Communicating with Your Doctor

In any relationship, including the one between you and your doctor, good communication is key. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty being honest or communicating thoroughly with their doctors. As a result, doctors are not able to fully diagnose and treat conditions and patients suffer from inadequate care.

As you search for a doctor that provides the high-quality health care services you require, it is important to ensure that you are comfortable speaking openly with your doctor about your lifestyle choices and health problems.

Barriers to Communication

Certain factors may cause patients to withhold certain information a doctor may need to diagnose and treat illnesses, injuries, and other conditions, including:

• Lifestyle: A patient may feel uncomfortable talking to a doctor about his or her personal actions, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy eating, sexual activity, or other lifestyle choices.

• Gender: Often, patients of one sex feel more comfortable discussing certain personal health issues with a doctor of the same sex.

• Language: A person whose first language is not English may face difficulties fully communicating with a doctor about health issues or understanding a diagnoses or treatment plan.

It is important for patients to seek out a doctor with whom they can communicate comfortably.

Contact Us

Unfortunately, some doctors fail to communicate clearly with patients and can make serious mistakes as a result. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a physician mistake, contact the Pennsylvania doctor error attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511.