence, your mind is on many things and it can be difficult to understand what a doctor says—even when you are trying very hard to listen.

Since you can't make use of information you don't understand, or that you interpret incorrectly, it is essential you and your doctor communicate well. To make the best use of your time in the office, here are some suggestions:

Before each office visit write down any concerns or questions in a small notebook. If you do not understand the answers, ask again. If you still don't understand, ask again.

Bring a friend or family member with you when you come to the office, if you are afraid you will forget what the doctor tells you.

Bring a tape recorder with you to the office so that you can later review explanations and instructions at your own convenience.

To be assured your questions will be given the attention they deserve, don't wait until the last minute (such as the night before an operation or the day before treatment is to begin) to ask important questions. If you've forgotten something minor, that's okay, we all forget some things under pressure. However, it is counter-productive to keep putting off discussing matters that require more lengthy explanations.

If you need to talk with the doctor for an extended time, either by phone or in person, let the office know in advance, if possible.

Since only you are the one who knows how much pain or discomfort you have, you need to describe your pain as accurately as possible so that it can be alleviated. Do not accept pain as an unavoidable nuisance you must endure.

If you do not clearly remember the instructions or information you were given when you were in the office, do not guess. Ask the staff to tell you again. They would rather you repeat a question than have you assume, for example, that a medication should be taken during meals if that is when it would be least effective.

Always check with the office to be certain when and under what circumstances you should get a prescription refilled.

There is a booklet, Teamwork: The Cancer Patients' Guide to Talking With Your Doctor, by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), 1010 Wayne Ave., 5th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 650-8868. Its 32 pages are packed with useful suggestions on how to best begin and maintain a working relationship with a doctor that is constructive to both the doctor and the patient. $3 for members of the NCCS, $4 for non-members.

— © Learning Place Online, 2002