Written by Maricarmen Ramírez-Solá, MPHE, CN-BM

Why it is important

One of the patient's responsibilities is to actively participate in his or her health care. For this to be possible, it is important to communicate effectively with the physician.

Effective communication can be achieved when the patient is organized in advance to exchange information. You are responsible for providing complete information about your personal medical history. He needs to clearly express his questions and concerns. And it is essential that he verbalizes his decisions regarding recommended treatment.

The patient achieves better outcomes if he or she is active rather than passive in the interaction with the physician. To ensure that all of your needs are met, it is ideal that you aspire to maintain a teamwork relationship with the physician.

Benefits of communication with the physician

Just as a person organizes to travel, he or she also needs to organize to go to a doctor's appointment. Studies show that cancer patients benefit from maintaining participatory communication with their physicians.

These patients may:

• Influence the behavior of their physicians by encouraging them to be more communicative and supportive.
• Feel greater satisfaction with medical care because they are actively involved in it.
• Maintain a better state of mind because they take control over their health.
• Better comply with treatment as they understand more clearly the risks and benefits of treatment.

Ideas for communication with the physician

Consultation with a physician usually serves the following purposes: obtaining information, asking questions, clarifying doubts, verbalizing needs and concerns, and expressing health care decisions. A patient can communicate better when he or she organizes his or her thoughts prior to the doctor's visit. The patient can prepare notes on four basic aspects:

1. Symptoms - When the patient reports symptoms, noticeable changes in health or side effects of treatment, more specific recommendations for managing them can be made.

2. Questions - When the patient expresses concerns and asks questions, it allows the physician to identify recommendations that need to be clarified or reviewed. It also helps to consider whether the patient may benefit from the assistance of a Health Educator. The Health Educator uses methods to educate and promote better understanding of diagnosis and treatment. She also helps the patient make informed decisions.

3. Concerns - If the patient communicates limitations and barriers, such as lack of transportation, family caregiving issues, and financial limitations, it allows the physician to explore options and determine if a referral to Social Work or Patient Navigation is appropriate. Among other things, this service helps to assess the patient's socio-economic background in order to connect the patient with helpful resources.

4. Decisions - Medical care is administered with the patient's verbal and written authorization. Therefore, it is important that the patient clearly express what he/she chooses to accept and his/her commitment to comply.

Successful health management and recovery are largely influenced by communication between the physician and patient. It may help to view the relationship between the two within the context of equal sharing of responsibilities. That is, half the effort is made by the physician and half by the patient.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2014). Effective Patient-Physician Communication. Opinion 587. Obstet Gynecol. 123:389-393. Effective Patient-Physician Communication (acog.org).

D'Agostino TA, et al (2017). Promoting patient participation in healthcare interactions through communication skills training: A systematic review. Patient Educ Couns. 100(7):1247-1257.

Harvard Health Publishing (2007). Doctor-patient communication: A shared responsibility. Doctor-patient communication: A shared responsibility - Harvard Health

Wegmann J (2009). 10 Tips for Communicating More Effectively with Physicians - and Others - for Your Mental Health. Psychology Today. 10 Tips for Communicating More Effectively with Physicians - and Others - for Your Mental Health | Psychology Today.