Tips for Meeting With Your Doctor or Nurse
By Wilma Ariza, Caregiver, Survivor & Thyroid Cancer Advocate
Doctor-Patient Relationships
- Having good communication with your doctor is one of the keys to getting good medical care.
- Being able to communicate with your doctor helps ensure that there is understanding about planned treatments and that the child or adolescent receives the proper treatment, thus aiding in the eventual outcome.
- Studies have shown that in any type of crisis, the outcome is better when the people involved have a good working relationship.
- If your child's physician is not a pediatric thyroid cancer specialist, he or she should be open to consulting with a pediatric thyroid cancer expert.
- You want the best care for your son or daughter, and the best doctor. You are bringing your son or daughter to the doctor for medical care, not for you to find a new friend. Remember that your family is taking the time and transportation to receive care, and usually is paying the doctor, often through insurance and co-payments. It's your child's body and your time and money.
- If your child isn't getting good care or if you find it difficult to communicate with your child's doctor, find a physician who is knowledgeable about thyroid cancer and with whom you can communicate well.
Questions to Consider
Here are some questions to help you decide if you and your child's doctor are on the same team and make good partners.
- Does the doctor welcome questions from the child or adolescent with cancer, as well as from the parent(s) or guardian(s)?
- Is the doctor available to give you information and advice by telephone, fax, and/or e-mail?
- If you ask in advance for a longer appointment time with your child's doctor, are you able to get it?
- Does the doctor always explain why he or she is recommending a particular medical test?
- If you or your child are unclear about what the doctor is saying, will the doctor take time to rephrase it?
- Does the doctor use technical medical jargon all the time, or does he or she speak in terms you can understand?
- Does the doctor address your specific concerns, instead of offering "one size fits all" medical care?
- Does the doctor ask you what medications the child or adolescent is taking, both prescription medication and over-the-counter medication?
- Does your doctor describe treatment options and explain them carefully? Does the doctor explain the benefits and possible side effects of recommended treatments and medications?
- Does the doctor help you and your child feel calm and comfortable during the appointments and discussions?
- Does your doctor treat both you and the young patient with respect?
- At the end of the appointment, does the doctor ask if you and the young patient have any further questions or concerns?
- Will the doctor encourage you to seek another opinion if you want it? Will he or she help you arrange for that second opinion, including suggesting a pediatric thyroid cancer expert?
- Does the doctor help you understand or get someone in the office to help you understand your insurance benefits if you are unclear about them? If you do not have health insurance, is there someone in the office with whom to discuss payment issues?
- If you are unhappy with the doctor for any reason, do you feel comfortable telling him or her?
Tips for Remembering What Your Doctor Says At the Appointment
Take a family member or friend to the appointment. Two sets of ears are better than one.
- Take a tape recorder if necessary. (Make sure to ask if it's all right to tape!)
- Take notes. Keep a journal of questions, answers, and comments about the appointment.
- Ask for an explanation of unfamiliar terms and definitions.
- Ask for a visual aid. Seeing what your doctor is talking about on a chart or visual aid will help you and your child remember.
- Ask if the doctor has any printed information to give you and your child. Ask for the availability of other resources.
- Ask questions. Don't be afraid to be your child's advocate. To ensure that you understand the answers, paraphrase the answer back to the physician and ask if that's correct.
- Give your doctor feedback on what he or she has just told you and your child.
Questions to Ask the Doctor
- How confident are you of the diagnosis?
- What will this problem do to the length and quality of the young patient's life?
- What is the best treatment?
- Should we seek another opinion?
- Are there any research programs (clinical trials) that we should consider looking into?
- What nutritional or complementary approaches might be helpful?
- If the child or adolescent were your family member, what would you advise us to do?
Establishing Communication Goals
- How will I learn to live with my illness?
- Who am I now? How can I matter?
- Do I have a new mission?
- Can this type of life be my finest hour?
- What gifts can I give?
- How do I best prepare my loved ones to live with my illness?
- Make a list of your questions before each appointment. Some people keep a "running list" and write down new questions as they think of them. Make sure to have space on this list to write down the answers from your doctor or nurse.
- Bring a family member or trusted friend to your medical visits. This person can help you understand what the doctor or nurse says and talk with you about it after the visit is over.
- Ask all your questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. If you do not understand an answer, keep asking until you do.
- Take notes. You can write them down or use a tape recorder. Later, you can review your notes and remember what was said.
- Ask for printed information about your type of cancer and chemotherapy.
- Let your doctor or nurse know how much information you want to know, when you want to learn it, and when you have learned enough. Some people want to learn everything they can about cancer and its treatment. Others only want a little information. The choice is yours.
- Find out how to contact your doctor or nurse in an emergency. This includes who to call and where to go.
Questions you might ask about your illness / symptom(s)
- What's wrong with me?
- Can you draw a picture or show me what is wrong?
- What causes this kind of problem?
- Can I give this illness to someone else, and if so, how and for what period of time can I pass this on?
- Are there any activities or foods which I should avoid?
- When can I return to work or school?
- What is the long-term prognosis of my condition?
- How can I prevent this from happening again?
- How will this problem affect me in the future?
- What will happen if I don't treat my condition right away?
- What treatment should I follow, including dietary, medical treatment, and lifestyle changes?
- When do I need to see the doctor again?
- Where can I get more information about my condition?
About My Cancer |
- What kind of cancer do I have?
- What is the stage of my cancer?
- What is your treatment recommendation in my case ?
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About Chemotherapy |
- Why do I need chemotherapy?
- What is the goal of this chemotherapy?
- What are the benefits of chemotherapy?
- What are the risks of chemotherapy?
- Are there other ways to treat my type of cancer?
- What is the standard care for my type of cancer?
- Are there any clinical trials for my type of cancer?
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About My Treatment |
- How many cycles of chemotherapy will I get?
- How long is each treatment?
- How long between treatments?
- What types of chemotherapy will I get?
- How will these drugs be given?
- Where do I go for this treatment?
- How long does each treatment last?
- Should someone drive me to and from treatments?
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About Side Effects |
- What side effects can I expect right away?
- What side effects can I expect later?
- How serious are these side effects?
- How long will these side effects last?
- Will all the side effects go away when treatment is over?
- What can I do to manage or ease these side effects?
- What can my doctor or nurse do to manage or ease these side effects?
- When should I call my doctor or nurse about these side effects?
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Proceeds Benefit Stevie JoEllie's Cancer Care Fund
(click here)
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