Doctor to Doctor – Is it Possible?
As a medical secretary, it was important for me to be a good communicator. Whether it be the written or verbal; getting the right information across to doctors and patients was of vital importance. I think I am a pretty good communicator: I try to stick to the facts, list the events in chronological order, make a list of pertinent questions and follow through on their advice. My husband was trained as a scientist and has a medical background so he understands better than I the medical arena and jargon and I utilize his knowledge to help me.
So imagine my frustration when after 6 months of trying to get two specialists to communicate either by phone, meeting, on line portals, hey, smoke signals if it would work to determine how to get my husband the required care he needs to be restored to better health. I am ready to yell “May Day! May Day!” In the middle of their respective 7 story office buildings if it would get their attention.
Have you experienced this? Do you know what I am talking about? Are you as frustrated as I am?
So, I started doing some reading and made a checklist of things I can do to help facilitate this communication. After all I have since retired as a medical secretary so my skills may be rusty. Here is what I have come up with.
The Earthly Plan
- Have a list of all medical care physicians and locations. Utilize an address book, notebook, or if you are computer savy a spreadsheet, or your contacts on your smart phone. I personally use a free spreadsheet program called Airtable at airtable.com where you can build spreadsheets with all the details. It can be on your phone as well as on your desktop computer. And the best is that you can share it with other family members. Whatever, way you choose, use it, update it and have it with you when you go to an appointment.
- Be proactive. At every doctors visit, clinic visit, laboratory visit clearly communicate that the office share the details of this visit with all and any pertinent doctors that need to know. Use your list of medical care to readily share that information with the provider and his/her office. Having said this, make sure your information is being shared in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
- Learn to use the patient portals. Today the art of speaking to one another has been replaced by technology. And while I mourn the ability to just pick up the phone and speak to a live person and know that what I ask will get done; the world has changed. And we must change with it. Grumble, growl, grown and stamp you feet. Do whatever, but create a sign on and a password and then learn to navigate around the portal itself. By the way – you can create a spreadsheet on AirTable for your sign ons and passwords as well. The bottom line is that there is good information that you can get with just a bit of a learning curve. There you can see office summaries, test results, and upcoming appointments. Additionally, you can message the doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant and request information for yourself or for other doctors.
- A doctors visit is a time when you can openly express your concerns and this includes any lack of communication and coordination of care.
- When gaps in care continue, contact administration or patient advocates to raise awareness. But don’t just gripe, suggest improvements.
- Don’t give up – persist. Always with respect to the office personnel and not 50 times a day. But as a curtesy reminder that you are trying to make connections and why. Document the contacts with date and whether you left a voice mail or message with a person. Make note of that person’s name.
The Spiritual Plan
In the Earthly Plan we believe that if we try hard enough, we can accomplish whatever we need to do. But that isn’t always possible, is it? So we need to start working on our Spiritual Plan.
- God calls us to love God and love others as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Pray for your doctors, nurses, and other health professionals you encounter. While they have chosen this profession, like you, there are other factors present in their everyday lives: spouses, children, their own health issue to name of few. Pray for them to use their God given skills as God would want them to.
- We are ALL fallible. Understand that like you, they are fallible and therefore we must do the best we can do to enable them to be the best they can at their chosen profession. And that means patience. Something I am often in short supply and must go to the Lord for forgiveness and strength. Ask what you can do to help achieve the best healthcare possible.
- Know that God is near. Madeleine L’Engle says “It is when things go wrong, when good things do not happen, when our prayers seem to have been lost that God is most present. We do not need the sheltering wings when things go smoothly. We are closest to God in the darkness, stumbling along blindly.” Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it”. You may feel that God has abandoned you at this moment. But its not about feeling God is there; it’s about knowing God is there with us.
- Trust God. Of all the things going on in our lives that frighten us, our own fears are probably the worse. We must remain close to God by staying in the word to fortify us in times of trouble. Times of trouble are the times to trust. So we start with doing what is necessary. Then what is possible until suddenly you realize that God can do what you cannot – the impossible. Seek and ask for the impossible and then give thanks for the impossible things that God gives to us each and every day.
- Be Thankful Its hard to be thankful or grateful when what we desire seems destined not to be. But while somethings are not going well, let us have eyes to see what is going well. Dwell on being able to get out of bed and walk, the sun that warms the northern cold air, the house that has heat, water, and plumbing. The neighbor who inquires how your feeling and the friend who offers to drive you to a much needed bible study. Making a conscious effort to list the plethora of good can help you while you survive the mayhem that is currently in your life. And in spite of it all you may find that you are not only surviving but thriving.
Look the reality is that gone are the days of house calls, and small or solo practitioners (although the Video Visits and Tele Visits are pretty cool and save time and gas). Both the Earthly and the Spiritual Plans are important to surviving medical mayhem. The first steps are to learn to adapt to the new ways, ask pertinent questions and initiate requests for change. But take heart. While we are being forced to adapt and change we can still get our physicians to communicate with one another by following these steps.
Have you found some other ways to communicate with the medical community? What resources have you found to help you in getting the quality care you need? Please share so that others might benefit.
In the meantime, I leave you with this prayer from Lysa Terkeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries:
Dear God, I give you this day for your glory, your fame, your will, your way. I humbly submit my plans, desires, and wants. May you increase as I decrease. Today is yours, Lord. Please guide me and help me to use each day for you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Thank you for reading my post. If you have found it encouraging please consider liking, commenting or sharing it. Feel free to even re-blog – may these words take flight!
I have additional insights I’d love to share with you found in the pages of my debut book: Surviving Medical Mayhem – Laughing When It Hurts. To order a copy or learn more go to my website at www.lorettaschoen.com
Blessings for Health & Wellness.