- College of Medicine Faculty News Medical UCF Health
Members of UCF’s senior population gathered at the UCF College of Medicine recently to learn how to better communicate with their doctors from UCF Health’s new medical director Dr. Ariel Mejia.
“69% of patients are frustrated, 62% of patients say they are not getting the information they need from their healthcare provider,” Dr. Mejia told the audience of more than 50 “Now what does that translate to? Patient dissatisfaction and danger.”
As an internal medicine specialist, Dr. Mejia cares for patients with many different conditions and needs. And as a College of Medicine faculty physician, he sees that doctors aren’t always the best communicators.
“We need to bring balance,” he said. “Ultimately, doctors have too little to say, rushing to their next appointment, and patients have too much to say. We can both work toward improving our communication.”
Here are his tips for better patient-physician communication:
- Come to your appointment with a list of your concerns, current medications and medical history. It can be difficult to remember all of these things during your conversations, so a prepared list ensures that nothing is forgotten.
- Be open and honest. For example, if have forgotten to take your medication or choose not to because you have concerns, let the doctor know. That way you can work together to make better decisions going forward.
- Ask questions and don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if you don’t understand the answer. Be open about your concerns about side effects of medication.
- Bring a friend or loved one to support you and help remember important information.
- Take notes or ask for written instructions when needed.
- Follow up as new symptoms arise and utilize technology to communicate with the healthcare team. Your provider’s patient portal is an efficient and secure way to communicate with your team.
- Provide feedback, both positive and negative, about your experience in the clinic. If you want to see changes in the system or encourage something you liked, this is your chance to make your voice heard.
Throughout the presentation, Dr. Mejia acted out stereotypes of poor communicators. First was Dr. Stingy, a doctor who was speaking in medical jargon as he rushed to his next appointment.
“If I’m telling you that you have a heart failure with preserved dejection fraction in the 55% range with a normal excursion of the right ventricle, you’re going to say, ‘What?’” he explained. “But if I say, the left side and right side of your heart are pumping fine, but they’re a little stiff, which will make you build up water over time, was communication more effective?” The audience nodded.
He also humorously presented two kinds of patients: “Mrs. Choose Your Own Adventure” gets carried away with side stories, such as her recent vacation, using up valuable appointment time. The “Tag Team” is a husband and wife who take turns telling the same story, piling on extra details and never get to the important medical details. Both examples had the audience laughing in seeming recognition of their own behaviors at the doctor’s office.
After the presentation, audience members asked questions, including several about patients who come to appointments with their own diagnosis after conducting Internet searches.
“Yeah, I see them daily,” said Dr. Mejia with a smile. “And that is good and bad, because it means they are involved in their care and allows us to get to the point of the visit. On the other hand, they can misinterpret (their symptoms) so they have to be careful.”
The event is part of the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at UCF series, which offers experiential learning opportunities for seniors. This summer, events are centered around the College of Medicine, where doctors and medical researchers give presentations on health topics including osteoporosis, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular health.
UCF Health is the College of Medicine’s clinical practice with two locations – in East Orlando blocks from the main UCF campus and in Lake Nona. The clinic offers primary and specialty care under one roof. All physicians are College of Medicine faculty. For more information, visit https://ucfhealth.com/
Post Tags
- LIFE at UCF Senior Living UCF Health