Are you good at asking what you want? Or Hopeful that people will know what you are asking for?

A patient seeking health and care follow-up is expected to describe the problem and ask for the best treatment. Most healthcare practitioners are thankful for patients who can report their present condition. Unfortunately, there are also patients who are very hopeful that practitioners can describe their condition without even speaking up. Patients can prevent common pitfalls.  

Healthcare practitioners would love to hear the following:

1. The present description of the problem or complaints
2. The symptoms of the condition. For example, pain, episodes of fever, cough, vomiting, and dizziness.
3. Actions taken before seeing a doctor. For example, taking pain relievers, what kind, how many, and what time or frequency.
4. The results of the action taken. Example: unrelieved pain, cough, or another episode of fever.

Remember, the more a patient can speak up for their present condition when seeing a medical practitioner, the better choice of treatment and care the medical practitioner can decide to help the patient. The more benefits of relief and fast recovery of the present condition patient can receive.

Resources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2020). Follow up with patient: Tool #6. https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/improve/precautions/tool6.html

National Cancer Institute. (2023). Follow-up medical care. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/survivorship/follow-up-care