My Longkang

It is easier to be a barber, teacher, or a beautician rather than a doctor. Most people equate doctors with bad news. They are a necessary evil in life. I laugh as I wonder what Bernard or doc will think as they read this .

We need them. They are essential in our lives but we don’t want to visit them in a professional capacity.

Ten tips on how to be a good patient.

Clinics and hospitals are not hotels. Therefore by the very function it is supposed to serve, in most cases it comes across as a cold, sterile place. In government hospitals, one comes across cheap chairs sometimes plastic, sometimes wooden ones and in private hospitals same situation but a bit more ‘high-class’. In government hospitals, the first person one meets is the registration clerk who is over-worked, running here and there searching for files, calling names, numbers etc. It is not much different in private clinics or hospitals except that the clerks tend to be more friendly.

In hospitals, one meets a medical assistant and if he feels there is a need he will then pass you on to the doctor, where there is another long wait. For the patient who is sick it is a frustrating process.

Be prepared.
Before visiting the doctor, make the necessary preparations. List down the things you need to tell him or her. Discard the notion that doctors are out to fleece you. Hey, they have more than enough people who are really sick.

Speak up if you have questions or concerns.
This is very important to the doctor. He needs the feedback and information. A doctor is no magician. He won’t know until you tell him unless the symptom is glaringly obvious. At the most, his diagnosis is an educated guess unless he goes in deeper into the case which may involve a stay at the medical facility.

Pay attention and be alert
This is especially important when the doctor is talking to you or the nurses are treating you etc.

Find out about diagnosis and treatment plan
Go back and access the web. Look for information. You may find out more than what the doctor has told you due to time constraints or he might think he wants to spare you further distress until a more suitable time.

Write it down.
This is for hospital stays. There is a sheet where everything happening to the patient is recorded. But you can record on your own record so-and-so brought you a chee cheong fun etc. This is not trivial. It is necessary for the doctor who may be wondering why the blood tests come back different from expected or the blood-pressure etc. It will be useful to all parties

Bring a friend.
It is ok to bring a friend with you if you need help. The doctor will welcome the other person who will speak on your behalf rather than slowly trying to coax info from you. which you may not be able to give as you are unwell. Accompany a parent who is ill or unfit

Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.
Most doctors won’t mind their patients getting a second opinion. A doctor friend in Island Hospital suggested another friend get a second opinion and gave him a name and contact number. Different doctors have different specialities. Different doctors may have different opinions. In the final analysis, the patient still has to make the final decision.

Follow the doctor’s orders.
Simple instructions given like drink no water, take no food, etc etc are given for a reason.

Participate in all decisions.
Some older-generation doctors still carry on the bedside manners of the past. They mean well and tell the patient what he has to do. The younger generation tells it in the form of options. However there are some patients who prefer to be told what to do.

It is not the doctor’s or the clinc’s/hospital’s fault.
Last but not least remember it is not the doctor’s or the clinic’s/hospital’s fault that you are unwell. Based on stats it had to happen to someone and you are that someone. It is not anybody’s fault or your fault. A positive attitude will help all quarters tremendously.

The nurses and assistants and all the stuff are there to make your stay an ‘uneventful’ one. Their duty is to assist you in their targeted fields but they are not your personal slaves. Be kind to them. They will be kind to you. When your personal well being is at stake, it pays to be seen as an accommodating patient.

Personal comment:

I was at a leading private facility in Penang doing an MRI scan. I had recently arrived on the island and was told to undergo a battery of tests. Entering the MRI machine was weird and the period inside it seemed to me the longest experience ever. I relived my life a thousand times over.

All I knew at that time was seconds before entering the coffin like contraption, I was told not to move at all. I was not told how long it would take or what to expect. It was also the first time I heard of MRI. It was hilarious. I didn’t even dare consciously breathe just in case I moved. The SYT ( sweet young thing ) had told me if I moved, the results would be affected, I would have to go through it again and pay again. That was good enough motivation for me.

Original idea courtesy of The Borneo Post 18/09/07