Latest update February 7th, 2025 2:57 PM
Latest News
- AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes says he welcomes any investigation into lands he acquired
- Pres. Ali defends Jagdeo’s attacks on critics
- VP Jagdeo tries to compare 75 acres of jungle lands Nigel Hughes wants to acquire with 35 acres of prime city lands sold to Ed Ahmad and others
- Greaves tells Govt ‘clean money’ used to acquire New York properties- Jagdeo
- Trump says Israel would hand Gaza to the US after fighting is over
The Importance of Doctor-Patient Communication
By Dr Zulfikar Bux
Successful medical encounters require effective communication between the patient and the physician. “Success” implies that the patient and physician have developed a “partnership” and the patient has been fully educated in the nature of his or her condition and the different methods to address the problem.
Dr Zulfikar Bux
Patients who understand their doctors are more likely to acknowledge health problems, understand their treatment options, modify their behaviour accordingly, and follow their medication schedules. In fact, research has shown that effective patient-physician communication can improve a patient’s health as quantifiably as many drugs. Today we discuss some key components of the patient-physician interaction which will help your understanding of the process of visiting a doctor.
BEING QUESTIONED THOROUGHLY
One of the most important diagnostic tools a doctor has at his disposal is being able to question you. A doctor may ask you the most private of questions or may dwell on matters that you may think is irrelevant. Each medical condition has some uniqueness in its presentation and getting clues on the presentation will help a doctor to narrow his thoughts to what may be causing your condition.
EXPLAINING WHAT’S GOING ON
One of the keys to recovery is the patient understanding of their medical condition. A doctor will inform you of what’s going on so that you can appreciate your treatment plan. Studies have found that patients who do not understand their condition tend to be less compliant with instructions and are more at risk for inappropriate outcomes. It is therefore vital that you listen to your doctor, ask questions, and follow instructions given.
GIVING YOU OPTIONS
Some patients prefer for the doctor to make all the decisions and not include them. Each patient will have a different situation and there are times when there are multiple treatment options. Some patients may prefer an injection while others will prefer to use tablets and wait a bit longer to improve. A patient should be informed of options like these so that they make a decision which they are most comfortable with.
FOLLOW-UP VISITS
Seeing a doctor, getting treatment which makes you feel better and not having to see the doctor again is the ideal situation. More than often this is not the case and you may be required for a few follow-up visits for your doctor to monitor the progression of your condition. There are times when patients fail to follow up with their doctor and their situation takes a turn for the worse. This is never ideal for both the patient and the doctor and the one that suffer the most is the patient. You should therefore follow up with your doctor as advised since medicine is no miracle and time sometimes reveals more than is seen initially.
DOCTOR SHOPPING
This is when a patient is requesting care from multiple physicians, often simultaneously, without making efforts to coordinate care or informing the physicians of the multiple caregivers. This can lead to a poor outcome for the patient for reasons too many to mention.
Wanting a second opinion is well within a patient’s right, but this should be coordinated/communicated between physicians. Doing this would prevent unnecessary delays in treatment and use of medications that can cause cross interactions.
Doctor shopping can also lead to patients having incomplete work-ups with different physicians and can lead to the patient having an unnecessary chronic condition.
Effective doctor-patient communication is a central clinical function in building a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship, which is the heart and art of medicine. Both the doctor and the patient have equal responsibility in communicating effectively with each other. Once this gap is bridged, it should augur well for more effective and assured patient care.
(Dr Zulfikar Bux is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Vanderbilt University and Medical Center and holds the position of Head of the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.)
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
What Guyanese leaders can learn from Donald Trump
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-There is little dispute that Donald Trump knows how to make an entrance. He does so without... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
