Chronic pain appointments can be difficult for both patients and doctors.
For patients, doctor visits can be intimidating and create anxiety. We want validation of our pain, empathy, answers, and support. For doctors, chronic pain patients can be more challenging to treat than other patients. We can be demanding of their time, attention, and patience. While they truly want to help, doctors often have limited training (typically 11 hours of pain education in medical school), limited time (18.5 minutes per appointment), as well as limitations due to government and insurance guidelines. So, how do you make the most of your appointment time and get the best treatment when you visit with the doctor? Below are 23 suggestions to help maximize the patient-doctor experience (thanks to the many ideas provided by members of the Chronic Pain Champions – No Whining Allowed Facebook support group): In general
Before the appointment
At the appointment
Bottom line To get the best treatment from your doctor, be prepared, calm, engaged, insightful, and open to taking more self-responsibility for your own care. It’s harder for doctors to treat patients who are negative or who expects the doctor to fix all of their problems. I hope you find these tips helpful. |
WelcomeChronic Pain Champions is an information resource/blog/support group to help people living with nonmalignant pain, their families and friends, as well as healthcare professionals. Learn more about this site and the author. Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
© 2021
Tom Bowen Chronic Pain Champions |