Involvement

[ThomasC 2]

Yes, the advice given is terribly outdated so I take what I need and leave the rest.

The current nurse/practice advisor (her title seems to change all the time) is pretty switched on an we have a pretty equal discussion about my diabetes and how I am managing it. When it comes to the doctor, I refuse to see the senior doctor who handles "chronic" conditions because he is so out of touch and prefer to see one who, although also a little out of date is also very excited about my progress and is willing to listen and discuss.

Now that they agree that my diabetes is well managed, they now seem keen to treat other things they think are wrong with me, such as cholesterol and blood pressure. So far I've beaten them off...

Did you end up going elsewhere than going to your doctor for advice? How did you figure that it was outdated? did you know based on experience or knowledge?

 

[ThomasC 2]

I think my drs dread me as I go in with notes and always knows what I want. If I think I need a referral I will ask for it, but I will have done my research first so I can show why it’s appropriate. I know money is none existent in the nhs but if you have a good argument why you need something, then the discussion and outcome tends to be more favourable

I don't mind what the doctor thinks, as long as I get the needed information. Based on all the nice recommendations I think I might start pre-paring a sheet with questions for each session.

I actually used to get a lot of my information on the NHS website as well ...

 

[DCUKMod]

Thank you so much! To be honest I'd sometime love if I could just review my doctors notes.

But this would be a good starting point to get more of a dialogue with my doctor.

Thanks again, Thomas

Why not ask for it then? I can only see the coded notes, so not all the Doc's notes, but it's a great help.

 

[DCUKMod]

Sometimes when I meet different doctors I feel like they do not even know my name...

In those circumstances, I'd ask the Doc, if he'd had a chance to catch up with my notes, or if he'd like me to precis myself, and what I'm there for. Perfect opportunity to set the scene and the agenda. You also get to tell him what you want him to concentrate on.

(Obviously it's a chap as a woman would obviously have rread every letter of your notes. Of course that comment is a lie. )

There's always a silver lining if you look hard enough for it.

 

[ThomasC 2]

So much depends on the doctor, and you only get a few seconds to weigh them up.

I always have a list of things I want to discuss, but one doctor behaved like a pompous **** when he saw my list (totally unproductive appt that ended up with me making a formal complaint and changing doctors).

Nowadays I keep my list hidden until I have had a minute or two to assess their approachability. I am not into banging my head against brick walls, but if they are going to treat me like a competant adult, then we should get along fine. Appointments can be great - for both sides.

I have an annual appt at Endocrinology (non D related) and I have to say that I heave a sigh of relief every time I walk in and see the same consultant. He is a delight. And he obviously relishes the fact that I am interested, engaged and motivated.

Don't yet know how things will go at my new doc's. It is a large practice with 8 docs, so I am sure there will be at least one of them that I can work with but since I only go to the doc's about once every 2-3 years, half of them will have retired and been replaced before I even get to meet them!

I don't get 'diabetic' doc appointments, because my blood glucose is well enough controlled (by me) that the NHS doesn't want to know.

Thanks,

I like that you actually test you doctor in some way, I'd love to see the same doctor each time as well ...

But I think I will start pre-paring a list like this as well and just going though it sequentially

I sometimes miss the traditional system, where the doctor would know the entire family in contrast to today where the doctor barely knows your case when you walk into the consultation room. My relationship with my doctor is very trust based which I think is one of my problems with seeing multiple doctors ..

 

[DCUKMod]

Thanks,

I like that you actually test you doctor in some way, I'd love to see the same doctor each time as well ...

But I think I will start pre-paring a list like this as well and just going though it sequentially

I sometimes miss the traditional system, where the doctor would know the entire family in contrast to today where the doctor barely knows your case when you walk into the consultation room. My relationship with my doctor is very trust based which I think is one of my problems with seeing multiple doctors ..

Like so many things in life, we have to, sometimes reluctantly, adapt to work with what we've got.

I'm not really testing the Doc. It's not a challenge or a suggestion of an inadequacy. I'd call it assessing, and inviting them to give me control of scene setting.

I do always try to give the benefit of the doubt, and look on things positively, but have my quick thinking in place where possible.

Do you take anyone with you to your appointments? A second, or rather a third person in the room can be fantastic for getting thinking time, if they either have a question of their own, or just ask you how it's going on your agenda. They'll also likely remember different things about the meeting, which is good when you review it later.

Notes will work well for you I think. That along with some thought beforehand on how you might open the meeting, or make it known what you're there for.

 

[ThomasC 2]

Like so many things in life, we have to, sometimes reluctantly, adapt to work with what we've got.

I'm not really testing the Doc. It's not a challenge or a suggestion of an inadequacy. I'd call it assessing, and inviting them to give me control of scene setting.

I do always try to give the benefit of the doubt, and look on things positively, but have my quick thinking in place where possible.

Do you take anyone with you to your appointments? A second, or rather a third person in the room can be fantastic for getting thinking time, if they either have a question of their own, or just ask you how it's going on your agenda. They'll also likely remember different things about the meeting, which is good when you review it later.

Notes will work well for you I think. That along with some thought beforehand on how you might open the meeting, or make it known what you're there for.

Actually, I have never tried to bring a second or third person to an appointment ... I could be nice to have an outside perspective.

I have always taken notes and will continue to do so ..

I will continue to look for good openers of the meeting

 

[DCUKMod]

Actually, I have never tried to bring a second or third person to an appointment ... I could be nice to have an outside perspective.

I have always taken notes and will continue to do so ..

I will continue to look for good openers of the meeting

What is it specifically you find tricky about opening a meeting? Is it that if you allow the other person to open it, it feels like they drive it from that point, and maybe you don't quite get to your objectives, or something else?

 

[DCUKMod]

Actually, @ThomasC 2 - If you're a twitter user, Dr Mark Porter tweeted this this morning:



Not sure why I particularly follow him. He must have said something that interested me at some point.

 

[Antje77]

and what do you think about being involved in your treatment decisions?

Uhh, it's more that my nurse (I've never seen a doctor for my diabetes, it's the specialist nurse at my GP's) is involved in my treatment. I usually tell her what I want or need (a different insulin, more test strips, no statins, etc.) and after some talking about why, I usually get what I want. The rest of the appointment is for BP, feet-tickling, her telling me about trying to cut carbs because she wants to lose weight, me telling her about some diabetic-related stupidity I performed in the last three months and having a good laugh. It usually ends in her saying she wants to see me in three months, me saying make it six months and meeting somewhere in the middle.

 

[Ajax]

As my own condition requires little medical intervention ..apart from ✻granular✻ increases in my dosage ..I'm happy just to go along to my Review to collect my BP, HbA1c, etc.

I have ✻book knowledge✻ about type 2 diabetes ..but keep that to myself ..who wants to be labelled a heartsink patient?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Sometimes when I meet different doctors I feel like they do not even know my name...

Probably the only thing they do know . . . . . if they haven't read beyond your name on their notes.

With the number of practices falling and average patient numbers rising, I sometimes think it won't be long before you will only be able to see a doctor if you pay for it.

 

[dbr10]

Probably the only thing they do know . . . . . if they haven't read beyond your name on their notes.

With the number of practices falling and average patient numbers rising, I sometimes think it won't be long before you will only be able to see a doctor if you pay for it.

Before my father died last year he had regular hospital treatment. He was always asked basic questions about his condition - far too often for it to have been a case of the doctor confirming what was in the notes.

 

[johnpol]

When I was first diagnosed my consultant was very authoritarian, do as I say not as you think!! culminated in being hospitalised for not much and him throwing my notes across the room in a fit of pique, because I changed something myself. Last time I ever seen that man and changed to my current consultant, and this is different, I am totally involved in my treatment, as in their words, I live with it not them, and everyone is different. So I am happy with my treatment at the minute.