{"product_id":"paul-d-thompson-help-your-doctor-help-you-31","title":"Patients: Help your doctor help you. Be kind to the medical team 31","description":"\u003ch1\u003eBeing a Better Patient: Questions, Kindness to Staff, and Follow-Up With Your Doctor\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eJump To Section\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#patient-responsibility\"\u003eA patient's responsibility to the doctor\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#list-of-questions\"\u003eBring a list of questions\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#kindness-to-staff\"\u003eBe kind to the clinical staff\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#help-your-doctor\"\u003eHelp your doctor take care of you\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#two-way-street\"\u003eA two-way street\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"patient-responsibility\"\u003eA patient's responsibility to the doctor\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatients have a responsibility to take care of their doctor, says cardiologist Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD, when Dr. Anton Titov, MD, asks what he would like to share from his life experience. He anticipates the surprised reaction and answers it: yes, you have to take care of your doctor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"list-of-questions\"\u003eBring a list of questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA list of questions is his first practical suggestion. Dr. Thompson says he really gets upset when a patient calls him from the car on the way home with a question they forgot to ask. Writing down what you want to know, he says, helps doctor and patient make good use of each other's time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"kindness-to-staff\"\u003eBe kind to the clinical staff\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKindness to the clinical staff is his second point. A very well-known patient from New York City traveled two hours to Hartford to see him, was wonderful to Dr. Thompson and often brought him show tickets, but was absolutely terrible to his staff. That patient then wondered why he had trouble getting an appointment. The staff did not want to see someone who treated them miserably.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"help-your-doctor\"\u003eHelp your doctor take care of you\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelping the doctor take care of you is his third point. He asks patients to make sure their doctor knows the other medications they take, and to remind him of things he said he would do. He writes down his plans but says he sometimes overlooks things. After a test, he suggests calling a few days later for the result, since he sometimes does not call and a test can disappear into the electronic medical record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"two-way-street\"\u003eA two-way street\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall personal details matter too. He suggests knowing little things about your doctor, such as asking about his kids or grandkids. Making yourself different and important to a doctor, he says, helps you get better medical care. He calls it a two-way street: he is a better doctor when you are a better patient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Anton Titov, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Professor Thompson, is there anything in your personal interests, philosophy, or life experience that you'd like to share?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e I think one of the most important things I would like to share is that you have a responsibility as a patient to take care of your doctor. What? You have to take care of your doctor?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, you have to take care of your doctor. One of the things you should do is go into your doctor with a list of questions. I really get upset when I spend time with a patient and they call me from their car on their cell on their way home with a question they forgot to ask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Make a list of what you want to know from your doctor so you make the best use of my time and I make the best use of your time. Second thing, be nice to the clinical staff. I took care of a very well-known person from New York City who would come the two hours from New York City up to Hartford to see me.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e That person was wonderful to me and would often bring me tickets to a show in the city. He was terrible to my staff, absolutely terrible to them. Then he would wonder why he had trouble getting an appointment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e My staff did not want to see him. He treated them miserably. Third point: help your doctor take care of you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Make sure your doctor knows other medications you are taking and things like that. That helps me. The other thing is to remind me of things that I said I would do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e I see a lot of patients, and I write down the things I say I am going to do, but sometimes I overlook things. Make sure you remind me. When you have a test done, call up a few days later to find out the result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sure, I should call you, but sometimes I do not, or sometimes the test disappears into the electronic medical record. So make sure you go out of your way to take care of your doctor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Know little things about your doctor so you can say, 'How are your grandkids doing, Dr. Thompson?' Or, 'How are your kids doing, Dr. Thompson?' Make yourself different and important to a doctor. It helps get you better medical care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e It is a two-way street. I am a better doctor when you are a better patient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Anton Titov, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Professor Thompson, thank you very much for this most useful conversation. Our viewers around the world will find it most helpful. We hope to come back to you in the future for more insights into high cholesterol. Thank you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e The pleasure has been mine. Thank you very much. I think I was put on this earth to take care of people and to tell people how to take care of themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Diagnostic Detectives Network","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48389092573340,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/5449\/5644\/files\/2225221422-55a0faa2aa14641e0a92413e8f5f36322644bb40772fc6017a18084064040347-d_1920x1080_b8ee6793-5dcf-4abe-b3c8-4c6997713799.jpg?v=1794435533","url":"https:\/\/diagnosticdetectives.com\/fr\/products\/paul-d-thompson-help-your-doctor-help-you-31","provider":"DiagnosticDetectives.Com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}