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Communicating with Your Doctor

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Doctor-Patient Communication

A healthy doctor-patient relationship is a very important part of cancer care. Good communication between doctors, patients, and caregivers helps all parties build a trusting relationship and openly share information and feelings with one another. Patients may experience many difficult thoughts and emotions when they receive their diagnosis, and it may be hard for them to make important decisions about treatment. Good communication helps the patient be more well-informed and feel more at ease when making these decisions. Patients who are more well-informed are more likely to be satisfied with their care and follow through with their treatment. Communication is especially important when important decisions need to be made, like at diagnosis or when the primary goal of treatment changes. Some patients want a lot of detailed information and like to be very involved with their treatment decisions, while others prefer less detail and would rather let their doctors decide what would be best. It is important to let your doctor know how much information you need at the time of your diagnosis, and to establish a good, trusting relationship from the beginning.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your doctor:
Woman asking helpful questions
Man asking helpful questions
  • What type of cancer do I have?
  • What is the stage of my cancer?
  • What are my treatment options?
  • Should I bring someone with me to doctor's appointments and treatment sessions?
  • What is my chance of recovery?
  • Would you recommend a clinical trial?
  • What are the potential side effects of my treatment?
    How do I prevent them?
  • How should I prepare for treatment?
  • How will my diagnosis affect my daily life and activities?
  • Are there any support groups or ways to get help coping?
  • Can I take other prescribed medications?
  • Can I take vitamins or other nutritional supplements?

Keeping Your Medical Records Current

It is important to stay organized and keep track of all your medical records throughout treatment. If you change doctors or visit a specialist, you will need to have your medical history, test results, medication information, and treatment results on hand so your new doctor can make informed and accurate decisions about your care. Here are some of the medical records you should gather before speaking to a new doctor:

Medical Records
  • Your pathology report, which includes your official diagnosis and stage
  • Information about any surgeries you had
  • Information about your medications and chemotherapy drugs
  • Information about any radiation treatments you received, including the location and amount of radiation
  • Copies of any X-rays or imaging tests
  • Contact information for your healthcare team
  • Contact information for anyone who gives you emotional or psychological support
  • Any nutritional supplements or over-the-counter medications you take

Other Important Documents

Communication with your doctor is also crucial for patients with more advanced disease. End of life discussions with your doctor can help you live your final days with more comfort and dignity. Your doctor should discuss all curative and palliative treatments available to you and let you make an informed decision about your treatment. Your survival is your doctor's primary goal, but your doctor must also respect your wishes and try to make you as comfortable as possible. Here are some other important documents you should have on hand:

Important documents
  • An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your wishes for treatment if you become too ill to communicate with your doctor. An advance directive may contain information about whether or not you want life-sustaining treatments such as CPR, feeding tubes, or more surgery.
  • Power of attorney is another alternative to an advance directive. Power of attorney allows you to appoint someone to make these difficult decisions for you, rather than outlining your own wishes in a document. This person should be someone you trust, as they will talk to your doctors and decide your best course of treatment.
  • Social Security and Medicare numbers, birth and marriage certificates, passports
  • Primary and secondary insurance information
  • Bank accounts, account numbers, credit card information, etc.
  • Motor vehicle registration
  • Titles and leases
  • Tax returns and records

Disclaimer - The contents of CMedEd.Com are for informational purposes only and are not a replacement for professional medical advice. Always consult your physician about any medical concerns or conditions. CMedEd.Com does not endorse any specific tests, procedures, physicians, or other information mentioned on the website.