$750 billion spending on unnecessary diagnosis and treatment in the US, up to 30 cents of every dollar spent. Dr. Leana Wen says that this can be reduced if doctors have better communication with their patients. She gives 8 tips how patients can help doctors to help them better: #1, Tell Your Whole Story. If 80% of diagnoses can be made based on just knowing your story, you’d think your doctor should spend time on this, right? Yet, the average time to interruption is 8 seconds. That’s right: you have 8 seconds to make your case! #2: Assert yourself in the doctor’s thought process. Your doctor must be thinking something as he is listening to your story. Find out what that is. #3: Participate in your physical exam. Continuing the partnership, as your doctor is examining you, ask what she is looking for. #4: Make the differential diagnosis together. A differential diagnosis is the list of all the possible diagnoses that could explain your symptoms; discuss the list with your doctor. #5: Partner for the decision-making process. Partner with your doctor to devise a plan for narrowing down possible diagnoses. #6: Apply tests rationally. Don’t just consent to tests; ensure that your doctor explains why each test should be done, and what the risks and benefits. #7: Use common sense to confirm the working diagnosis. You should reach at least one likely diagnosis at the end of every visit to the doctor. Be sure it makes sense. #8: Integrate diagnosis into the healing process. Before you leave, ask: what should I expect with this illness? What are warning signs to watch out for? What treatment choices do I have?
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 16:34:01 +0000
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