A majority of problems occur in healthcare when there is a breakdown in communication. Always make sure that you and your healthcare provider are on the same page. Unfortunately, there are many healthcare professionals out there (doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses) who take for granted that you understand everything they communicate to you. However, whether they use words you don't quite understand or they speak too fast, not giving you ample time to process the information they are relaying can lead to disastrous results. Remember, your complete understanding of what your healthcare provider has told you is vital to the best possible outcome from your time together. Also remember, no question is too stupid to ask. Especially, if you do not completely understand the information you have been given. Never feel embarrassed or ashamed if you do not understand your consultation with your medical provider. ASK, ASK, and ASK again until you comprehend what has been conveyed to you. If anyone should be embarrassed, it should be your healthcare professional for not being able to adequately relay information to you in a language that you can understand. If this is the case, I recommend finding a healthcare provider who you can relate to and has the time and compassion to make sure your needs, knowledge, and concerns are met. After all, who is paying who? This is your health being discussed. I understand that in this world of HMOs and PPOs, doctors are under time constraints also and have to squeeze as many patients in as possible as the insurance companies have cut their reimbursement; but, if they don't have enough time for you, they should have a support system in place to make sure all your questions are not only answered, but understood.
I would like to refer to two true stories that are both funny and sad that occurred because of a simple miscommunication and a minor misunderstanding.
The first happened to my father-in-law, a physician. This incident occurred in his clinic. He treated a patient with a respiratory tract infection and upon discharging her, he gave her a prescription and told her to take it four times a day for 10 days. Then six days later, the woman returned to the clinic telling my father-in-law that she was almost out of medicine and needed more to last her the ten days. My father-in-law exclaimed, "I prescribed enough medication for the pharmacy to dispense for 10 days". At this point, she pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket. She said, "This is all the medication I have left". She never took the prescription to the pharmacy to fill. She thought the prescription paper itself was the medication and had been tearing off a piece of it four times a day and eating it. Sad but true!
The second happened to me about seven years ago. I had a patient come in to my pharmacy with a question about an anti-fungal cream that her physician prescribed a few days earlier. She was on her way to Florida and wanted to know if it was okay to take the cream with her and apply it while she was away on vacation. I told her yes, that her doctor wanted her to use it for a 14 day period. She then explained to me that her doctor directed her to apply the medication "locally" three times a day and she was concerned because she was going outside of her local area. Her understanding was that she only had to apply it while she was at home. Again sad, but true.
Remember communication and understanding are key when it comes to positive outcomes in healthcare.
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