When you’re ill, you don’t feel well. It can be frustrating if it feels like you’re fighting to get the best healthcare. If you’re a Black person in the United States, you are less likely to get the quality medical care that you deserve.1,2,3 A study published in 2023 by the Kaiser Family Foundation (now called KFF) found that Black people expect to face racism in their doctor’s office. Another study showed that about 1 in 3 Black people living in California were treated unfairly due to their skin color.1 The Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also found that Black people received worse care than white people on 52% of quality measures (i.e. processes of care, outcomes of care, and patient perceptions of care) in 2023.2
Doctor’s visits can be short. You have limited time to express your concerns and build a meaningful relationship with your physician. You want your doctor’s visits to be as productive as possible. There are steps you can take to get the most from your doctor’s visits. In this article, we’ll discuss several ways that you can advocate for yourself with your doctor.
1. Make a List of Questions Before Your Appointment 4,5
According to Medscape’s Physician Compensation report, most doctor visits only last 13-16 minutes. Making a list of your questions will help you to remember everything that you want to discuss during your visit. Have a primary goal for your visit. Save time by preparing ahead of time with answers to some of the questions your doctor may ask you about your specific concern. Here are some questions that you may want to consider ahead of time:
- When did the issue begin?
- Are there foods or activities that seem to make the issue worse?
- Are there foods or activities that seem to make the issue better?
- Is there pain, itching, or other types of discomfort associated with the issue?
- What medications, remedies, or supplements have you already tried?
Bring an updated medication list with you. If you’ve received test results from another physician, you should bring a copy of those results with you. It’s also important that you prioritize your concerns. Even with a list of questions, there is a chance that you won’t be able to discuss everything during your visit. If you plan to discuss more than one issue with your physician, make sure you put the most important issue at the top of the list.
2. Know Your Rights6,7
You have rights as a patient. It’s important that you know your rights, and exercise those rights to get the maximum benefits from your healthcare. Your patient rights include the right to a second opinion and your right to receive a copy of your patient records.
Most doctor’s offices have a document that lists patient rights that you can ask for at the front desk. Here is another great resource with more information about your patient rights:
- My Patient Rights: The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) launched this website in California and expanded it nationwide to help people who have been denied treatment or medicines, experienced delays, or are dissatisfied with the decisions made by their health plan.
3. Schedule for Success and Arrive 15 Minutes Prior to Your Appointment4,5
There may be different types of appointments at your physician’s office with various timeframes. When you book your appointment, be sure to tell the receptionist what you desire to discuss during the visit. Unless you clarify the purpose of the visit, you may be booked for a time slot shorter than you need.
Arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of your appointment gives you enough time to check in and complete the required paperwork. Though your doctor may not always be on schedule, arriving early gives you the opportunity to have the maximum time allotted for your appointment. If you arrive late or even right at the scheduled time, by the time you complete the check-in process you may be “late” for your appointment and have less time to talk with your doctor.
If you are driving to your appointment you also want to consider the amount of time that it may take you to park and walk to your doctor’s office. Your physician’s clinic may be connected to a hospital or a large medical building where you will need to park in the garage, walk to the building, and wait for the elevator before arriving at the office.
If you must be late, call ahead and talk with the receptionist. They may need to reschedule your appointment.
4. Do Your Research8
Doctors usually don’t recommend that you try to diagnose yourself online, but they do agree that it is helpful for you to be informed. Google your symptoms. Check out related articles and information within the NOWINCLUDED community. If you are informed, you are able to ask more specific questions. Your relationship with your healthcare provider should be a partnership focused on optimizing your health. When you are informed, you are empowered with information that can help you to identify concerning symptoms.5
Here are some health education websites to support you when looking for patient information:
- Our NOWINCLUDED platform: Community-friendly digital-health website that focuses on educating members about diseases that affect communities of color at higher rates than other ethnic groups.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Website that focuses on overview information on diseases, vaccinations, and travel precautions.
- Medline Plus: Scientifically-based information that combines general information from many other trusted sources to give an in-depth view of health conditions, symptoms, risk factors, medications, etc.
- The Patient Advocate Foundation: A non-profit organization that creates resources focused on a range of topics from medical debt to insurance access and disability benefits.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Website with resources for parents who want more information about children’s health.
5. Bring Someone to Your Appointment With You4,8
If English is your second language or you think that you need additional support, it may be helpful to have someone at your appointment who will help you understand your physician better. They can communicate your concerns to your doctor and make you feel more comfortable. This person can be a family member, friend, or patient advocate.
Although that person joins you for your appointment, they won’t have access to your medical records unless you sign paperwork saying that it is ok for them to access your medical records.
If you don’t have someone that you know personally to join you for your appointment, you may want to hire an independent patient advocate.
If you need help finding a patient advocate, these resources may help:
6. Get a Second Opinion or Change Physicians5,9
If you are ever uncomfortable with the information that you receive from your physician, you have a right to get a second opinion. It’s common to get a second opinion. If you choose to get the opinion of another doctor, you may still follow the instructions of the first doctor you saw.
You are not obligated to follow the recommended plan of the second doctor because you received the opinion. Some physicians agree that you shouldn’t be afraid to let them know that you are in their office to get a second opinion. It’s helpful for them to have this information upfront because it shapes the conversation in a different way.
If you choose to get the opinion of a second physician, you should not be taking prescription medications from both doctors without notifying both doctor’s offices of all of your prescription medication. If you are not honest and transparent that you are receiving medication from more than one doctor, you could experience drug interactions or side effects. Depending on what medications you take, this can be dangerous. Not openly sharing all medications, supplements, and treatments you may be doing can also keep your physician from accurately assessing your situation.
You may need to check with your insurance provider to see if you will need a referral from your primary care physician to see a specialist.
You should always be comfortable with the care you receive from your doctor. Perhaps you need a doctor who is more compassionate and patient, or you prefer a doctor who is very thorough and detailed. If you don’t like the care you are receiving, you have a right to change to a physician that may suit your needs better.
7. Ask Your Physician About Clinical Studies10
Clinical studies, also known as clinical trials or clinical research, are opportunities for you to gain access to new, cutting-edge medications and treatment options before they become available to the general public. Depending on your condition, there may be an ongoing clinical study. Participation in a clinical study is voluntary and can be beneficial if you have a life-threatening illness. There may also be studies available if you have a chronic illness that is not easily controlled by prescription medications that are already on the market.
Studies typically have start and end dates for enrollment, and they also have specific criteria to be included, so you will need to ask your doctor if there is a clinical study available for your condition. Join the NOWINCLUDED clinical research circle for more information.
References
- The Commonwealth Fund (2024) Advancing Racial Equity in US Health Care: The Commonwealth Fund 2024 StateHealth Disparities Report (2024) https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2024/apr/advancing-racial-equity-us-health-care Accessed September 7, 2024
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2023) 2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Appendixes https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/research/findings/nhqrdr/2023-NHQDR-appendixes-ACDE.pdf Accessed September 7, 2024
- California Health Care Foundation (2022) Listening to Black Californians: How the Health Care System Undermines Their Pursuit of Good Health https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ListeningBlackCalifornians.pdf Accessed September 5, 2024
- Together Patient Advocates (2017) Ten Ways to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor’s Office https://www.togetherpatientadvocates.com/blog/nine-ways-to-advocate-for-yourself-at-the-doctors-office Accessed September 5, 2024
- Healthline (2023) 10 Ways to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-advocate-for-yourself-at-the-doctor Accessed September 5, 2024
- Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (2024) 10 Ways to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor’s Office https://chsnc.org/10-ways-to-advocate-for-yourself-at-the-doctors-office/ Accessed September 6, 2024
- California Chronic Care Coalition (2022) My Patient Rights https://mypatientrights.org/stay-informed/how-to-advocate-for-yourself-at-the-doctors-office/ Accessed September 7, 2024
- TIME (2024) How to Advocate for Yourself at Doctor’s Visits, According to Doctors https://time.com/6974247/how-to-advocate-for-yourself-doctors/ Accessed September 6, 2024
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2015) Sickle Cell Disease, A Patient’s Advocate Perspective https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(16)30060-5/fulltext Accessed September 5, 2024
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022) Clinical Trials Benefits, Risks, and Safety Measures https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/clinical-trials/safety-benefits-risks Accessed September 6, 2024
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