Remember when you were in school and no one liked the teacher’s pet? That person was taunted, teased and picked on. You can now be your doctors’ pet and not have to worry about peer pressure because in today’s health care environment it’s a good thing to be.
Time with your doctor is short. It’s hard to build a relationship with them. Guess what? That time is likely to only get shorter. Baby boomers are aging and contracting illnesses, health care coverage for all Americans is on the horizon – maybe…the article “Shortage of Doctors an Obstacle to Obama’s Goals” in the April 27, 2009 issue of the New York Times is questioning how that dilemma will be solved.
But, have you ever thought about what is going to happen if suddenly the doctor/patient ratio is widely expanded? Appointments will be hard to get and are likely to become shorter and shorter.
Will you be among the patients who:
· Are unable to answer many of the doctor’s questions because you can’t remember or just don’t know the answer?
· The doctor has to tug and drag information from?
· Are in the 50 – 65% who do not follow the treatment plan prescribed? In the doctors minds those patients who don’t are considered non-compliant patients and it is safe to assume they are not among the doctors’ favorite patients.
I think you get the picture. Put yourself in your doctors’ shoes. How would you feel throughout the day if:
· Appointment after appointment you tried to get solid information from each patient and couldn’t?
· You made recommendations to help your patients prevent problems or improve their health and they made little or no effort to do so?
· You laid out a treatment plan only to find your patient stopped the treatment without consulting you, leading to complications or more severe illness.
As consumers, we buy certain products because the company is successful in differentiating their product from the competition.
This is called differentiation. In very much the same way, we need to differentiate ourselves in our doctor’s mind in order not to get lost in the crowd and give us an edge in getting the time and attention we need to get the care we want and deserve.
Imagine being a breath of fresh air in your doctor’s day because you:
· Come armed with the information they need and don’t have to hope they asked all the right questions to get the information they need.
· Have a personal health record set up for fingertip access that contains your detailed medical history and you can answer their questions within a few seconds.
· Ask good knowledgeable questions.
· Are knowledgeable enough to make joint decisions for your treatment plan and the doctor knows you will follow through.
Don’t you think he or she will be happy to see you and increase the likelihood you will get just a little bit more time and attention?
Remember, our docs are only human and certainly enjoy a person they can interact with effectively and efficiently. From personal experience, I’ve seen changes in my former doctor’s demeanor and my own appointments, as I became a savvier patient.
Imagine seeing and hearing this – With hand on the doorknob, the doctor turns around, smiles and says, “This has been a great appointment!” That’s what my new internist said at the end of my first appointment with him. Five years later when I told him we were moving, he said, “I really hate to see you leave. I’ve really enjoyed having you for a patient.”
It wasn’t my imagination working overtime, when he came into the room for each appointment, he seemed to take a deep breath as he sat down and relaxed into a very unrushed session. It was as though he was taking a break. I always received all the time I needed and felt I received a thorough evaluation of my needs and concerns. I enjoyed similar relationships with my specialists as well.
Now, my husband and I are building our new medical teams in new location. Here are some of the comments we are hearing as we end our first appointments with each new doctor:
“Gosh, I wish all new patients came this well prepared.”
“I’ve never had the luxury of seeing the results of 10 years of medical tests on a patient much less in an easy-to-review format. This is so helpful.”
“Thank you for bringing the records from your previous doctor. We often have to request them two or three times and sometimes never get them.”
“People just don’t realize how hard it is for us to care for them when we don’t have the information we need. You’ve provided everything I could possibly need.”
Differentiate yourself. Stand out in the crowd. Become your doctor’s pet and be proud of it. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make for you and your care.
