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Primary Care
Associates, P.C. AnMed Health Campus 2000 East Greenville Street Suite 1600 Anderson, South Carolina 29621 Telephone: 864.226.9193 |
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DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION Patients look for a lot of qualities in a doctor - knowledge, training, A conveniently located office and acceptance of certain insurance plans may be included -- but the doctor's ability to communicate well should be at the top of every list. Communication with a doctor is a two-way street. Both doctor and patient have to be able to talk and listen. But a 1998 Harris Poll of a thousand patients found 25 percent were reluctant at times to talk to their physicians about a health problem. And a study out of Wayne State University found "most people are interrupted by their doctors within the first 18 seconds of beginning to explain what is wrong with them." "People are concerned about expressing themselves correctly when they see a doctor," says Dr. Glenn Abernathy with Primary Care Associates in Anderson. "If the doctor shuts them off after 15 seconds, they won't feel comfortable." And this hurts in making a diagnosis. "Ninety to ninety-five percent of the time, people will tell you what's wrong if you just listen," he said. Patients can help this situation by preparing what they want to say prior to the visit, he said. This can include coming up with a list of symptoms, including when they started and what seems to make them worse. If you can't remember exactly when something started bothering you, try tying it to a holiday or your birthday or some memorable event. Ask yourself, "Did I notice it at Christmas?" To monitor activities that aggravate your problem, you can even keep a symptom diary for a few days before your appointment. In fact, your doctor may ask you to do that if you have trouble explaining what aggravates your symptoms. (A good tool for preparing for a visit with your doctor is the "Ask the Doctor Checklist," found on page 2 of your Partners Healthwise® Handbook.) Dr. Abernathy says an observant physician will depend on much more than oral communication in evaluating a patient. "Some people think after the first 18 seconds of talk and two seconds of laying on of the stethoscope, it's over," he said. Instead, a doctor will pick up on body language - breathing patterns, sighing, eye contact - as well as the way the person walks and keeps balance and whether they can repeat instructions the doctor gives them. Good listening on the patient's part comes into play here. "Your doctor may ask you to repeat what the instructions were to be sure you understand," he said. But if you get home and can't remember something, don't hesitate to call the doctor's office back and ask. After office hours, the Partners Nursewise Line may help you figure out your physician's instructions. The free, confidential health advice line is open 24 hours a day. Call 261-2001 in Anderson County or 1-888-525-1333 in Oconee, Pickens or Hart counties. There's also help via the Internet. For links to credible health sites, visit the Partners for a Healthy Community website, www.healthy-community-org, and click "Health questions?" on the home page. |
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