Be a Good Patient
There are a lot of barriers to accessing high quality health care in America, and I believe we should follow the model of other countries that are delivering better than we are. But here I will share how I’ve accessed the best care I can find by trying to become the most professional patient I can be. My experience with the health care system is deep and long. I’ve lived with 3 chronic, rare and poorly understood illnesses. One required brain surgery to begin recovery. I was sick enough that I had to leave a successful career and go on long term disability. And it took a full 7 years to get only the first diagnosis to begin this complicated journey.
Here are some tips I will share about what this journey taught me. The things that worked.
As you look for doctors that have the expertise you need, in addition to asking current doctors or friends for referrals, try asking nurses. They are the insiders.
Create a one-page summary of your current symptoms, medications and medical history and take it to every meeting. At the bottom add any notes relevant to this particular meeting. Nurses love it, doctors appreciate it, and it cuts down the time needed to record this data.
Be concise about why you are there, don’t get into some long story telling, and certainly not complaining. The doctor has a small slot of time for you, make every minute count.
If you are seeing a lot of doctors to address your condition, consider sending all of them an annual report summarizing the treatment you have received, for what condition, and the outcomes
If you have met with a doctor several times and feel you are not being heard, or that this physician doesn’t have the expertise you need, fire the doctor and find a better one.
I have found over years that we place ourselves in a subservient position to health care providers, when in reality we hire them, and they work for us, and we pay them for their good work. You may have restrictions on your choices based on insurance, your financial situation or corporate policies, but the fact remains that if you are going to get the care you need, you have to actively seek it, work as a team with your physicians, and do everything you can to get the best they have to offer.