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Doctor Paul Griner with tips on how to build a strong working relationship with your physician.
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Things a lot of people deal -- is going to the doctor right a lot of its flu season a lot of people are sick.
And sometimes doctors visits and aren't always as pleasant as you -- Not because of even your illness just because of the relationship you may have with your doctor and getting your questions answered and having enough time to feel like you're being properly handle.
I'll -- your health care provider I'm very pleased to introduce our very first guest here with us.
On set today fall grind -- Paul complainer a physician and author of the book.
The power.
Patients' stories learning moments in medicine and here we have it up on screen.
And I'm delighted to talk to you because I am currently pregnant myself and have a lot of doctors visits.
And I know that some of my complaints of some of my worries and concerns are our.
Definitely.
The same as many of just wanting to have enough time with your doctor so the first thing that I wanted talk to you about an in your book it says a positive relationship with the patient.
Is key to the successful resolution of problems but for a lot of people they would say they don't get enough time with their doctors they feel rushed and not as such.
That's such a bummer when you have so many questions and you're trying to get through to your doctor you know that he's got a a big waiting room full of people.
But he's like this and like just give me a second so how you look at.
Well I think you need to be empowered as a patient.
And two as diplomatically as possible insist that.
He or she listened to you when you tell your story.
If you're if you have a problem and that -- a diagnosis for example by your doctor.
The more you tell your story more he -- or she listens to more likely.
Is the diagnosis to be made right there without having to send you -- for a variety of tests and procedures.
And when you mean tell your story you mean.
-- to tell us about like -- mean is it just listing symptoms or is it ice you know telling -- story as you would.
A friend.
Well the best of physicians would simply say.
Why are you here let me hear from you what the problem is and more often than not.
If they listen.
You tell them what the problem isn't.
Very often however the position will interrupt within five or ten seconds Hillary has conceived of the diagnosis.
-- of the possibilities.
And skills to let you tell the entire story.
So we're shortchanging ourselves push for changing the patient.
And we're shortchanging the communication between doctor and patient.
So what -- you know how do you fix that.
You.
You as diplomatically as possible as I mentioned.
Should insist.
Near physician hearing you I'll just say please let me finish.
Exactly that this is important to me this is my health please absolutely -- on.
And and then you may have a set of questions.
Doctor.
What does this mean for my lifestyle let's say you -- -- newly diagnosed.
Problem with blood pressure right hypertension can.
What does this mean for me -- -- Leyland gonna have to change anything.
My family relationships my hobbies my work.
And that's this is the question that's often overlooked right more.
More germane to -- -- would be.
What can I be doing.
To make this -- -- -- So -- utilize your time better you recommend maybe having a list of questions having a notepad with.
You yes yes.
In the you know in too many -- test.
Physicians would be threatened by the notepad.
Threatened only by the fact that do you have.
More sophistication in terms of questions.
Than the average person plus they're also too often in a hurry rent we need to we need to slow down.
Then technology is driving the train right now -- are those communications.
Tend to be lost in the shuffle we can get the best of both worlds.
By having patients feel empowered.
And you know for those people who get diagnosed with a condition that -- familiar with instead of getting overwhelmed.
We talked about the three important questions that you should ask your doctor were those the questions.
How will this illness affect my life what are the treatment options.
How can I get more information about this nasty it one of my doctors -- it refuses he -- do not Google anything I don't want to Google.
But in this day and age you find you hear a word you don't know you write it down you go home and you know it.
Yes well in the future if -- should -- choose the relate to.
Access routes for a -- thing.
You'll get in good information which should not be challenging the position.
The Mayo Clinic web site WWW.
Mayo Clinic don't -- -- an outstanding one.
The same thing with Johns Hopkins hospital the more informed you are the more.
Close the relationship between you and your physician should be but we have problem today with too many physicians not communicating well.
Right it's it's that you bring -- so many important points in your book that we want to remind people the power of patient stories enclosing.
Well what would you like people to go away.
Learning from this talk today what you want people -- know.
I wouldn't want them to know as patients.
And his family members of patients that they have the authority in the power to take control over their health.
And the more they use him and -- was a policy the way those possible diplomatically as possible the more likely they are to be satisfied with the relationship.
And to stay healthy.
And I just want to ask one more question we have to we have another -- ready to go but I do want to ask you.
If you feel frustrated with your doctor if if I use all of your tips and I still don't feel satisfied in my heart.
That I'm not getting through and I'm not getting the time.
You know it's scary to leave your doctor that you -- that you know that you've been with for so long.
But you cannot mean it's need to break up what the doctor to maybe get a second opinion is okay right.
Absolutely but before before breaking up with the doctor I would go home.
-- write a letter.
To the physician -- had sleep on an overnight re read it in the morning and then send it off saying how disappointed you were.
Handling the inability.
To communicate effectively and to not listen to my story surprisingly often.
Physicians who received letters like this who gain insights that they didn't have before right -- Clinton and very often change their attitudes.
That's very good advice and and hopefully maybe they'll write you back -- -- you say.
Please come and I didn't realize that's their right that's the best response okay -- very get well doctor Paul griner on the physician and author of this great book the power patient stories.
-- we want to put up one more time encourage people to pick this book up.
Com and hear from you -- your insight and a terrific read.
We've been told and great tips in here thank you so much thank you -- -- -- -- coming in thank you -- RA so.
