Cardiologist Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD, explains how patients can help their doctor help them: arriving with prepared questions, treating clinic staff kindly, sharing their medication list, reminding the doctor of promised tasks and checking on test results.
Being a Better Patient: Questions, Kindness to Staff, and Follow-Up With Your Doctor
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- A patient's responsibility to the doctor
- Bring a list of questions
- Be kind to the clinical staff
- Help your doctor take care of you
- A two-way street
- Full Transcript
A patient's responsibility to the doctor
Patients 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.
Bring a list of questions
A 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.
Be kind to the clinical staff
Kindness 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.
Help your doctor take care of you
Helping 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.
A two-way street
Small 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.
Full Transcript
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Professor Thompson, is there anything in your personal interests, philosophy, or life experience that you'd like to share?
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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?
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: My staff did not want to see him. He treated them miserably. Third point: help your doctor take care of you.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: It is a two-way street. I am a better doctor when you are a better patient.
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: 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.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: 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.