Senior Savvy
Talking to Your Doctor

(NAPSI)-A 68 year old senior reports alot of health problems. He says, after seeing his doctor, he often  doesn’t completely understand everything he was told. He’d like to know how he can communicate better with his doctor

Dr. Todd Semla, President of the American Geriatrics Society, offers the following advice.

It isn't always easy to understand medical problems and instructions. But it's very important that you do understand what your health care provider has told you about your health, so the two of you can work as a team. I usually advise patients to do the following:

Keep asking questions: Ask questions until you're certain you understand what your provider has said, why your physician recommends a medication or procedure, and how to follow given instructions. Ask that terms or abbreviations you don't know be explained. Ask for clarification of instructions such as "as directed" or "as needed." Among other things, you should always ask if the medication or procedure causes side effects, how to recognize these, and whether there are any alternatives available.

Repeat what you've heard: After your provider has answered your questions to your satisfaction, repeat back the answers in your own words. That way, you can check whether you've understood correctly.

Write your questions down: Bring a list of questions with you to your appointment and share it with your health care provider.

Ask for answers in writing: Ask your health care provider for written information about the health problem at hand or to write down basic information about it. Later on, you can refer to these notes if you forget what was said during the appointment.

Bring a friend or loved one with you: Some people feel nervous when they visit their health care provider and this can make it harder for them to ask questions, follow what their provider is saying, and remember questions they'd like to ask. If that's the case, ask a good friend or loved one to go with you to your appointment.

Call with follow-up questions: If you get home and realize that you did not ask your provider a question or that you need more information, call and ask for clarification. Don't guess; your health could be on the line.

Visit www.healthinaging.org: This Web site, created by the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging, offers a wealth of easy-to-understand information about health in aging. Among other things, it includes a running "What to Ask?" feature that lists questions you may want to ask your doctor about a wide range of health problems and topics. These topics include medication use, high blood pressure, heart disease, back pain, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, anemia, nutrition, pain relief, sexuality, hearing and vision problems, and urinary incontinence. If you visit the site before you see your health care provider, you can print out the appropriate list of questions and bring it with you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Todd P. Semla, MS, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, is the President of the American Geriatrics Society and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at Northwestern University.