What can you do to develop a good relationship with your doctor?

• Establish good communication with your doctor as this is the foundation for a strong relationship.
• Before each visit, make a written list of your health concerns, including symptoms, when and how they started, and whether you have another medical condition as well. Save the list and update it as needed.
• Tell your illness story through short, focused facts, presenting a clear description of your symptoms.
• Explain how the illness affects your daily life by citing specific examples (e.g. “I only buy milk in quarts, because I can’t lift gallons anymore.”).
• Learn all you can about your illness so you can ask the right questions and help make decisions about your treatment. Patients who assume an active role in their care do better than those who do not.
• Share open and honest information about your personal life as this can affect your illness, treatments, and overall medical outcome.
• Ask as many questions as you have about your diagnosis and treatment options.
• Never leave your doctor's office until all your questions have been answered in terms you understand.
• Seek alternative ways of communicating (email, phone, fax) concerns that do not require an office visit.

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• Find a doctor whose personality style matches yours and makes you feel comfortable.
• Make sure your doctor always has a current list of all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
• Accept realistic treatment goals. Many chronic diseases can be managed, but not cured.
• Do not give up hope, even when a cure is impossible. “While medical science has limits, hope does not.”

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Adapted from Women's Health Advisor, December 2006 and Charting the doctor-patient relationship by Barbara Seaman