Have you ever left the doctor’s office feeling worse than you did when you arrived? Perhaps it wasn’t the bright lights or the astringent aromas, but rather, the lack of attention and care you felt from your provider. How can you make your next appointment worth the hour or more you spend sitting in the waiting room?
Doctors face enormous pressures, which sometimes results in less-than-optimal care. To get the most from your appointment and subsequent treatment, you must learn to advocate for yourself. It’s challenging to do this when you’re under the weather. Read this list now so that you know what to do.
1. Read Your Benefits Materials Carefully
If you’re lucky enough to have health insurance, count your blessings — 28 million Americans, mostly working-age adults, do not have coverage. Even if you do have a plan, you could experience sticker shock if you have a high deductible or copays. Call your insurer and make sure your doctor is in their network to avoid out-of-network prices.
Your prescription drug costs can make up a significant proportion of your overall medical bills. If you’re on a long-term medication that works, but that your policy’s formulary doesn’t cover, you could pay too much. You can request that your insurer make an exception and even file an appeal if they continue to deny you.
2. Know Your Rights
The health care system in America can flow slowly. Sometimes, you might undergo a diagnostic test, for example, but the specialist who ordered it retires before you get results. What are your rights when it comes to obtaining test results and other vital information?
Per U.S. law, your provider cannot withhold copies of your medical records because you haven’t paid their bill. Additionally, they can’t deny you a copy of your files if you decide to switch to another doctor. The exact rules for obtaining records vary from state to state, so check with your health department. Some states require requests to be in writing.
3. Ask a Ton of Questions
Doctors possess a ton of training and education, but they aren’t demigods. Sometimes, physicians can’t find anything wrong because you have a rare condition that researchers haven’t studied yet. On other occasions, you might receive a diagnosis that doesn’t sound right for several possible reasons. You don’t have to blindly accept everything that your practitioner tells you — if you don’t understand something, ask.
If your provider throws out a diagnosis without explaining how they arrived at it, ask how they reached that conclusion. Most doctors are happy to explain a diagnosis and explore alternate possibilities. If they grow defensive at your suggestion that it could be a different condition, take it as a sign to seek a second opinion.
When your doctor prescribes a new medication, inquire about potential side effects. Now is also the time to ask if any over-the-counter preparations or supplements you take could interfere with its efficacy. It’s wise to double-check on possible interactions with other scrips, too. While your physician should have your prescription records at their disposal, even intelligent humans sometimes make mistakes.
4. Keep Detailed Records
Medical recordkeeping has advanced significantly with technological innovations, but gaps in continuity of care persist. Keep a copy of your medical records as well as a chart of the symptoms you experience. Such practices help your physician arrive at a diagnosis or re-evaluate one that doesn’t seem to fit. For example, if you take medication to manage high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to chart your readings at home. This way, if you notice any troublesome patterns, you can alert your care provider.
5. Be Honest and Bring an Advocate
As many as 80% of patients lie or withhold information from their doctors. Is it challenging to answer, “yes,” when your physician asks if you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse? It’s understandable to want to hide past negative behavior. However, are you the first patient to struggle with addiction? You’re not.
If you’re worried that prior misbehavior could bias your practitioner against you, consider taking an advocate with you to your appointment. A third party can testify that you no longer engage in the problematic behavior — assuming you don’t. If you do, a frank and honest conversation with your doctor could prove the first step in getting help.
Improve the Quality of Your Medical Care
You don’t have to rely solely on the feedback from your doctor. You can take charge of your health and advocate for yourself at your next appointment by following a few simple guidelines.
1 Trackback / Pingback