The last time you went to see the doctor, how long were you in the office? Five minutes? Ten minutes? How long was your doctor even in the room? Odds are that you spent the beginning of the time talking to a nurse, then you waited by yourself and then your doctor came in at the end.
Doctors are busy. It can often feel like they don’t have much time for you. Does this mean that your doctor isn’t asking enough questions or gathering enough information about your case?
For instance, one expert noted that doctors often do not ask their patients what their goals are or what outcome they’re hoping for. This is an important question because it shows that the doctor cares and gives them some insight into the patient’s state of mind. That can build up a stronger relationship between the two and help the doctor know how to proceed.
After all, patients are the best source of information for a doctor since they have had far more time to carefully think about their own condition. A doctor has to rush from one patient to the next, from one meeting to the next. There’s no avoiding that. A patient, though, may have spent hours or days considering their symptoms, the story of how the issue started, how it may relate to their medical history and much else. Doctors need to ask the right questions to dig into this information and see a solution.
If you feel like your doctor isn’t giving you enough time, it could lead to medical mistakes or oversights when making a diagnosis. Make sure you know what legal options you have.