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Is Your Doctor Really Listening To You? Getting The Most Out Of Your Visits
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The work of Dr. Georgianna Donadio DC, MSc, PhD has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide. For more than 35 years, she has been educating the healthcare community, as well as her patients, students and the public…
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Is Your Doctor Really Listening To You? Getting The Most Out Of Your Visits
In a November 15, 2010 article published in the New York Times Health section, Jackson Ramer, a professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University states that “more and more patients report that they do not feel heard.”
It is surprising that it has taken so many decades for issues, such as physicians not listening to their patients, to come to light, be discussed and addressed. For those of us who have spent many years in medicine and health care, the fact that patients have not been listened to is nothing new.
There are many reasons that health professionals often do not have the time to go into greater depth with their patients to discuss contributing factors affecting their chronic disease state. However, the patient – more appropriately referred to these days as the consumer, has the ability to ask the important questions pertaining to their health condition and ask what they can do to take greater control over it.
In 1977, the National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH) was established and has, since that time, worked tirelessly to create a transformation in medical health care practice by creating a post-professional training for health care providers focused on changing the relationship between provider and patient, transforming that relationship from patient dependency to patient empowerment.
Through the program, practitioners can learn to shift the communication and control of the patient-provider relationship to express a greater equality and increased participation of the patient.
In 2005, the NIWH model became the mandate for “the practice of medicine in all settings”. Both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) and hospitals and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified these key guidelines which include:
Today, the landscape of medical practice is changing because health care consumers are demanding it. We all want to be seen and treated as a whole person. As a health care consumer, it is your right to ask the important questions of your physician and health care givers. It is their responsibility to respond to your questions and provide you with answers. If they do not have the answers, they can direct you to someone who does.
Before visiting your doctor you may wish to consider:
It is important to develop a partnership with your medical professionals and work together to bring about the best outcome. Asking the questions that provide you clarity, understanding and options is one very important way of insuring that outcome.
What has your experience at the doctor been?
- Dr. Georgianna Donadio
It is surprising that it has taken so many decades for issues, such as physicians not listening to their patients, to come to light, be discussed and addressed. For those of us who have spent many years in medicine and health care, the fact that patients have not been listened to is nothing new.
There are many reasons that health professionals often do not have the time to go into greater depth with their patients to discuss contributing factors affecting their chronic disease state. However, the patient – more appropriately referred to these days as the consumer, has the ability to ask the important questions pertaining to their health condition and ask what they can do to take greater control over it.
In 1977, the National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH) was established and has, since that time, worked tirelessly to create a transformation in medical health care practice by creating a post-professional training for health care providers focused on changing the relationship between provider and patient, transforming that relationship from patient dependency to patient empowerment.
Through the program, practitioners can learn to shift the communication and control of the patient-provider relationship to express a greater equality and increased participation of the patient.
In 2005, the NIWH model became the mandate for “the practice of medicine in all settings”. Both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) and hospitals and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified these key guidelines which include:
• placing patients at the center of their health care decision making
• treating the patient as a whole person
• evidenced-based health education for prevention and disease management
Today, the landscape of medical practice is changing because health care consumers are demanding it. We all want to be seen and treated as a whole person. As a health care consumer, it is your right to ask the important questions of your physician and health care givers. It is their responsibility to respond to your questions and provide you with answers. If they do not have the answers, they can direct you to someone who does.
Before visiting your doctor you may wish to consider:
1) Writing down questions you may have about your condition.
2) If your doctor doesn’t have time to answer all of them, ask to speak to a patient advocate or health educator who does have the time to talk with you.
3) Bring along another person to your consultation. They can ask questions for you, be an objective observer and even take notes.
4) Do some research on the topic your self. Daily Strength and WebMD are excellent resources for health information that will give you more of an even footing in the doctor’s office.
5) Remember that YOU are the consumer and treat your medical care as you would any other service you would pay for – because you do pay for this service with both co-pays and insurance premiums.
It is important to develop a partnership with your medical professionals and work together to bring about the best outcome. Asking the questions that provide you clarity, understanding and options is one very important way of insuring that outcome.
What has your experience at the doctor been?
- Dr. Georgianna Donadio
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I do have a question to anyone willing to reply. I'm starting to get scarred because mt doctor, very nice, compassionate man, has told me he really can't do much more for me regarding stronger meds. I don't like taking them to begin with but I'm becommin
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and over the years have learn the true meaning of drs. whats the one thing you learnt while dealing with chronic pain ?
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Most doctors decide before they walk in what is wrong with patient. I was losing weight, muscle mass, heart palpations, iron so low I passed out, no kidney or liver function at all. Throwing up and diarrhea constantly.
My stomach stuck out like the starving African children one sees in pictures.
The morons told me it was Fibromyalgia. That was the kiss of death. Every doc I went to wrote me off before even seeing me.
10 years I tried and docs told me I was depressed and just needed more exercise. Claimed I was lying about religiously doing daily exercise.
Finally, one actually looked at me. From their the do-do hit the fan and 24 hours later I was in hospital while they tried to stabilize me enough to run test to see why I was dying.
Sometimes it takes more time to explain than docs want to take and they just don't care anymore.
of different doctors, for a lot of different ailments that I live with. Between a general practioner, neurologist, psychiatrist, therapist, etc.. But like I said, in my very 1st
sentence, I don't care what doctor I'm at, but if the doctor
starts looking at their watch, or the clock, I begin to get really, really pissed off! What? Your time is more valuable than mine? I'm the one that is taking time, out of my busy life to see this doctor! A doctor or therapist who keeps checking out their watch, just has to go because I don't have time (no pun intended)!
HOW STUPID AND LAZY.
as soon as she got a P A he immediately told me I was on a very low dose and tht could be increased - I no longer had a dry mouth, eyes. I thanked him a thousand times so he would know what he did and to build confidence in treating this disease with other patients.
I told another one I have memory and concentration problems, she offered me an anti-depressant. How stupid is that!!
She needed an anti-depressant -- maybe she had memory problems for things she learned in med school!!
ANTI-DEPRESSANT!!
WHAT BOOK TELLS THEM TO DO THAT!!
IF YOU'RE LOW ON HORMONE, PRESCRIBE HORMONE -- NOT AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT!!
I had trouble breathing and without any tests -- started giving me asthma medication that didn't work -- it was related to thyroid disease.
I walked in with a super red face -- she never noticed that was NOT normal -- didn't care!!
another doctor caught it and told me: "nobody's face is that red, something is wrong!! DAH!!
That form that we give our family medical history -- they never look at that either!!
I let them know that my Mom was HYPERthyroidism but they never offered to check me or to offer me a copy so IF I were to get it in the future I would know MY RANGES -- NOT RANGES THEY WANT ME TO BE "WITHIN RANGE" AS THEY PUT IT!!
I needed to keep a record so if I EVER got this, I would know the ranges that fit me.
There are reports on the news daily in The restaurant business, which restaurants received a low grade and who are the best clean ones.
Lousy retail-- checks the sales clerks to make sure the are giving the LAZY customes good service.
Where are the people to examine the files to make sure ppl are being treated properly with the best knowledge and care. Someone needs to check the doctor and advise them on how to give BETTER treatment.
THE ISSUE is they need to care and take pride in their work!!
There are Bank auditors, that get audited often...WHERE IS THE Auditors for the patients!!
MY pOOr MOM had -- NO thyroid AND was mistreated.
I am just finding out how much she suffered from head to toe. she needed to be given T3 so she suffered with fybromialgia, concentration, memory problems, gallstones, acid-reflux, started getting signs of dementia!!
The pharmacist and doc advised her to take her T4 in the a. m. and to eat 30 minutes later -- basically she wasn't receiving any hormone with this method. so becuz of this she was lazy, lethargic, weak, & sleepy, Her heals were very dry, skin problems, She could never get enough sleep. So my Poor Mom basically recieved no thyroid hormone on top of being denied -- T3