Recently a conversation was overheard between a buyer and an artist. The buyer wanted the artist to create a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork. The buyer was talking about the esthetics of the piece and the artist was responding with information on pricing. On the surface, it appeared they were talking about the same thing. However, on closer examination they were talking about different things and the buyer was unaware of the difference.
When talking with a medical professional regarding the health care of yourself or a loved one, the same thing can happen. For someone unfamiliar with medicine and medical care, treatment options can be a journey into the unknown. It is easy for both sides to make the assumption regarding a shared level of understanding where one does not exist. The following are seven proactive things you can do to facilitate clear communication.

Patient Portals Mid Coast Medical Group  https://secure.midcoasthealth.com /portal/default.aspx Martin’s Point  https://martinspoint.org/about-martins-point/news/2013/new-patient-portal HealthInfoNet http://www.hinfonet.org/

1. When more than one healthcare professional is involved, make sure that each one is provided with the same information. Don’t assume that this information will get to the right person. 
2. If you don’t understand the diagnosis, ask to have it explained it to you and keep asking until you do understand it. When the health of you or a loved one is at stake, it is not the time to be uncertain.
3. Keep a portable file. Don’t try to keep all that healthcare information in your head. Get a binder, thumb drive or some other portable method and keep test results, consultation printouts and past health history. When a health care crisis occurs, you may not remember everything.
4. Keep an accurate medications list and carry it with you. All the physicians and emergency room technicians will appreciate exact information received immediately upon arrival. 
5. Ask for training. Training options and support groups are readily available. These resources will go a long way to assisting with your understanding.

6. Write down questions or use a patient portal to ask those questions. Excellent healthcare questions will occur to you at odd times. However, when you meet with the treating physician, sometimes you will have forgotten those questions. Keep a running list to take with you to your doctor’s visit.

7. Be very particular in conversations with all medical professionals regarding healthcare issues. Telling the doctor that you hurt will help to identify the cause. More concrete descriptions about the type of pain (stabbing, burning, dull), location, level and if it is worse at certain times would be even more beneficial to the doctor.
Doing the above will go a long way to providing a clear path for communication with your doctor. Healthcare professionals also recognize the importance of effective communication on their part and have been innovating to provide clear, easy-to-access information to the patient. 
The Help Us Help You initiative at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick was developed to facilitate improving patient/provider communication. Cate Parker, RN community Health and Wellness Coordinator at Mid Coast Hospital stated, “Patient care can be very complicated.” The goal of the Help Us Help You team is ensuring the safety and providing the best care of the patient by opening lines of communication. Parker says, “We really need to get the patient involved.  Do not be shy about getting that [healthcare] information or having it on you.” Parker adds, “We want to engage and start teaching patients to ask questions. It’s okay. No one will be offended. It is not disrespectful [to question a doctor.]”
A high tech communication avenue that healthcare providers are offering is patient portals. Like the Mid Coast Medical Group Patient Portal, Martin’s Point Health Care provides an online patient portal. A patient can log on with a password and view test results, send non-urgent messages to the doctor, and even schedule appointments. The patient portals provide a convenient link between healthcare providers and patients. Check with your healthcare provider to see if they offer a patient portal.
Communication between patient/provider isn’t the only health care communication that is being improved. HealthInfoNet is a statewide program to facilitate communication between health care providers. Martin’s Point Health Care was one of the early participants in a very successful demonstration project. By 2010, HealthInfoNet was officially Maine’s “designated statewide health information exchange.” Providers can quickly access timely information from other healthcare sources to ensure the safety of the patient.
Of course, getting health care information can be low tech as well. You can get your health care information from providers by making a request and usually filling out a form permitting the release of medical information. Ask your health care provider what the in-house process is for obtaining your medical records.
Today, the patient and their family are as essential to medical care as the medical professional providing care. By asking questions and arming yourself with the best information, you can take your place as part of the healthcare team.

Marsha Hinton, ghostwriter, can be reached at www.marshahinton.com.

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