Pituitary News, Issue 16 - Summer 2000.

If you sometimes dread trying to explain how you feel to your GP, here's what you can do to improve your relationship. Article reproduced with the permission of Prima magazine.

Tricia Kreitman
Prima, May 2000

Communication is the key to any good relationship, including the one with your GP - and that involves being allowed and even encouraged to share your worst fears. But it's easy to feel embarrassed, stressed or intimidated in the consulting room and it's only recently that medical schools have started paying attention to training doctors in the art of communication. So, if you sometimes dread trying to explain how you feel to your GP, here's what you can do to improve your relationship.

Be prepared - Do your homework beforehand

Before you see your doctor make a list of what you want to say - and find out. Write down your symptoms including when, where and how long you've had them, and what you want to know. A good GP won't mind looking at this with you. With a potentially difficult problem request a longer appointment so your GP has plenty of time to discuss it with you.

Don't be scared to say what's worrying you

Fear of serious disease (or an embarrassing ailment) is hard to talk about but often your GP can give reassurance. Even if the worst is true, it's vital to get medical advice as soon as possible. Dr Phil Hammond, of TV's Trust Me, I'm a Doctor, says, 'Some people really do die of embarrassment, as their fear of talking to a doctor allows a disease to continue unchecked'. To give an example, bleeding after sex can be a sign of cervical cancer, but many women are too embarrassed to ask their doctor about this.

Be clear and assertive not aggressive

A little tact will get you a better response. Announcing, 'Those pills you gave me were useless!' can have a very different effect from saying, 'I've been taking the tablets for two weeks but I've still got the same problem'.

Deal with your embarrassment

A skilled GP will make it easier to talk about difficult issues, but doctors are only human and can get embarrassed too.

They may react by being abrupt or insensitive, which can leave both of you stuck. Try relieving the situation by saying, 'I have a problem, but I find it difficult to talk about.' This alerts the doctor to the fact that they need to proceed gently and may need to coax the relevant information out of you.

Give your doctor some feedback

After training, doctors rarely get any feedback about their performance. So give praise when it's due - it's surprising how few patients do this. But if things aren't going smoothly, it's worth trying to explain how you feel. Try saying 'Doctor I feel that you think I'm wasting your time. My symptoms may not seem much to you, but I'd like you to understand how much they're affecting my life.' If this doesn't work, or you can't face doing it, try talking to the practice administrator or nurse. They work with the doctors as a team and can often tactfully pass on this kind of feedback. Don't forget, you can also choose a different GP in the practise or even change your doctor altogether.

Don't rely solely on your memory

Studies show that patients remember as little as 15 per cent of what they're told in the consulting room. So, as well as asking the right questions, it's important to make a note of what your GP tells you. Don't be scared to ask them to repeat it or to wait a minute while you write it down.

With their permission you could even take in a tape recorder so that you can listen to it all again later.

Don't expect your GP to read your mind

If you go home with instructions and a prescription but still don't get better, your doctor isn't going to know unless you say so! Not all treatments work first time, and it's up to you to make another appointment and report back so that your doctor can reassess your care.

Prima Magazine have given us permission to reprint this article and we are most grateful to them for their cooperation.