As you get older, you’ll likely begin to see your doctors and other caregivers more and more. But if you’re not intentional about developing a relationship with them, you could wind up having to go over the same information over and over again as you seek to get the care that you need. Luckily, there are things that you can do to avoid these issues and feel more confident in the care you’re receiving, whether it’s for you or for an elderly loved one in an assisted living facility.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for cultivating a better relationship with your doctors.
Try To See The Same Doctors
First of all, if you’re seeing a different doctor at every appointment, it’s going to be hard to develop any kind of relationship with them. So if it’s at all possible for you, try to see the same doctor for each of your issues each time you’re in need of an appointment.
As you start to see the same doctor for each of your different appointments, you’ll begin to get more consistent care. You won’t have to give the doctor the same information over and over again because they’ll already have all of this information in your chart. And while different doctors within the same system can check on your chart before appointments, becoming someone that your doctor knows and remembers due to consistent appointments can make this a lot easier.
Prepare Yourself Before Your Appointments
Before each of your appointments, it’s important that you adequately prepare so that you’re able to make the most of the time that you’re seeing your doctor during your appointment.
It can be challenging to get in touch with your doctor after an appointment when you finally remember everything that you were wanting and needing to ask about. But if you think through your appointment and keep notes about your health prior to the appointment, you’ll be able to ask the doctor just what you need to and get the details that you need through more in depth conversations.
Keep In Touch
One of the best ways to build a good working relationship with your doctors is to keep in touch with them in between your appointments. When you have a question or a problem, reaching out to your doctor will give them a chance to look into your chart and remember your personal health history in order to give you the right answer to your questions or the right guidance to your situation. Those emails, messages, and phone calls can all help you and your doctor get on the same page about your health and build a better relationship.
If you want to have a better working relationship with your doctors, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this.
