Communicating with Your Doctor Activity

Communicating with Your Doctor Activity Doctor/Patient Script

Doctor: Hello “_[insert the name of the patient you brainstormed for the scenario]_”, my name is Dr. “_[insert your last name]_”. Your pediatrician referred your care to me and I will be taking over as your primary physician. I had you come in today so that we could get to know each other and so that I could become familiar with your diagnosis and to see what you may need from me. It says here that you have _[insert the name of the diagnosis you brainstormed for the scenario]_. Is this your only diagnosis or do you have other diagnoses?

Patient A: I have a couple of different health issues __[insert some of the issues you brainstormed for the scenario]__, but my primary diagnosis is _[insert name of primary diagnosis]__.

Doctor: Do you remember when you were first diagnosed with that disability?

Patient A: I think it was when I was younger, but I will have to ask my parents.

Doctor: Well, it shows here in the charts that you were first diagnosed 10 years ago. Does that sound about right?

Patient A: Oh yeah, that sounds about right. Doctor: Now that you are no longer seeing your pediatrician, and your parents will no longer be involved in your healthcare as much as they were before, it is going to be up to you and me to keep an open line of communication about your needs and any changes that may occur due to your disability. Also, you are going to want to know what your diagnosis is, when you were diagnosed and what medications you are taking. It says here that you are currently taking the following medications _[insert the names of medications you brainstormed for the scenario]__ Are you taking any other medications?

Patient A: No, I am not.

Doctor: Okay, great! Well, I want to work with you to help you take charge of your own health care. Do you have a journal or anywhere specific where you can keep track of my contact information and information about what medicines you are taking?

Patient A: I do have a notepad that I have started that has your information (like your address and phone number and the name of your nurse) and a short list of my medications. What else should I keep track of?

Doctor: You should have all of my contact information and information for your emergency contacts. You should also keep track of all of your medications, when you take them, and when they are due to be refilled. You should also have contact information for whichever pharmacy that you use. Also, be sure to keep track of any side effects that you may notice from taking your medications. That way, when you and I get together at your appointments, you can let me know how the medications are working and I can make any changes if necessary.

Patient A: Okay, that reminds me, I would like to take further control of my healthcare and try and start doing all of the things that my parents have been doing for me to this point. How do I make my own appointments, and how often should I make them?

Doctor: I like to see my patients at least every six months unless your condition changes and you need to see me sooner. The best way to make appointments is through my nurse or, (depending on your health care provider); most times you can make appointments through an electronic phone system.

Patient A: Okay, what is the best phone number to use when I'm trying to reach your nurse? I will put it in my healthcare notepad. Also, how do I get refills for my medications?

Doctor: Stop by the nurse’s station on your way out and ask for an office phone number and also a contact person. Also, when your medicine starts to run out check the information on the side of the bottle to see if you have any refills left. If you do, just contact the pharmacy and let them know which medication it is and that you need a refill. If you do not have any refills left, just contact my office and I will write another prescription for you.

Patient A: What if I start to have side effects from my medications or what do I do if they stop working? Doctor: If your side effects are severe, then go to the emergency room. If your side effects are not life-threatening, just contact my office and we can discuss different types of medications that may be better for you.

Patient A: Okay. And that reminds me, I also wrote down some issues I’ve been having lately that I had some questions about __[mention some of the questions/issues you brainstormed for this scenario]__. I also googled some of the issues I’ve been having, and found some information online [pretend to hand the doctor a stack of papers with information on it]. What do you think about this?

Doctor: Hmmm, yes, I’ll definitely look this over. I was also thinking that the issue might be related to the medication you’re on. Do you think maybe they’re related to anything else?

Patient A: It might be… I’ll keep track of when it happens next by writing in my medical journal, and I’ll see if I can think of anything else that might be causing it.

Doctor: Sounds like a good plan! You can call or email my office if you think of anything, and we might want to set up another appointment to discuss it. Do you have any other questions?

Patient A: Nope, I don’t think so. Doctor: Ok, well feel free to call me if you have any questions before our next appointment. It was a pleasure meeting you.

Patient A: Nice meeting you too!