Communication is vital in any relationship. It plays a vital role in the relationship between you and your physicians. Eighteen years ago, I was informed that I had a brain tumor. From that point on, I learned that I had to take charge of my own health and not be afraid to speak up and ask questions to the team of physicians that I was under the care of. Through the years, of course, the physicians have come and gone, but finally, over the last couple of years, I feel like the current set of physicians that I have is working out for me.
A few months back, I was referred to a Rheumatologist, and I was impressed with how attentive and thorough their office is. He had recently prescribed me a new medication, and I noticed how immediately the side effects began to interfere with my daily tasks and ability to focus. I made the decision to stop taking the medication. Time went by, and I honestly forgot to inform his office until weeks later, when my Neurologist suggested that I try another new medication. So, I informed the Rheumatologist’s office that I was no longer taking the medication that he had originally prescribed, and in addition informed them that the Neurologist had started me on a new medication, and I provided the name and dosage information.
A couple of days went by, and I received a call from the Rheumatologist’s Nurse Practitioner, concerned about the new medication I was taking. She kept stating the name of it, and I was not recognizing it, and I kept telling her that the name she was referring to was not the same as the one on the bottle. Finally, after I again spelled out the medication name on the bottle, she realized that we were not talking about the same medication. It was determined that the individual from their office who took down my initial message had written down the incorrect medication name. The one they wrote was a medication that is stronger and used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis. The doctor did not understand why my Neurologist would prescribe that for me since I was not diagnosed with that. That raised a red flag for them, so that was the reason for their call to inform me of their concern and that they were going to be contacting the Neurologist for clarification.
At the beginning of the call, I could feel my heart sink because I was being told that I was taking medication that could possibly cause harm to me. I found myself replaying the conversation I had with the Neurologist, trying to figure out if I had missed something during my visit with her. Before the end of the call, the Nurse Practitioner stated, disregard that medication you are taking, it is safe after all. I was left picking myself off the floor, trying to process the conversation we just had.
I will continue to be proactive when it comes to my health and will make sure that, whether I am communicating with the physicians or their office staff, or sending a message through the patient portal, what is relayed is clear and understood by all parties involved.
We all make mistakes, and we are only human.
The World of Dlo 