Have you ever felt unsure about having a certain medical procedure performed?
Sunday, May 6th, 2007If your answer is yes….then join the club. You’re not alone in your uneasiness when it comes to certain tests like cardiac catheterizations, colonoscopies, mammograms, MRIs, CAT scans or even certain surgeries like open heart surgery.
Every day I explain to my patients why I’m ordering specific tests, why I believe they’re necessary and what I hope to find out. I have the luxury of only seeing patients in the hospital so I can spend the necessary time to answer their questions and even answer the questions of other family members who are present or who may be miles away in another state. But this is not always the case….
Typically, you’ll be given a piece of paper to sign by a nurse stating that Dr. X will be performing a procedure that day or the next day and the nurse will try to explain the procedure and then have you sign the form giving consent to have the procedure performed.
But it’s not always that simple.
You have questions about how Dr. X. Where did s/he train? Where did s/he go to medical school? You want to know how many similar procedures s/he has done in the past and what’s their success rate. You want to know how long you’ll be out of work and more importantly, will the procedure be painful. You want to talk with your family—your spouse, your sister, your brother, your cousin or even your parent—before agreeing to have any procedure done. You want to hear from another doctor confirming that you indeed need to have the test performed. You want to have the doctor really take the time to explain the procedure…the pros and cons of having the test done now versus waiting. You want the doctor to understand where you’re coming from.
So today, as I walked into Mrs. G hospital room, I saw a young middle aged woman sitting on the edge of the bed, expectant and waiting for me to introduce myself. I explained that I work with Dr. J and would be the doctor in charge of her care today. I had already read her chart and knew that Mrs. G likely has an advanced stage of breast cancer that had caused severe hardening of her left breast but she has gone almost five months without any treatment. I suspected that something drastic must have caused Mrs. G to forego treatment for so long.
So I sat on the edge of the bed beside her and asked her how she first noted something was wrong with her breast. Mrs. G went on to explain that it first started with a palpable lump on the side of her nipple that slowly got bigger and so she went to her doctor and had a mammogram, which she reports “didn’t show anything.” She then went to a specialist and had a breast biopsy and was told she had “cancer” and the doctor recommended a bone scan before he would start any treatment like chemotherapy, surgery or radiation. That’s when things fell apart….a bone scan that Mrs. G didn’t know why she needed and didn’t understand why a doctor who knew she had cancer wouldn’t start treatment immediately and why he was ordering a test that was so difficult to schedule.
So months passed…with the breast mass growing larger, the skin over her breast turning hard like leather and the pain in her breast increasing with each passing day…..and ultimately, Mrs. G ended up in our emergency room because she couldn’t take the pain anymore.
Now I don’t know exactly what transpired between Mrs. G and the specialist but what I do know is that Mrs. G case is not unique. Everyday, people get frustrated with the healthcare system, having to call this doctor to okay a procedure before another doctor will even schedule your appointment OR having serious questions about why you need a particular test and NOT getting the answers or the level of comfort and concern you deserve.
What I encourage my patients and even my family members to do is appoint one person to be their healthcare advocate, someone…it could be a friend, it could be a family member or it could even by your own doctor….who will be your point person when it comes to making these tough decisions. You can give this person permission to speak personally with the doctor to ask the questions you’re too afraid to ask or don’t even know to ask. Someone who has your best interests at heart and can take the time to really explain the details of the test with you and help you make the best possible decision.
For my family, I’m the “unofficial” healthcare advocate. For me, my husband’s my healthcare advocate.
Who’s in your corner? Who’s your healthcare advocate? So before you’re wheeled on a gurney to your next procedure….really take the time to understand the procedure and make use of your healthcare advocate…they’ll give you the support and comfort you never knew you needed.
To your wellness,
The Health and Wellness Queen
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