November 2007

HELP YOUR PLAN MEMBERS COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH THEIR DOCTORS

The Commonwealth Fund’s 2002 International Health Policy Survey reported that:

• 33% of study participants left the doctor’s office without getting important questions answered.
• 20% said their doctor never made clear the goals of their treatment.
• 21% said their doctor had not reviewed their list of medications in over two years.

Each of these problems can precipitate serious health consequences. How do your plan members fit into these statistics? Is there a potential drug interaction medical crisis waiting to create an outlier cost for your company to bear?

Here are some pointers you can pass along to your plan members to keep the medical communication lines open and constructive.

• Write down the names of all the medications you take, the dosage and schedule. Even if you feel that you have this information clearly organized in your mind, it’s not unusual to confuse bits of data when you’re trying to give information quickly or feel anxious during your doctor’s visit. You can also hand the doctor your list and he can quickly extract the information he needs.
• Think about topics that you and your doctor will discuss at this visit. For example, if you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor may have prescribed an anti-hypertensive medication, suggested restricting salt, getting more exercise and eliminating cigarettes. He will want to know what your progress has been. Write down what you plan to tell him.
• Write down the questions you want answered as well. It’s much easier to think in the comfort of your home than while you’re sitting on crumply paper wearing a threadbare gown.
• Be on time for your appointment. If you’re flustered because you’re late and the doctor is annoyed because his schedule has been delayed, no one is going to communicate well.
• Remember that your doctor is neither a god whose opinion is always right, nor the enemy, deliberately ignoring your needs. He’s a highly trained professional who is trying to maintain your health in partnership with you. You may feel that he sometimes forgets the point of his job; that’s why you have to be prepared to help him stay on course.
• At the start of your face-to-face time with the doctor, let him know that you have questions. In fact, it’s useful to show him your list. He’ll know that you are taking responsibility for your care and that will encourage him to pay attention to your issues.
• Don’t be offended if the doctor refers you to his nurse for information. Office nurses are also well-trained in the disorders the doctor treats and are very good at explaining medical information.
• Write down the answers to your questions as well as any new instructions you receive. It’s hard to remember everything that goes on during a medical visit, particularly if you are given new or surprising information.
• Call the office if you later realize that you are confused about instructions or don’t remember everything you are told. It is much better to get the information straight right away than to make mistakes in your care and medication routine.
• Pay your bill. A doctor’s office is a business. If you fail to keep up the business end of the relationship, your medical relationship can suffer. Most doctors work very hard to be sure that they are not thinking about money when dealing with their patients and are generally successful in separating business from medicine. But, doctors are only human and if your name keeps coming up on the delinquent pay list, it may have a negative effect.

Overall, encourage your members to be responsible partners in their medical care.