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This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
Be Your Own Health Advocate
Without doubt, communication is crucial to good health care. When people take an active role in their care, research shows they fare better -- in satisfaction and in how well treatments work. A passive patient is less likely to get well.
Yet patients often don't speak up for themselves, says Dr. Paul Haidet, staff physician at the DeBakey VA Medical Center, in Houston.
Haidet learned this lesson first hand with a new patient complaining of a cough. A 50-year-old Boston dockworker with no serious illness in his past, the patient said the cough had been hanging on for three weeks. Haidet noted the details, performed a physical exam, and diagnosed an upper respiratory tract infection.
"The guy had a cold," Haidet tells WebMD. He recommended cough syrup and was about to leave, but something gave him pause. The patient "just had this weird look on his face," Haidet recalls.
Haidet learned that the man's best friend had recently died of lung cancer and when his friend was diagnosed, he had a very similar cough. As a longtime pack-a-day smoker, the patient was afraid his number was finally up.
The Ideal Doctor-Patient Relationship
Chest X-rays eventually showed the patient had no tumors, but Haidet was astonished by the difference between what he thought the visit was about and what the real reason was. He had assumed the man wanted him to treat his cold, but he really wanted to be assured that he didn't have lung cancer.
Haidet, who now runs part of a program at Baylor College of Medicine that helps people communicate with their doctors, feels sure that the patient "would have kept going to doctors until somebody unlocked that story and addressed the real issue for that visit."
The ideal doctor-patient relationship, says Haidet, is like a meeting of two "experts." The doctor comes to the meeting with medical expertise. "The patient is entering with contextual knowledge, what these symptoms mean in the broader context of my life, and what kinds of therapies that broader context is going to support," he says.
So, how do you manage an "expert" meeting of the minds with your doctor?
The ABCs: How to Talk to Your Doctor
The Baylor program hosts "How to Talk to Your Doctor" workshops in the Houston area. The workshops are intended for those who need advice the most, such as seniors -- who tend to be passive in the doctor-patient relationship -- people who speak little English, and cancer patients.
"We've tried to boil it down to a simple mnemonic: ABC," Haidet says.
A: Ask Questions
Jessie Gruman, PhD, has more experience talking to doctors than most would ever want, having been treated for three different cancers at various times in her life.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
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