Communicating with Your Doctor
Educating Yourself
When you are first diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may feel lost. You may not remember anything else that your doctor tried to explain. You probably weren’t able to ask many questions right away. The initial experience can be shock. But as the shock wears off, it is important to begin educating yourself about your disease. Your doctor is your first resource for educating yourself, but it may take some practice and preparation to communicate effectively with your doctor. You may want to investigate other sources of information that you can read and discuss with your doctor.
Talking to your doctor can be difficult if you have cancer. No matter what your diagnosis, simply hearing about it can leave you feeling frightened or overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to make communicating with your doctor easier.
Studies have shown that clear communication between doctor and patient can help you feel better about your choices, and can even improve the quality of care you receive.
Remember that you are the consumer.
As a patient, it is important to remember that you are a consumer of health care. Just as you would not purchase a car without asking questions, neither should you be afraid to ask questions about your doctor or your treatments. The way to begin making difficult decisions about health care is to educate yourself. Read some tips for making the most of your doctor’s appointment and check out our list of questions you may want to ask your doctor.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Doctor’s Appointment
Sometimes it may feel like just keeping track of your doctor’s appointments and making it to the doctor on the right day is as much as you can handle. But a little planning can help you make the most out of a doctor’s appointment. Follow these tips to help you get the information you need and remember it!
- Bring someone with you. It may not seem necessary, but it is a good idea to bring someone with you when you have an appointment. It is always helpful to have support, a second set of ears and another person to think of questions.
- Write out a list of questions beforehand. When you are discussing something as important as your health, it is easy to become nervous or upset. And even on a routine visit, it is common to forget that one question you wanted to ask. A list will help you remember important questions. Make them specific and brief because your doctor has limited time. Ask your most important questions first.
- Write down the answers you get. Writing down answers will help you remember your doctor’s responses and instructions, and it will help you understand as much later as you did during the visit.
- Make sure you understand what you are saying and hearing.
- When you are talking to your doctor, use “I” statements. For example, the phrase “I don’t understand…” is much more effective than “You’re being unclear about…”
- Also, don’t be afraid to be assertive. If you don’t know what a word means, ask about it. Remember to make your questions specific and brief. If there is something you can’t understand or resolve, ask your doctor if there is some other time that you can discuss it in more detail.
- Finally, if something seems confusing to you, try to repeat it back to your doctor. For example, “You mean I should. . . .” If you think you will understand better with pictures, ask to see X-rays, slides or have the doctor draw a diagram.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Here are some questions that you may want to ask your doctor or nurse. They will help you begin to learn about how treatment will affect you.
- What is the recommended treatment?
- How often?
- What are the side effects?
- What are the benefits vs. the risks?
- Are there treatment choices?
- Is there anything else I should be asking?
- Is there anything I can read about this?