Patients can reduce their health care costs, improve overall wellness by communicating with doctors

Dec 11 2009

Patients can reduce their health care costs and improve their overall wellness by communicating more effectively with their doctors, according to a recent report and list of 10 tips released by InfoMedics, Inc., a patient feedback company that works to improve patient-physician communication.

The report, which is the first in a series of InfoMedics' consumer-oriented reports called "A Prescription for Better Health: Resource Center for Patients," was written by Dr. Stanley Wulf, a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who also serves as the company's chief medical officer. It outlines how poor communication between patients and their physicians can lead to medication non-adherence, failed preventative care and chronic disease management, and, ultimately, sicker patients who must seek expensive, avoidable medical care. In fact, according to a study referenced in the report, poor adherence alone is estimated to result in $177 billion in direct and indirect health care costs every year.

"This communication gap between patients and physicians is often caused by patients' embarrassment or anxiety, or their reluctance to ask questions. It can also be a result of office visit time constraints or fear of 'bothering' the physician by asking too many questions," said Wulf. "As difficult as it may be, patients need to share -- and request -- more information about their medications and treatments so they can be active, informed participants in their own health care. By doing this, they will avoid more serious illnesses and diseases, and the costly treatments and care associated with them."

In the report, titled "Enhanced communication with doctors helps consumers save time and money while becoming healthier," Wulf offers 10 tips to help patients accomplish this goal. These tips include bringing a list of questions for the doctor to the office visit, keeping a journal to document treatment progress and asking a friend or family member to come to the appointment to ensure the information received is understood. Some of the more unusual tips deal with how to combat embarrassment, when to question a diagnosis or treatment, how best to communicate between office visits, and asking about financial concerns. For the full report and all 10 tips, visit http://www.infomedics.com/_docs/Resource_Center_Report_1.pdf.

"In addition to problems caused by the anxiety we all feel at the doctor's office, another common form of miscommunication stems from patients who seek out information online, rather than talking to their doctors," said Wulf. "There is certainly some good information on the Web, but there's a lot of bad information, too. If patients would like to do their own research online, they should ask their physician about the best sites for accurate, up-to-date information."