“How to Remember What Your Doctor Says”

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NY Times (October 26, 2021): How to Remember What Your Doctor Says

Key points:

  1. “When faced with someone in a white coat, don’t go mute. Assert yourself, particularly if you’re confused. Try repeating what you’re hearing”
  2. “People recalled less than half of what their doctors told them a week earlier”
  3. ”In practice, though, patients bring up as many as 15 different issues during a visit. Show up with a list of the three main things you want to talk about, and go over all three before your doctor starts talking.”
  4. “Communication onus should be on medical providers. Still, as a patient, you have agency. ‘When people participate, they remember better'”

My take: This article makes some good points. I think in this era, more written information (after visit instructions) are being provided which helps as well.

Related blog posts:

Also, briefly noted, U.S was rated as being in 54th place in its vaccine rates compared to other countries.

Financial Times: Global Vaccine Tracker

2 thoughts on ““How to Remember What Your Doctor Says””

  1. Clear, simple, and easy to understand communication is essential by the physician. BUT…..we have a culture (without clear data, probably more so in the USA) that lifts all responsibility from the patient. Patients need to be involved, they need to ask questions, they need to not expect being spoon fed, they need to remember to follow through, they need to schedule their follow-up, they need to reach out if something isn’t right, etc etc…….we cannot expect the physician to bear the weight of the entire healthcare system. As physicians, we need to stand up for ourselves and have expectations of the patient as well.

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