Working with Your Healthcare Provider
Telling your healthcare provider (HCP) about yourself will help improve your care. And ask questions when you don’t understand something, or just want to know more. Don’t be afraid to speak up! Good communication with your HCP helps you get the most out of your health care.
Having a regular healthcare provider is important to help you stay healthy. Telling your provider about yourself will help improve your care and keep you safe. You can ask questions when you don’t understand something, or just want to know more. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Good communication with your provider helps you get the most out of your healthcare.
Talk about your lifestyle
All sorts of things can affect your health. So your healthcare provider needs to know about your daily life.
Tell your provider:
Where you work and what you do
If you live alone or with others
About your eating and sleeping habits
If you get regular exercise
If you drink alcohol or smoke
If you are under a lot of stress
If you are dealing with a major life change such as marriage, divorce, or retirement
Your health and wellness goals
Share your symptoms
Symptoms are a change from what’s normal. They may mean you have an illness or injury.
Tell your healthcare provider:
The type of symptoms, such as pain, fever, nausea, or weakness
When your symptoms started
How often you have symptoms
If your symptoms wake you up at night
When you have symptoms
How bad your symptoms are
If your symptoms interfere with your daily activities
If your family or people you spend time with have similar symptoms
If your symptoms are getting better or worse
If you have had these symptoms before
If you have traveled recently
Discuss your diagnosis
A diagnosis notes the cause of an illness or the reason for symptoms. Make sure you understand your diagnosis. This will make it easier for you and your provider to make decisions about your care.
Ask your healthcare provider:
The name of the condition
The cause of the condition
How long the condition will last
If there will be any long-term effects
What you can do to prevent the condition in the future
How you can learn more about the condition
If the condition can be spread to other people
Ask about medical tests
Medical tests include things such as blood tests and X-rays. If you have a medical problem, tests can give your healthcare provider more information. Tests can also uncover hidden health problems.
Ask your healthcare provider:
Why you need the test
If you should stop taking any medicines before the test
When you can take those medicines again
What the test results will show
If there are any risks of the test
How accurate the test results will be
How much the test will cost
If there is a less expensive choice
How the test is done and how long it will take
How to get ready for the test
How you will feel after the test
If you will be able to drive yourself home
Think over your treatment choices
Many health conditions can be treated. Your healthcare provider may advise a certain treatment. But it’s a decision you need to make together.
Ask your provider:
About all of your treatment choices
How much treatment will cost
What alternatives there are
How soon you should start treatment
How long treatment will last
If it has risks
What will happen if the condition is not treated
Your provider can also help you with choices about emergency care and end-of-life care. Ask them about a living will. Ask how to pick a person to make decisions for you if needed.
Ask about prevention
The goal of prevention is to help you not develop diseases. It’s easier to prevent illness than it is to cure it. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to keep yourself healthy.
Ask your healthcare provider:
How often you should have checkups
If you should get shots to help prevent disease
How often you should get screening tests, such as mammograms and colonoscopies
When and how will you get test results
If you should make any lifestyle changes
Use the patient portal
A patient portal is an online tool. You can access it on the web with a user name and password. You may be able to access it with an app on your smartphone. It lets you see your health information anytime.
Many clinics and healthcare systems use patient portals. They make it easier to reach and talk with your healthcare team. A portal can help you manage your health.
There are different kinds of patient portals. They have different features. A patient portal may:
Let you see some parts of your medical records
Let you send private, secure messages to your healthcare team
Let your healthcare team see test results and X-ray reports
Ask your provider’s office how to access the patient portal. They can give you instructions for how to sign up.