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Talking With Your Doctor |
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 Set
the stage for successful conversation
Although you probably can't rearrange medical office space (or even
many hospital rooms), you can control some of your surroundings to
maintain a feeling of being a partner in the medical process and not
a wayward student being sent to the principal's office.
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When you are ushered into an examination room,
sit in a chair, not on the exam table. If you are asked to sit
on the exam table for a blood pressure reading or other measurements,
move to a chair when the measurements are finished.
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If you have a choice, choose the chair that is
closest to the doctor's chair.
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If you are too weak to sit in a chair, have the
head of the examination table raised to a sitting or half-sitting
position.
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In a hospital room, if you are in bed, offer your
doctor a chair. The one nearest the head of the bed will allow
the easiest conversation between you and your doctor. You can
also offer a spot on the foot of the bed if that is comfortable
for you to do.
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If you are sitting in your hospital room, offer
the chair nearest to you. v |
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If your encounter is in the hall, say, "Let's
go back to my room," then walk in that direction. This not only
encourages privacy, but allows you to choose the most comfortable
place to sit and feel in control.
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Extend your hand when the doctor walks into the
examination room to begin the visit on a more equal level. This
can even be done if you are lying flat on your back in a hospital
bed. |
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Adapted from The
Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness,
by Joanne Lynn and Joan Harrold, copyright by Joanne Lynn, used by
permission of Oxford University Press.
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