Working with Medical and
Other Professionals
Your relationship with your
doctors and other professionals will be the most
important factor in your ability to learn about your
diagnosis and treatments.
Approach your research as the
basis for asking questions of your physician(s).
Regardless of what your research yields, you must have a
professional who can confirm your findings or instead
explain why those findings are irrelevant to you.
Finding a Physician-Partner
Regardless of how well you
like your doctor, you won't be able to help yourself if
that doctor is unwilling to patiently answer your
questions. There may be many pressures on your
doctor; insurance requirements, too many patients
on the schedule, or sometimes personalities just won't
allow for respectfully working with you.
So among your most important
first steps is to establish which physician you want to
work with. Interview him or her to see how
willingly they will take the time needed to help you
understand your findings and provide follow up articles
and publications. Even when they refer you to
other specialists, you should choose one primary doctor
to help you through the maze of options.
Once you have established this
good doctor/patient relationship, you'll find your task
will be easier and you'll have more confidence to move
forward.
Asking Questions
Many people are wary of asking
questions of their physicians, as if doctors should be
able to read their minds and answer questions that have
not been asked. Get over it!
Attend each appointment armed
with your research and questions. If you use the
charts we've provided here, it will be clear where your
questions came from so you can cite the information that
led you to ask the question.
If your doctor doesn't know
the answer, but is willing to research with you further,
then you've found a gem. Hang on to that doctor!
Together the two of you will find the best answers for
you.
Getting a Second Opinion
If your diagnosis produces a
suggested treatment which would consist of surgery,
difficult drugs or other difficult treatments, then it
is imperative you seek a second opinion. Will you
be insulting your doctor by suggesting s/he hasn't done
their job well? No! If s/he is a good
doctor, s/he will welcome confirmation of your diagnosis
or treatment options by another professional.
Tell your doctor you want to
seek another opinion to confirm his/her findings. If your doctor tries
to discourage you from seeking a second opinion -- then
get another doctor right away. Unless there is
some extenuating circumstance
(like an emergency
situation) there can be no good reason for discouraging
you from getting a second opinion.
How Reputable is That
Doctor?
No doctor can possibly know
everything about every disease or condition, nor can
s/he possibly be right about diagnoses and treatments
100% of the time. That's what you will want to
continue probing and asking questions until the answers
make sense.
However, sadly, some doctors
are not as knowledgeable as they should be, and some do
not stay current with research, drugs and other
treatments. There are resources for probing into
the quality of the physicians you may choose or be
referred to. If you are curious about the ability
of your doctors to help you, you may want to
check these
resources.
Non-Physician
Health-Related Professionals
Some of the best and most
effective research you can do will be to learn from
health professionals who do not necessarily have a
medical degree.
By networking with relatives,
friends, other patients, co-workers or anyone who has
any knowledge about fighting your condition or disease,
you will be able to uncover the names of non-physician
medical professionals who may be able to help you. They
may provide alternative treatments, natural remedies, or
other ideas to help you.
A caveat: Without a
degree or credential of some sort, it will be difficult
to know what kind of help these people can provide to
you. Ask plenty of questions to assure yourself
the person has the qualifications necessary.
And don't forget other
professionals: psychologists, pharmacists, social workers and
others. If they can't answer your questions, they
may know of someone who can.
Insurance
This website does not address
insurance questions -- it would be impossible for us to
be able to advise you. What we do suggest is that
you gain a good understanding of your coverage, and that
prior to visits with specialists, tests, or hospital
visits, you double check with them to learn whether you
must get approval ahead of time.
