Doctors’ Orders

1. “If you are not taking your medication as prescribed, tell me.”

We all know it to be true, it is an easy fib we tell our doctors. “Of course I am taking my medication at the same time, daily.” But why exactly do we fib? More than likely, we feel bad admitting we are not following doctor’s instructions as we should, or we really dislike taking medication.

What you can do: Be honest with your doctor and let them find a solution for you.

2. “If you are going to miss or be late to an appointment, please let my office staff know.” 

General Practitioners hate waiting on patients equally as much as patients waiting for their turn. Though patients are our top priority, time is valuable, and if you are simply running behind, you will probably have a shorter appointment as a result, and everyone after you will as well.

What you can do: If you cannot make an appointment, cancel as early as possible.

3. “If you are taking supplements or alternative therapies, tell me.”

“If you are taking alternative or complementary therapies, it is important for your doctor to know that,” advises Dr. Steve Chambers, a family physician, and past president of the Alberta Medical Association.

What you can do: Clue them into a complete picture of your current health practices and views.

4. “You need to lose weight.”

Weight gain (and loss for that matter) is a highly controversial subject due to self-image. Though it is definitely important to feel good in your own skin, many forget the health issues attached to obesity. It is a precondition of approximately thirty-five different health problems, including cancer, heart disease, organ failure, and depression.

What you can do: Admit your weight is a health risk and begin taking steps towards correcting it.

5. “Tell me what you are worried about right away, not when you are leaving.”

“You spend time with a patient on an ingrown toenail when the real problem is chest pain,” says Dr. Sharon Salloum, a family doctor and the director of clinical skills for first-year medicine at the University of British Columbia. It is understandable, patients are apprehensive about real health concerns, but concerns are those that deserve the time.

What you can do: Make a list of issues you would like to discuss, give the list to your physician and he or she will prioritize.

6. “You do not need a prescription.”

“It always happens–especially with antibiotics,” says Dr. Shelby Karpman, an Edmonton physician. “Patients have been trained through past history, through media, through friends, that if they walk out of a physician’s office without a prescription, they have not been treated properly. Quite frankly, there are not many conditions that need antibiotic treatment. I have numerous patients who come in with cold or flu symptoms–for which antibiotics are not warranted–who insist they need an antibiotic. I take the time to explain that antibiotics do not work for viruses, but a number then go to a walk-in clinic, where some of the physicians are less interested in patient education than in churning patients through. They write a prescription, and the patient walks off thinking, “Next time I have a cold I will come here, I will not see Karpman.”

What you can do: Remember many illnesses can be cured with non-medical treatments.

7. “When you come to see me, be clear in your mind about your symptoms.”

Doctors are intelligent, but they are not mind-readers! Know how you are going to explain your symptoms to your doctor before your appointment to ensure the best treatment!

What you can do: Be direct, concise and accurate about your symptoms. Know when they started and how often they are occurring.

8. “Do not expect me to renew a prescription over the phone. There may be a reason why I need to see you again.”

Doctor visits begin the minute you walk into the clinic. There is more to an office interview. Your physicians check the state you are in, how you are walking, etc. Many factors go into the decision-making of whether your prescription is working. For example, if you are on a blood pressure medication, your physician will check your blood pressure.

What you can do: Make sure you understand how many times you can repeat the medication, and be understanding when your doctor will not fill a prescription over the phone.

9. “Please wash before you come to see me.”

We understand you may be seeing me after work, but you expect me to be professional, and there are times when smells, for instance, can be too much to handle.

What you can do: Please take care of your basic hygiene so we can focus on the current concern.

10. “Do not expect me to read dozens of articles you have downloaded from the Internet.”

Say it with us now, “Wikipedia is not my doctor.”

“The Internet has more disinformation than information,” warns Danforth. “We had a pilot who argued with us over the fact that we would not let him fly, and who proceeded to bombard us with 1,500 pages of information he had downloaded from the Internet. Not one of the pages had solid scientific information based on peer-reviewed studies–but it did support his position.”

What you can do: Ask your physician for credible sites if you would like to further research an issue.