Probably not very often. It’s in our nature to want “good service” and want to be heard. We don’t usually blame what feels like bad service on the troubles our doctors have outside of our appointment.

As a patient, I have felt frustrated when a doctor didn’t spend enough time with me. Sometimes issues I believed to be important were glossed over. To address this frustration, I’ve thought a lot about how to prepare for medical appointments in order to ‘wring’ as much as possible out of the time allotted for the meeting.

But it’s not just patients who are frustrated by the lack of time, so are doctors. And the disturbing thing is that in most instances, their hands are tied. They simply don’t have the resources to offer us more.

I have met many doctors who openly express great frustration at the lack of time they have with patients. In order to meet a minimum daily quota, and even attempt to break even, they sometimes have to slot patients into 15 minute segments. It’s very hard to effectively treat patients this way. But it’s that, or go out of business.

Without vilifying insurance companies, I’m of the opinion that they have made it very hard for doctors to practice and make a living. Whether it be reduced payments on claims, or excessive administrative requirements to file claims, the process of dealing with insurance companies—so doctors can get paid—is a nightmare for most doctors.

So… both doctor and patient end up feeling crunched.

My attempt to navigate the challenge of limited time with my doctor has been to know my personal health facts by having them written down and with me. I also think through my questions in advance of the meeting, and again have them written down and with me. I go to medical appointments with the same level of prep that one might go to a job interview. It may seem extreme but in my experience this preparation has paid off time and time again.

Being prepared for the meeting with your doctor by finding a concise way to tell your story is a worthwhile exercise to help minimize the effects of being between a rock and hard place in terms of time. It also frees up the time you do have, to allow the doctor to treat you. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

So, what does it mean to be prepared?

1. Think about your visit beforehand, not just on the drive there (or in the waiting room). Take a moment the night before to note what you’d like to get out of the meeting. You’d be surprised how many relevant questions will pop into your mind the night before (and how few during the visit). Write those questions down on something you take with you.
2. Know your own health facts:
• your basic critical stats (height, weight, blood type, and yes, age),
• what ongoing conditions you have, or have had, and
• what medications you take, including dosage and frequency.
3. Prepare to engage with your doctor. Don’t be a bump on a log. You and your doctor have limited time, so help him work through the issues efficiently. Help him get through data collection so he can move on to solving the problems.

This is one of the reasons we created ExpressWell.

It’s a really effective tool for doctor visits and other medical situations. I use it to organize my information, and as a prompt during my visit to ask relevant questions. Because it’s on my iPhone, I don’t forget it when I leave my apartment for the appointment. Tools like ExpressWell really help both doctors and patients navigate the choppy waters of the compressed appointment.

By Alexandra Yperifanos
Founder
ExpressWell, Inc.

Medical providers keep records on your behalf, but they’re often filled with errors. A solution to this is to retain your own set of information which only you can access. With this personal ‘data-set’ you will have your own, private, master source of information. You can use it to double check and, if necessary, correct the information that doctors and other medical providers keep on record.

With your correct information in your hands you can more effectively advocate on your own behalf, and for your loved ones.

ExpressWell was created to help prevent medical errors.

By Alexandra Yperifanos
Founder
ExpressWell, Inc.

Charity Tillemann-Dick is a soprano who has appeared on opera and concert stages around the world. Her roles have included Titania in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” Gilda in “Rigoletto” and Violetta in “La Traviata.” Full bio » ”

Link to this talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/charity_tilleman_dick_singing_after_a_double_lung_transplant.html

HealthIT.gov breaks it down nicely on their their ‘Patients and Families’ portal:

Please read the excerpts below and the original post and, consider incorporating a similar plan into your health management routine. As she says ‘Of everyone involved in your health care, you’re the one with the most at stake.’

Excellent perspective and advice!

If your computer has ever slowed way down you may have been advised to “defrag,” which puts all parts of a file together in the same place on the drive, enabling it to run faster and more efficiently.

In much the same way, your health care needs to be de-fragged. For most people, health care is extremely fragmented, creating errors, delaying diagnoses and treatment and increasing costs. 

Even for the very healthy, the burden of keeping even two or three different doctors apprised of what you’re experiencing is typically on you. No one else is doing it…

It’s important you know that there is no little Tinkerbell picking up your medical records and automatically delivering them to the physicians in your life who should know what’s happening with you. Consider yourself the the person most responsible to collect written updates, copies of test results and lists of new and changed medications and get them to all your other healthcare providers.

What can you do?…

…get written copies of every test, procedure and surgery, keep a copy of each for yourself (you’ll be the only person on earth with a complete copy of your own medical record, by the way), and give copies to your healthcare providers. Ask questions when you don’t understand why someone wants to order a test for you. Bring a knowledgeable person along with you to healthcare appointments, if you like…

Be the hub of the wheel. Of everyone involved in your health care, you’re the one with the most at stake.

Read this entire post and some of the other insightful pieces by Barbara Bronson Gray on her blog BodBoss Be the CEO of your own body: http://www.bodboss.com/2012/03/how-to-de-frag-your-health-care.html

‘Interruption Awareness:  A Nursing Minute for Patient Safety!‘ is a video produced by Beth Boynton, MS, RN which illustrates the challenges nurses must overcome to do their work while being continuously interrupted.

It’s quite a perspective to consider when attempting to navigate hospital stays for loved ones and friends.

You can also watch this video on Beth Boynton’s workshop page:
http://www.bethboynton.com/bethboynton.com/Workshops_%26_Speaking.html

Katie asked questions and persisted in researching her condition until she was satisfied with the answers. Her perspective and perseverance are inspiring and, an excellent example to consider following.

…During the last 5 years, I have gone to three different doctors for opinions regarding my problem, with all three indicating that nothing was wrong and that I should learn to live with this difficulty…

…I would like to share my conclusions with others: 1. Never give up on your health. If you believe you have a problem, be persistent until you get the right help. 2. Don’t hesitate to research your health problem. The internet helped me better understand the nature of my medical situation which gave me confidence to keep searching for an answer. 3. Don’t dismiss your medical problem because you are doing everything right from a health and wellness perspective: Your issue, like mine, may be congenital and it is important that you seek help.

Read entire post at: http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/2012/03/28/never-give-up-on-your-health-sniffing-out-a-discovery/

First, Caroline Casey put Ireland on the accessibility map. Now she’s changing the global social landscape for people with disabilities. Full bio »”

Link to this talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/caroline_casey_looking_past_limits.html

We like this simple and practical summary for patients.

You think you’ve got this being-a-patient thing down pat: You put on your paper gown (opening in the back), flip through a dog-eared People magazine, have your blood pressure taken, see the doctor for five minutes, answer his or her questions, pay your co-pay and get back to work.

But is there anything you can do to get more out of that doctor visit?

A lot, according to three experts: Richard Frankel, a geriatrics professor and senior research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute of the Indiana University School of Medicine; Carolyn Clancy, director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and Richard Kellerman, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). And you’ll help your doc do a better job, too.

Read the entire article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092101843.html?referrer=delicious

Lucien Engelen is a technologist and innovator who is working to put patients into the healthcare team. Full bio ”

Link to this talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/lucien_engelen_crowdsource_your_health.html