Dear Member,
Good communications is key to good health care. Review the following and try it out next time you go to the doctor's to make sure that your concerns are known and your doctor has all the information possible to give you the best possible treatment.. Remember, your doctor works for you! You are hiring him to provide a service. Don't be afraid to ask anything that you need to know, to be comfortable with the care you are receiving. You will find that your doctor will welcome the interaction.
In Unity,
Karen

Your relationship with your healthcare provider should be a partnership. Both of you have responsibilities and needs. How well you and your provider talk to each other is one of the most important parts of getting good healthcare. This means:

• asking questions if your provider's explanations or instructions are not clear
• bringing up problems even if your provider does not ask about them
• letting your provider know when a treatment is not working
• telling your provider about any new treatment or medicines you have tried since your last visit
• letting your provider know about any trouble you have with the office staff and also about good experiences with the staff
• letting your provider know about any trouble with office routines or practices, such as problems with the telephone system or leaving messages and not getting called back.

The best way to make sure the partnership works is to have good communication.

Although your provider might like to talk with you at length, each patient is given a limited amount of time. When making an appointment, tell the receptionist why you are making the appointment so enough time can be planned for you to meet with your provider. To get the most out of an office visit:

• Before your visit, make a list of things you want to talk about. During the visit, stick to the points you want to discuss.
• Always bring a complete list of all medicines you are using, including any nonprescription medicines, herbal remedies, and other alternative therapies. Tell your provider if you are taking medicines in a different way or different amount from the prescription label.
• Take notes during your visit.
• Get written information from your provider to take home with you. Sometimes it helps to ask your provider to write down some things for you, like the name of a condition you have. Ask if there are places where you can get more information.
• Talk to other providers on the healthcare team. Nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and occupational or physical therapists play an active role in your healthcare. They may be able to take more time with you than your primary care physician.

Asking questions is the key to getting what you want from the visit. If you don't ask questions, your healthcare provider may think that you understand everything and that you don't want more information. Medical words may sound like a foreign language to you, and many providers forget to translate. Ask questions when you don't know the meaning of a word (like aneurysm, hypertension, or infarct) or when instructions are not clear (like how to take your medicines). It may help to repeat what you think your provider means in your own words and ask, "Is this correct?" If you are worried about cost, say so.