Relationship with healthcare providers

Accessing healthcare is vital to all aspects of hepatitis C management—from getting the right tests to taking treatment to living healthy with the virus.

Building a positive relationship with healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, counsellors and dentists, will make all of these aspects easier and make health choices more effective.

Understanding the Relationship

A relationship with a doctor, nurse or other healthcare provider is like other relationships—success is based upon open communication and the effort each person contributes to make the relationship work. Both the healthcare provider and the client must engage in talking and listening and work toward understanding each other. Unspoken attitudes and feelings can complicate the process and lead to misunderstandings. 

Relationships with healthcare providers also have distinct features. The serious impacts associated with health changes can cause patients to be very anxious. This anxiety is often compounded because they may not fully understand what is happening and they rely heavily on the doctor for information, care and support.

Rights and Responsibilities

Both patients and healthcare providers have rights and responsibilities in the healthcare relationship.

Healthcare Provider Rights:

• expect the patient to meet his or her responsibilities
• provide care to other patients and not have excessive demands on time from a single patient
• be treated with respect and courtesy
• be free from requests to do illegal or immoral acts

Healthcare Provider Responsibilities:

• treat the patient with respect and courtesy, and display concern and sensitivity to the fears and suffering of the patient
• provide informed and competent medical assessment and treatment, within the limits of his or her expertise
• refer or provide access to other specialists where other expertise is required
• respect patient rights and involve patients in healthcare decisions
• maintain a code of ethics that includes not taking advantage of the intimacy required in medical examinations
• consider the patient's life situation and finances when prescribing treatment

Choosing a Healthcare Provider

Choosing a healthcare provider can take time. Patients should feel comfortable with the provider. This will enable them to be open about their situation and make them feel they can ask detailed questions. Some patients prefer to have healthcare providers of the same gender. Others are looking for the most knowledgeable experts in their field. Others may require access to local care due to limitations on how far they can travel. Patients can also choose to obtain a second opinion, exercising their right to be included in decisions around care and treatment. 

Preparing for Appointments

Patients who prepare in advance for their appointment are in a better place to take full advantage of the limited time they have with their healthcare provider. Prepping can involve the following steps:

1. Health List Update

Make a list of changes and updates to health. Some patients use a treatment or health diary to track these items, which can include:

• new symptoms, side effects, or illnesses, including emergency visits
• medications, recreational drugs, over-the-counter meds, herbal or complementary therapies and vitamins being taken, including those prescribed by a doctor
• significant changes to life situations, like living arrangement, diet, job or other activities

2. Blood Tests

If required, have the blood work done before the appointment so the results can be sent to the doctor in time for the appointment.

3. Questions

Make a list of questions that address health concerns. This maximizes a patient's understanding and allows for informed decision-making. Bringing information to the appointment is OK, especially if it helps patients understand his or her health. Questions can include:

• What is the name and purpose of the medication?
• Will there be any interactions with other medications?
• What is the dosage and how often should it be taken?
• Are there any dietary requirements?
• What are the possible short-term and long-term side effects? How can they be managed? What are the serious side effects?
• Is there written material to take home to learn more about the medication?

4. Attending the Appointment

Well-prepared patients also should consider the office environment and plan on ways to make the visit as productive as possible. Patients are advised to:

• Arrive on time or a few minutes early, in case there are forms to be filled out or other check-in procedures to be completed.
• Get to know the names of the support staff and treat everyone in the clinic with respect—the relationship with the healthcare provider includes the rest of the staff.
• Be as patient as possible if the doctor is running late, remembering to be mindful of the responsibilities of the patient.
• Be involved in decision-making and take the time to make the decisions if necessary.
• Commend the healthcare team when they are doing a good job.