How many times have you dreaded
going to the doctor's office because you just felt that you would be judged? Have
you even been asked questions like, why aren't you performing this medical task
or ridiculed because you had not followed through with the plan from the last
visit. How does that make anyone feel when they have yet to develop a
relationship with their healthcare provider? Let me say I do believe that when you
are already comfortable with whom you are seeing and the relationship is
established there is more room for direct conversation, but still respectful
and honest. But the problem for me is when that relationship is not yet to be established.
Don’t get me wrong there still has to be honest, respectful medical conversations
sometimes with bad news or things that you need to do immediately to improve
your health, but can it be done in a way that patients don't feel like they are
being judge or labeled the "bad patient"? As a patient I have had the
similar situations where I felt that I was being judged (whether real or perceived)
and it just didn't make for a pleasant healthcare experience for me. So I
thought about it and here were some things that I did to improve my healthcare experience
because I too have to play my part:
· Changed healthcare providers (after two visits)---I wanted
to give the previous healthcare provider a chance because maybe I was a little
more sensitive on the first visit.
· Asking, open and honest questions---No matter how
uncomfortable they made me feel to ask because as a nurse I don't know
everything about everything; but that was my issue with being judged that I
also had to address with myselfJ
· Participate in dialogue and initiate it---I don't have to
make it a you ask me a question and I answer session.
· Listen and clarify---Listening is important to learn
anything, but I also learned to clarify statements that I perceived as
judgmental; sometimes it was a misunderstanding on my part and this cleared it up
immediately.
Tell me about times that you felt judged at the MD office. What
did you do to improve your future experiences?
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