This blog post has been authored by Ann Maria Hester, M.D., Patient World (thru Tech Treats, LLC)
America has long been facing a healthcare crisis. The loss of a job can mean the difference between having superior healthcare coverage for you and your family and having none. But millions of Americans don’t benefit from employer-sponsored healthcare and struggle to receive even the most basic care. Yet no one can afford to take access to high-quality healthcare for granted. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. In many other countries, the relative lack of affordable and accessible health care is even more profound. The World Health Organization notes a shortage of millions of medical providers worldwide.
According to data published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), America could face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by the year 2033. Sadly, this alarming number does not even reflect the high number of people with barriers to healthcare access, such as those who live in rural areas and some minorities. If underserved Americans used the healthcare system like the majority of citizens, the demand could increase by an additional 74,100 to 145,500 physicians. Another significant finding is the projected growth of the population aged 65 and over is about 45.1% by 2033, compared to an overall population growth rate of 10.4% during the same period.
Naturally, an office visit for a 70-year-old with several chronic medical problems will be more time intensive than one for a healthy 40-year-old, but we all want and deserve access to an attentive physician. We all want to know our physician will have time to see us whenever we become ill. Imagine a shortage of thousands of physicians in your state in the not-so-distant future. What will healthcare be like? How long will you have to wait to see a primary care physician? What about a specialist? The mere thought is enough to bring on goosebumps. Women who take care of their aging parents and spouses also need to keep abreast of vital information to help them, and their loved ones, navigate the rough road ahead.
While the future of healthcare is uncertain, there are things everyone can do to improve her outcome and the health trajectory of her loved ones as well. Learning how to communicate with medical professionals and expedite the diagnosis can go a long way in optimizing results.
Here are some tips to help you help your doctor diagnose and treat you efficiently:
1. Prepare in advance. When you see your doctor, have a list of 2-3 issues you want to address.
2. Prioritize your concerns. Doctors are busy people. Make sure you address your most pressing issues first in case time runs out.
3. Practice explaining your illness. Create a 30-60 second “elevator speech” to explain your symptoms to your doctor. Be concise and methodical. Address the following:
a. When did your symptoms first begin?
b. How severe are they? For instance, are you able to do your regular activities or are you relatively incapacitated?
c. Have you experienced this problem before? If so, was there a specific diagnosis or did not opt to seek medical treatment?
d. What makes the problem better or worse? For instance, does twisting your torso worsen your back pain?
e. What have you tried for the symptom, if anything? How well did it work, if at all?
f. If your problem is pain, pinpoint exactly where the pain is. Don’t use general terms like “I have back pain.” There are many potential causes of back pain. Use terms like upper, middle, lower, and right, left, and midline to help your doctor immediately visualize the location of your pain.
4. Take a list of your current medications, dosages, and why you take each medication.
5. If this is a new doctor’s appointment, take a mini-medical record (one-pager) you can create yourself with the following:
a. Prior diagnoses
b. Medications
c. Prior surgeries
d. Medication and environmental allergies
e. Prior hospitalizations
f. Names/contact info for your most recent physicians (in case the new doctor wants prior detailed records)
g. Family history of major diseases, such as cancer and heart attacks
Ann Maria Hester, M.D. is a board-certified internist with 30 years of clinical experience caring for patients in multiple settings. She was struck by the tremendous amount of unnecessary pain and suffering, which motivated her to start writing patient empowerment literature while still in medical school. She authored numerous online health information articles. Subsequently, she wrote a book called Your Family Medical Record: An Interactive Guide to Getting the Best Care in 2000. In 2022 she published Patient Empowerment 101: More than a book, it’s an adventure! This book has a sister website where readers can go to download fillable medical forms and watch empowering videos. Dr. Hester is a former syndicated columnist and Dr. Hester’s work can be found on KevinMD as well. Most recently, she launched a one-of-a-kind on-demand health and wellness course website, Patient World (https://patientworld.net) where people around the world can enroll to take fun and interactive courses taught by doctors, authors, and others with a health background.