Wilmington, NC Social Security Disability Attorney

TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR

The single biggest complaint we hear from our clients is that the doctor is too busy and does not listen to them. For that reason, we are offering you a few tips that may improve your relationship with your doctor or keep it from ever going sour..

WHICH DOCTOR TO SELECT.  Unfortunately, when an accident victim is injured, more than one type of doctor may be needed to treat the injuries. Sometimes a more serious injury is masked because of immediate pain and discomfort. An orthopedic doctor will treat a soft tissue injury and bone breaks but a neurologist may be needed to rule out any nerve damage or to seek a cause of headaches. Each doctor concentrates on his field of expertise and may not pay attention to your other symptoms. It is important that you recognize the need for more than one doctor and if you feel this is what is needed, we will be glad to talk with you about other specialists. You should return to each of your doctors as often as necessary and should always tell them about all your complaints. Accurately tell your doctor about everything that is wrong with you! A doctor must know these things in order to properly treat you.

HAVE YOUR THOUGHTS ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU APPEAR FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT. When the doctor or nurse asks how you are, do not say “fine”. They really want to know your condition. You should have an organized list in your mind of what your complaints and concerns are, your limitations, and your discomfort. Based upon you presenting this verbal list to him, he will make his examination. Doctors very much appreciate a patient who can say that they are having headaches on a daily basis, that they last for two hours and that they have to lie down for them to go away.  Doctors do not appreciate the patient who simply says “My head hurts.”  So always try to give your doctor detailed specifics, not just generalized complaints.

Once the doctor is finished with the examination, he may ask you some questions or tell you what he wants you to do. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you do not understand why he is doing something. If you disagree with something he has said, tell him immediately.

IF THE DOCTOR MAKES AN ERRONEOUS STATEMENT CONCERNING YOUR INJURY, clarify it immediately.  Part of your job as a patient is to be sure the doctor has the facts straight.  If you don’t do your job, the doctor may develop a treatment designed to cure you based on incorrect assumptions. An example may be that he will want to try physical therapy — when you have already been in physical therapy (but the doctor assumes you haven’t).  Treatments like that can make you worse rather than better!  So speak up and make sure he understands everything he needs to know.  Remember that a doctor sees many patients and he cannot recall each person he sees.  Remember, also, that doctors, like the rest of us, can make mistakes….

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION.  While the doctor is there to treat you and render his professional opinion, it is your body and your life. If you feel that he is not listening to you, ask him for a few minutes to speak with him. The over-all picture should be important to the doctor. He should want to know what your concerns are and what problems your injury is creating in your life.

MEDICATION, EXERCISES, PHYSICAL THERAPY. If your doctor prescribes any medication that causes any adverse effects, call him immediately. Do not just stop taking the medication. Do not take more than the doctor prescribes. If it isn’t working, call the doctor and tell him. Do not deviate from the doctor’s orders. By the same token, if exercises or physical therapy is causing you pain, call your doctor! While some discomfort is expected, you should be able to tell the difference between discomfort and real pain.  If you are unsure, ask.

When you go to physical therapy, remember that everything you say or do in front of the physical therapist is put into your record. Some common hurtful things we have seen in these records are, “Patient appeared carrying child and heavy diaper bag. Said her back hurt.”, or “Patient arrived late saying she had to change tire. Said she is no better.” It is not hard to imagine how the insurance company views these types of comments. 

HOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR PAIN.   The most “human” way to describe pain is to stress how much it hurts or to use facial grimaces. We have found that doctors relate better to a patient if they can describe pain and discomfort by using a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the maximum a human can endure). For instance, “the pain is an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10”, or, “sometimes the pain is so bad, I can’t breathe”, or “the pain keeps me from sleeping through the night”. This gives the doctor an idea of the intensity of pain or discomfort.

BEING OUT OF WORK is a common result of an accident injury. It is important that the doctor know if you think you able to work – either full or part time. Your Doctor wants to know how you think you are doing.  He will depend upon you to tell him. Tell the doctor what kind of work you do, that you are unable to do it pain-free, and that you will need for him to confirm you are unable to work. This is done routinely, but the doctor is not a magician and cannot foresee what physical tasks you have to do. As he extends each “no work status,” you may need to remind him of what type of job you do. If he says you can return to work and you find it impossible after trying it, immediately call the doctor and let him know this. It might be a warning sign that your injury is getting worse because of work.

CHANGING DOCTORS. Sometimes a patient and a doctor just don’t get along.  It doesn’t make any difference who’s at fault – the real loser is always the patient.  If you feel that the relationship with your doctor is just not working out, then you may wish to change doctors. We suggest you think very carefully before making this decision. We will be glad to talk with you if you feel this has become a problem.

SECOND MEDICAL OPINION.  It’s hard to imagine when a “second opinion” would be a bad idea.  Always seek one if your first physician suggests that you need surgery or that you are permanently impaired.  If you are not satisfied with your doctor’s ultimate diagnosis and treatment, by all means seek a second opinion.  This does not mean you do not like your doctor or do not believe him, but IT IS YOUR BODY AND YOUR LIFE AND YOU NEED TO BE IN CONTROL.

Sometimes the insurance company processing your claim will require you to see one of their doctors.  This isn’t the type of “second opinion” we’re referring to here…. 

MISSED APPOINTMENTS.  Both the doctor and your adversaries in the insurance company are suspicious of missed medical appointments. If you have an emergency that makes you miss an appointment, make sure that you explain the emergency to the doctor and always reschedule. DO NOT JUST FAIL TO GO TO YOUR APPOINTMENT! If you have missed an appointment and could not cancel – call us as soon as possible, explain the circumstances and then reschedule.  Sometimes, a missed appointment will be viewed as a statement that you have been “cured” – even when that is far from the truth.

PAYING YOUR DOCTOR. Doctors are in the business to make money and depend upon you and their other patients for prompt payment. For them to be there when you need them, you and their other patients simply must pay your physicians as promptly as possible.

To do this, you should use all forms of insurance you may now have (i.e., Blue Cross, CHAMPUS, etc.).  If you exhaust these sources, you should try to pay each of your doctors at least $10.00 monthly on the balance remaining. If you have MedPay coverage (and we will have discussed this with you), we urge you to pay your doctor’s bill for any balance not covered by this insurance.

DO NOT TELL THE DOCTOR THE DEFENDANT WILL PAY! Doctors want to cure patients, not become a partial owner in their lawsuits.  Many a doctor has been stuck with large bills because the defendant did not pay. All doctors appreciate a patient who pays even $10.00 per month. KEEP YOUR DOCTOR HAPPY!

RECOVERY. It is important to remember that in most cases a complete recovery is assured if you work closely with your doctor. Next, it may be helpful to remember that injured people in the “real world” take a lot longer to recover than the ones in the movies.  If your body has taken a solid jolt, you should expect a recovery period of six months to a year before you are pain-free.  While you should see some progress over this year, most doctors will not consider an injury permanent until you have been in treatment for a full 12-months.  Try to be a patient patient.

Hopefully these tips will help speed up your recovery. Our staff will gladly work with you in helping you understand your injury and hopefully in working with your doctor.