I don’t remember when I first had the symptom…
Time is of essence, especially when it comes to a medical problem. You might need to interact and remain in contact with various medical providers, from your primary-care doctor to specialists and insurance representatives. Sometimes, this whole chain of communication might seem like a blur.
To avoid becoming confused and unable to provide proper information to all the medical parties involved, The Patient Advocate Foundation offers an Education Resource Library where you’ll be able to find all sorts of useful materials to track your phone calls and correspondence with doctors, such as the Communication Log.
Can I get that for free?
In addition to asking doctors for small favors, some patients ask their physicians to give them something for nothing. Do you really want to put your doctor in this position? According to Dr. Carol Tanksley, a veteran medical doctor, everyone should just follow the rules and stop asking for freebies.
If you have health coverage, know the medical services it includes and don’t overstep those boundaries. It’s ok to ask for medication samples, filling out paperwork but don’t assume your entitled to anything just like that. “Remember: if your doctor can’t make a profit, they can’t stay in business to take care of you,” warns Tanksley.
You’re the Nth doctor I’m seeing about this…
No one likes to feel like you’re just wasting their time, doctors included. It’s ok to ask for a second opinion when you’re not sure about the treatment. But it’s not ok if you go from doctor to doctor, wasting your time and well as theirs, without taking any recommended action to solve your problem.
According to health-themed website Eat This, Not That!, this is something doctors hate the most. They could be treating medical emergencies instead of trying to convince you that their opinion is better than those of the other doctors you went to before them. Orly Avitzur, M.D. there’s a limit to the number of times you can ask for a medical opinion. Not necessarily because it’s rude but because the more you postpone taking a treatment, the higher the risk of developing serious complications. Dr. Avitur recalled that a patient was paralyzed by indecision after seeking seven medical opinions, although all of them recommended almost the same things.
