GUIDE FOR CARE AND SUPPORT DURING SERIOUS ILLNESS
Chapter 1: Communicating with your doctor: Questions and Answers
During Treatment: Gaining the Information,
Care, and Support You Need
Care, and Support You Need
It continues to be very important for you to communicate with your doctor and other health providers during and after your treatments, in order to gain the information, care, and support you and your family need. Here are some suggestions.
- Plan what you would like to discuss. Make a list of questions and concerns, and take them with you to the appointment. Determine who needs to be at the appointment, and ask them to record notes, questions, and answers.
- Call the doctor's office and find out how much time is allotted for your appointment. Ask if this is enough time to have a consultation and update on your health condition. If necessary, you may want to ask for a longer appointment and state you are willing to pay for the extra time.
- Bring your records, daily logs, and actual medications with you. You will want to tell the doctor how things are going.
- Is the medicine you are using working? Be prepared to describe the pain and discomfort you have experienced, even if the doctor does not ask. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most severe) how would you rate your pain and discomfort? Do you have more or less pain and discomfort since treatment began?
- What activities do you have difficulty doing? Are you having more or less difficulty since treatment began? What would you like to be able to do?
- Are you having more or less nausea and/or changes in your bowel habits since treatment began?
- Are you having side effects from the medication? Dry mouth? Lack of appetite? Drowsiness? Difficulty sleeping? Confusion?
- Prior to the appointment, write down how you are feeling. Are you feeling better or worse since treatment began? Hopeful? Depressed? Weak? Tired? Concerned? Encouraged?
- Are you able to maintain your daily activities with the present help you have? If not, you may be able to have additional professional help. Ask your doctor about having a home health care referral.
- Be honest with your doctors. They cannot help if they do not know how you are doing. Ask them how you can contact them between appointments. How do they want to communicate with family members?
Created by Compassionate Choices.