Did you leave the doctor’s office with all your questions answered?
Do you feel you’ve been heard by your health professional?
The key to building this mutual understanding may be in developing some effective communication skills.
Good communication skills are a foundation for any healthy relationship.
Developing these skills requires time, patience, a willingness to understand another point of view, empathy, and an ability to find common ground.
Sound communication skills are especially important when you’re navigating the immensely complicated healthcare system.
With numerous disciplines and a language that seems foreign to most, misunderstandings can be augmented through low literacy, diversity in cultures and/or language barriers.
Improving communications between caregivers and health care professionals can result in many positive outcomes including: improved care for the patient, reduced stress and illness for the caregiver, more efficient use of doctors’ time, reduced costs for the health care system, and improved satisfaction for the patient, family and healthcare providers.
Sometime we may find it hard to ask for the help we need and/or you may fear that the request will be denied but unless you make your request clearly and to the point, the doctor may never know the circumstances you’re facing and/or beliefs that you may hold.
The best way to get your or the care recipients’ needs met is simply to ask for it openly.
Be clear about what you want to say and what it is that you’re asking for.
Some other tips that may assist you in overcoming communication difficulties include:
• Take a notebook with you to the appointment so you can make notes and ensure that you have an up-to-date list of all the medications the care receiver’s taking.
• Write your questions down so you won’t forget them. List any concerns you may have.
• Ask for an appointment that includes extra time to allow the doctor to answer your questions so you don’t feel hurried.
• Educate yourself about your loved one’s disease or disability. With all the information on the Internet it is easier than ever before to be informed, but make sure that you’re using a credible website as there can be sites with incorrect or outdated information.
• Recognize that not all questions have answers – especially those beginning with “why.”
• If the health professional is using technical terms you don’t understand or you are not sure of the meaning, ask them to clarify.
• Always clarify any of the health professionals’ instructions until you’re satisfied that you’ve understood exactly what they’ve said and that you’ve also been understood. This could include paraphrasing what you’ve heard in your own words.
• Appreciate what the doctor is doing to help and say thank you from time to time.
Jas Cheema is a caregiving support coordinator at the White Rock, Surrey Comeshare Society. She can be contacted at 604-531-9400 or jcheema@comeshare.ca
