Abstract

Keywords: Participatory medicine, physician-patient communication, patient advocacy.
Citation: Kurland S. Letter: developing a positive patient-provider relationship. J Participat Med. 2011 Jan 7; 3:e3.
Published: January 7, 2011.

To the Editors:

The points made in Michael Scott’s commentary hit the nail on the head. The word “patient” is not what does or doesn’t earn respect.

I would like to elaborate on Mr. Scott’s points about development of a positive relationship between patients and health care providers. Just as health care providers are accused of possessing an edge of arrogance, patients sometimes possess the same; it’s a two-way street. Often, if the patient takes the initiative to make some adjustments, the relationship with the health care provider will become more salient, cordial and productive.

So what does the patient need to do? In most cases, the patient is seeing the health care provider due to a non-emergency medical problem. This means there is time to prepare for the medical appointment. Write down specific symptoms and health problems you want to discuss; prioritize them. Write down questions. Bring pen and paper to take notes. When necessary, say to the doctor, “I’m not following you. Will you please re-explain what you just said and talk a little slower for me? Can you draw me a quick diagram to help me understand my problem? Where can I learn more about my diagnosis?” Stay on track with your appointment “agenda,” which indicates to the doctor that you are respectful of his or her time.

Additionally, be proactive in your treatment plan; for example, find out in advance if test results got from Primary Care Doctor A to Specialist Doctor B. And, to the health care worker who tells you to undress yet fails to introduce himself, you, the patient, can use a little humor: “I don’t usually undress for people I’ve just met! What is your name and what is your job in this office? Will you be coming back in?” And remember, in whatever you say or do, there is a fine line between being assertive and being aggressive.

Copyright: © 2011 Sheryl Kurland. Published here under license by The Journal of Participatory Medicine. Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the Journal of Participatory Medicine. All journal content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. By virtue of their appearance in this open-access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.