“Mrs. Jones, your CBC, BMP and TSH are all negative. Your BMI and LFTs are elevated and I’m worried about NAFLD so you need to diet and exercise more. You’ll need to stop taking the statins and I’ll order a RUQ US.”
Say What?!?!?!
Do you ever feel like your doctor is speaking in some secret code that you don’t understand? You’re not alone. According to the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, about 90% of American, Englisht-speaking adults have problems is health literacy. Health literacy is the ability to obtain and understand information about your health, but it has nothing to do with your intelligence.
Medical terminology is essential in the healthcare world, but it is often heard as gibberish by patients. This may be because often doctors speak to their patients as if they are speaking to another physician. I have to admit, I pride myself in being a good communicator to my patients but there have been plenty of times where I’ve said something and the look on my patient’s face clearly shows that I just rambled out a bunch of acronyms and abbreviations and I need to start over.
Health literacy is actually a bigger problem than most realize. Studies show that patients with low health literacy are more likely to be hospitalized, use medication inappropriately and receive fewer recommended preventative measures. You can find more information on those studies here: Updated Systematic Review So, before you go to another doctor’s appointment, here are 5 tips to increasing your health literacy.
1. Ask questions. In fact, write down questions before your appointment. Most people have a lot they want to ask their doctors but by the time you wait an hour in the waiting room and the doctor starts with her own agenda, the questions usually are forgotten. If you write them down, you are more apt to remember and have your questions answered.
2. Bring a list of all medications. This includes supplements, vitamins and all over the counter meds. It’s important for you and your doctor to know who is prescribing what meds and watch for any potential interactions.
3. Don’t pretend. If you don’t understand what your doctor is saying, stop immediately and ask him to use simpler language. Often patients are afraid to admit that they don’t understand medical terminology. It is absolutely okay to ask for clarification.
4. Use reflective listening. This means restating what the doctor is saying. This will ensure that instructions are clear. Simply say, “Let me see if I understand. You are saying……”
5. Take another adult with you. This should be a trusted relative or friend in order to have an extra set of ears and maybe to take notes.
The doctor’s office can tend to be an intimidating place. But it’s important to know that YOU are in control of YOUR health and your doctor is there to provide a service for YOU. Do not leave your appointment feeling unsatisfied. It truly could be a matter of life and death.
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