Questions to Ask
It is a good idea to keep a small notebook handy to write down questions you need to ask the practitioner or, as things occur, that you may have reason to question or need advice on. Review the questions before the appointment and transfer them to an index card that you can put in your wallet or purse. Have your parents or in-laws do the same so when you get to the appointment you are both prepared with your questions as well as any signs or symptoms that need to be reported.
If you use a list of symptoms or questions as a guideline for the focus of appointments with the MD or other health-care practitioners, you will find you have a better understanding of your parents' health-care status and prognosis as well as more control over the effectiveness of the visit. This will also serve to improve the quality of the health care provided.
Physicians and other health-care practitioners are not mind readers. If the patient doesn't tell them how she feels or reacts, they aren't necessarily going to discover something unless she has obvious outward signs. These signs could include bleeding, bruising, or other dramatic visual signs; abnormal lab values; or other obvious findings upon general examination such as an elevated blood pressure or very slow or rapid heart rate.
The patient is the central character in health care. The patient has rights and responsibilities to uphold and is responsible for the ultimate status of his outcomes and wellness. The practitioner can only diagnose (with the help of the patient) and prescribe treatment. She can't force the patient to take a medication or to comply with a diet or exercise routine, and she cannot guarantee success in all instances even if he follows all instructions exactly.
Some of the typical questions to ask the health-care practitioner include:
How long does she need to continue to take this medication?
What kinds of side effects should we look for? Do we report them to you?
How long will it take for this to begin to work? What results should we expect?
What causes this condition?
Is this medication safe to take with the other medications she takes?
When will she feel better?
In Appendix C, there are some sample forms that you or your parents may wish to use to keep track of information to be shared with health-care providers. These include forms to help keep track of all current medications. Along with these will be typical forms for medical history, names of all health-care providers with contact information, as well as medication administration records for use by your parents and others, specifically for caregivers to use.
This kind of information is valuable to primary health-care providers as well as any specialists or emergency-care providers you may come into contact with. It is particularly useful to have a complete list of any medical conditions, surgeries, medications, and allergies in the event of an emergency when it may be difficult to remember all of the names, dates, and dosages.
