by Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher
July 2007

One way to get ahead in the matter of doctor patient communication is to make sure you have all your documents prepared. This is of immense help and will alleviate much anxiety about going to the doctor. Knowledge is power and having your vital information written down is powerful. Your doctor (and his staff) will love you!

There are many different types of documents you have that are related to physicians. You also may have multiple physicians. How on earth can you keep everything straight?

You must carry a card or piece of paper with you at all times. If you use a 3 X 5 or perhaps a 4 x 6 card, you’ll be able to record the pertinent information. Use a pencil so that you can keep it updated. On one side put your medications. Copy the information from the prescription bottle (unless the doctor has changed the dose since the prescription was filled). Put down the name of the medication, the dose, and the amount you take. If you have room it would be helpful to put the condition you take that medication for.

On the other side of the card, record your medical conditions. Include the name of the condition (get the office staff to help you if you need it), when it was diagnosed, what you take and any tests you’ve had for it.

It would be helpful if you had copies of this material in a file folder. But that’s not essential. You should have a file folder for each physician you have – for example, one each for your primary care physician, your cardiologist, your neurologist, etc. Label them with the doctor’s name and his/her specialty (you could list the conditions he follows you for on the front if you want). Then include the following documents:

Dr. Wurzbacher is a retired Navy Emergency Medicine Physician who recognized early in her career that she wasn’t good at communication and more importantly that she was probably missing much of what her patients were trying to tell her. Although she was excellent at diagnosing conditions, patients generally need more than that. The Emergency Department is one (of many) places that being good at communication is essential since you have no records to work with and a short amount of time to glean information and make a diagnosis. So, she worked diligently at learning to really HEAR what her patients were telling her. Teaching young doctors and ancillary staff the personal aspects of medicine has become a passion of hers.

Her book, Your Doctor Said What is intended to help patients not only understand why many doctors seem like aliens but also how to empower themselves to deal with them. Check her out at http://www.yourdoctorsaidwhat.com and http://www.yourdoctorsaidwhatblogs.com .