I admit it, I’m probably the world’s worst patient. If I look at all the advice online of things I should be doing as a patient, I can easily come to the conclusion that I am a terrible patient.
What makes me a terrible patient?
1 . I have made no effort to get contact info for my doctors. Actually, I didn’t even know this was possible till it came up in a recent #patientchat on twitter. It was one of those “What!? You can do that?” moments. Honestly, I’ve never had a doctor give me any sign that it was OK to contact them beyond the bounds of their office (calling during office hours and leaving a message, unless it’s an emergency in which case they may call me back after hours to tell me to go to the ER). I do have one of my doctors (my Fibro “doc”) on Facebook. But, even with that I wouldn’t have dreamed of contacting him there with an actual question.
2 . I don’t keep a health journal. I’ve posted about this before. Basically, I’ve found that focusing on how I feel each day, and what hurts (or doesn’t) just increases my pain by forcing me to think about it. I’d rather not think about it. This does leave me a little stranded at times when I go to a doctor because I don’t have these records.
When new issues arise I do take note of them, of when the symptom started, how often, etc, so that when I finally see a doctor for it, I have the correct info and I’m not forced to rely on my memory. But, I don’t continually track on-going issues.
3. My medication list is a mess. I try to keep my list updated via the drugs.com app, but most of the time I find I’m updating it in the doctor’s office during the visit, as they are asking me for updates. Even then with so many supplements there’s a good chance they aren’t all listed.
4. I’m rarely prepared for a doctor visit. I know I should go in with notes and questions ready to go, and sometimes I do, but most of the time, I just go in. Granted, these days most of my visits are routine check ups, but there are times when I really should have prepared questions. I’ve found that even when I do go in with prepared questions and a plan, that’s when I encounter a doctor who has no time to listen and looks at me (or rather doesn’t look at me at all) like I’ve got two heads for even daring to ask a question. Then I just get the hell out of his office and go find a new doctor.
5. I doctor shop – This doesn’t really make me a bad patient, except in the eyes of too many doctors. But, in reality this is probably my saving grace as a patient. If I find that a doctor isn’t listening to me I go find a new doctor. I keep trying until I find one who will listen. Of course, when I do find him/her it often takes me a bit to convince them that I’m serious when they see that I’ve been through so many before them.
Thankfully, after years of this, I now have a team doctors that I really trust and who I believe do listen to me. It’s been several years since I felt the need to shop for a new doctor. My GP even provides easy access to her staff online (with fast responses). I still don’t have direct contact info for any of them (and I still don’t feel comfortable asking).
If I look at all the advice online of things I should be doing as a patient, I can easily come to the conclusion that I am a terrible patient. Share on XSo, what makes you a bad patient?
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Ms. Rants says
Yeah, it’s great in theory to do all of these things, but the reality isn’t so simple. My symptom log is haphazard at best, and I don’t prep for checkups like I used to (it’s usually jotting down some quick thoughts while I’m in the waiting room!) Still, little things help. Instead of a medication list, I just throw all the bottles in a tote bag and bring them with me. Then all the info is on the labels and the doctors are happy. They tell me this is better than a medication list, because they can see all the details. For me, it’s just laziness 🙂
Julie says
Funny how what you think is laziness is better for them. The funny thing is it’s easier for me to just update my med list on drugs.com and take my phone. Lazy (to me) is NOT taking all my meds with me!
Donna says
I think doctors can get a lot of flack when we, as patients, can make
life more difficult for them sometimes (of course some can just be terrible doctors). I don’t know what it is like in the states but we have 10mins to be seen and out. This means I often choose to talk about what’s bothering me the most and don’t mention other issues. This gives a skewed picture as the puzzle is missing pieces. I don’t envy their job at all. I think simple issues are fine as the you go in, you are given a prescription and off you go- cured. Chronic illness needs to be handled in a way outside of this system or you really get nowhere.
Julie says
Totally agree. My doctors seem to vary, some are in and out with no time to even let you discuss what’s going on. Others actually take time with their patients. Of course, that means that those Drs are always behind schedule and it’s a longer wait when you arrive until you see them. It’s a trade-off, but one that I usually find worthwhile.