Every day, countless Americans meet with physicians and other medical professionals regarding multitudes of health issues. Some health problems may be as simple as allergies or the common cold, while others may be life-and-death diseases and injuries. When it comes to the patient-doctor relationship, communication is often the key to a successful treatment of the illness in question.

Unfortunately, some people do not know how to properly communicate their symptoms or previous medical history to their physicians. It is important to remember that medical professionals, although knowledgeable about their specific health-care profession, are not “mind-readers” and require an amount of disclosure on the part of the patient to adequately perform their duties.

If a patient fails to properly disclose previous medical history, medicinal allergies, or medications already being taken, serious injuries may result. It is up to the patient to provide as much information as he or she can to get the correct diagnosis and the proper prescriptions.

Communication Tips

Common tips for communicating with your doctor include:

Be sure to thoroughly describe any and all symptoms you have. Do not omit anything that may be relevant to your diagnosis.

Alert your physician to any medicinal allergies you have. This includes allergies to painkillers, anesthesia, and any other issues you have had in the past.

Tell your doctor about any other medication you are currently taking, including allergy medicines, painkillers, sleep aids, and anything that should be taken into consideration when prescribing medicine. If not, complications may arise if two incompatible drugs are taken at the same time.

Be sure to keep organized medical records and inform you doctor of previous procedures and history.

Inform your physician of family medical history and genetic dispositions you are aware of.

Failure to properly inform your physician may result in misdiagnosis, prescription errors, and other problems that can seriously affect your health. It is important to be forthright with doctors and other medical staff and remember that their job is to help you get better.

If you are injured due to negligence on the part of a medical professional, you may be eligible for compensation for your pain and suffering. If you communicated allergies and symptoms to the best of your ability and an error was still made, you may have reason to expect compensation in some form or another.

For more information regarding medical malpractice, contact the Lake Geneva medical malpractice attorneys of Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.

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