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JANE KAPUSTIN: I find in my practice patients initially are reluctant to ask questions.
A lot of us just go to our doctors and, "Well tell me what's wrong, give me a pill,
and help me feel better." I don't think that people my age
are very comfortable with asking questions. Often when you get in front of your doctor,
you forget what you wanted to say. You get nervous, you get a little anxious.
There's this notion that the physician doesn't want to be challenged.
KAPUSTIN: I've often heard patients say, "You know, I don't want to keep bothering
you. I have another question,
but I think I've taken too much of your time." They don't ask a whole lot, they're just like,
"Okay, whatever you want to do is fine with me."
He's the doctor, who am I to ask him a question? They know what they're talking about.
Why should I, you know, even question what they're doing?
I don't want to make them feel like I'm second-guessing them.
But you have to. If you're willing to ask your hairstylist
a question or your grocery store clerk a question,
ask your doctor a question! NARRATOR: Research shows that the more effectively
doctors and patients communicate, the better patients' health outcomes will
be. So as you're waiting for your medical appointment,
take a moment to listen to the voices of clinicians and patients like you talking about the importance
of asking questions. BILL LEE: I think that if I had not started
to ask questions of my doctors, I honestly think I'd be dead today.
I've got coronary artery disease, I've had ten heart attacks, and I'm a diabetic.
Early on in my condition, I would go in and see my doctor
and he would tell me, "Oh you've got this, and you've got that."
He'd say, "Here, take this prescription, go get it filled."
I'd go home and my wife would be like, "What's this for?"
"I don't know. Doctor said to take it."
It's been proven over and over again with research
that patient outcomes are improved with good communication.
Not too long ago, a patient asked me a question about a medication.
I quickly could see that she was on two medications that were the same, just different names.
Patients who ask me questions give me great insight into where they're coming
from. It helps me know what their fears are,
what their concerns are, what they're struggling with at home.
DOUGLAS SMITH: I try to make a list of things that I want to remember to ask about or talk
about. If the patient leaves my office
and they have questions about what the plan is,
they're not very likely to do the plan! And they may not do anything because they
feel so unsure that they're afraid they may make a mistake
and make things worse. NARRATOR: You may have brought a list of questions
with you. If not, look for this pad
provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
and write down your top three questions you want to make sure to discuss with your
clinician. KAPUSTIN: I feel much better about the fact
that a patient will stop me and say, "You know, I have a question about that."
Why am I waking up at night with these chest pains?
I hear that there is this other medication. Do you think that it might be a good idea
trying it? Will it be okay for me to take that?
Will it interfere with this medication? What anti-anxiety drug
is mom supposed to be getting now? How many pills should I take?
Two pills once a day or one pill twice a day? DIENER: My doctor listened to me.
She had me start talking, and I think that's how she figured out so
quickly what was wrong with me,
because she just asked me to start talking. LINDA BRADLEY-TIERNAN: I encourage my patients
to do research and come prepared to an appointment in the same way that they might come prepared
to a business meeting, or to a conference with a teacher,
because it's of equal importance. CYPHERS: At first I felt a little nervous
questioning my doctor about my own findings of what I had found
online and what I had researched in books,
but after I got past that fear and asked that question,
she was like, "Well, I'm glad you asked that question."
BRADLEY-TIERNAN: I have a wonderful doctor. I come with my little list of questions,
and I'm a doctor. Sometimes people will come in with a lot more
questions than there's going to be time for that day.
That's okay. You don't have to get them all answered in
one day. And in fact, as you're making a list
and thinking about issues that are important to you,
it's actually a really great idea to tick off or make a little star next to
those issues that are most important right now.
You don't want to get to the end of the appointment and be thinking, "Oh, that's the one thing
I wished I had asked, and we didn't get to it."
NARRATOR: While you're meeting with your doctor, keep in mind it's not enough to ask questions.
You also need to make sure you understand the answers.
CLANCY: Communication is a two-way street. Sometimes Starbucks does a better job at this
than we do in health care. You know, you order a drink, they repeat it
back, they tell their colleague, they write it on
the cup. It's kind of built-in error prevention.
I make sure that they hear my questions, and that I hear their answers.
If they say something to me that I don't understand, I'll ask them, "Could you please explain that
again? Is this what you're trying to tell me?"
And let them explain it to you in layman terms, and until you got it.
NARRATOR: The next time you're near a computer, go to www.ahrq.gov/questions for more tips
and tools to help improve communication with your health
care provider before, during, and after your medical appointments.
For your free copy of the brochure, "Be More Involved in Your Health Care: Tips
for Patients," call 1-800-358-9295.
ASHESH PATEL: The best way for a doctor/patient relationship
to be successful is for a partnership to exist. You want to be doing the best for them.
They want to do the best for themselves. You ask them questions, they ask you questions.
It's a two-way street, and you cannot be afraid to talk to your doctor.
It's a partnership of communication, and it is vital.
I feel better today than I ever have. I think I've become more committed to asking
questions and not being afraid to ask questions.
I feel like that's my right, to feel good! CYPHERS: The lesson I learned is: be proactive
for yourself, taking your health into your own hands,
being your own advocate. Now I walk in, I'm like,
"Oh yeah, I've got a lot of questions for you!"
(laughs)