You and Your Doctor

Changes in the healthcare field have threatened the once sacred relationship between patient and physician. While much has been written for physicians and other healthcare providers on the subject of the doctor-patient relationship, information tailored for patients remains lacking. This volume offers practical information to help patients make the most of their interaction with their doctors. Among the topics are finding the right physician, gaining telephone access, ensuring good communication between health care providers, protecting personal information, seeking a second opinion, and using walk-in clinics. In-depth interviews with primary care physicians and medical specialists provide a unique perspective on issues of importance to patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics.

Tania Heller, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician and the medical director of the Washington Center for Eating Disorders and Adolescent Obesity in Bethesda, Maryland www.washingtoncenteronline.com. She is the author of four other books.

Elaine A. Moore has worked in hospital laboratories for more than 30 years, primarily in immunohematology and toxicology. She is a freelance medical writer and laboratory consultant. For more information, visit her website at www.elaine-moore.com. She lives in Sedalia, Colorado.

Tania Heller, M.D..

Series Editor Elaine A. Moore

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6293-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8974-9
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Health Topics

Acknowledgments      viii
Preface      1

1. Understanding the Doctor-Patient Relationship      3
2. The Pediatrician-Family Relationship      68
3. Adolescence      81
4. Internal Medicine and Family Practice      89
5. Geriatrics      98
6. Challenging Situations      103
7. Technology and the Doctor-Patient Relationship      111
8. Interviews with Specialists      123
9. How to Find the Right Physician      147
10. Making the Relationship Work      166
11. Conclusion: My Reflections      186

Glossary      189
Resources      191
Bibliography      193
Index      197

• “This well-written guide is a timely and valuable resource”—ARBA
• “Although much has been written about the doctor-patient relationship from the perspective of physicians and other healthcare providers, there is little discussion tailored for patients. This book seeks to address this imbalance, offering practical information to help patients make the most of their interactions with their healthcare providers. The purpose is to address the relationship between a physician and patient. This is a worthy objective, since few books use a reflective approach to examine the nature of the patient-physician relationship. Written with patients in mind, the author takes a personal approach. Although clearly knowledgeable about the relationship that develops between physician and patient, the author fails to address how the sentiments expressed might be commonly experienced in interactions with other types of providers. The book describes the issues that may emerge during the physician-patient encounter across the lifespan and with providers in different specialties (such as internal medicine versus family practice). There is a heavy emphasis on expressing the thought processes of physicians during encounters with patients. The author misses an opportunity to include healthcare providers other than physicians and address the commonalities in the patient relationship experience. It is rare that patients are privy to true reflective thoughts from the physician’s perspective. In this, the book offers a unique attempt to address the lack of personal touch that can develop in an impersonal healthcare system.”—Doody’s Review Service